A Week to Be Wicked

Starred review from February 13, 2012
Dare’s delightful second Spindle Cove Regency (after 2011’s A Night to Surrender) unites an unlikely pair as a wastrel viscount comes to the aid of a serious scientist. Minerva Highwood asks Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, to accompany her on a journey from spinster haven Spindle Cove to Edinburgh, where she plans on winning a prize for her presentation to the geological society. The journey will appear as an aborted elopement, but Minerva is willing to risk social stigma to achieve fame. She promises Colin her cash winnings, as the confirmed bachelor can’t access his trust fund until he marries. Minerva and Colin’s mishap-filled trip results in passion that neither expected. Colin reveals a much deeper character than his rakish exterior, and Minerva proves that her bluestocking shell hides a beautiful, shining soul. Lust, love, and witty repartee are perfectly balanced in this seamlessly plotted romance. Agent: Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary.