The Secret Duke

April 15, 2010
Abducted under bizarre circumstances but ultimately rescued by the fierce renegade Captain Rose, Bella Barstowe returns home, reviled by her family as a fallen woman. Four years later, financially independent (courtesy of her great-grandmother's will), living in London disguised as homely Bellona Flint, and working as a copyist and occasional "researcher" for a social reformer's scandal sheet, Bella is still puzzled by the events of her kidnappinguntil she comes across the appalling truth. Vowing revenge, Bella seeks out the man who rescued her years before, never realizing that Captain Rose is actually the powerful Duke of Ithorne or that they had met again at a masquerade she had recently crashed in search of scandal. VERDICT Lies, deception, and hidden identities ramp up the intrigue as a fascinating pair of protagonists join a familiar cast and provide another enchanting trip into Beverley's beautifully rendered, delightfully licentious Malloren world (after "The Secret Wedding"). Beverley is a best-selling author and member of the Romance Writers of America® Hall of Fame. She lives in Canada.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2010
After four years of virtual imprisonment, Bella Barstowe is more than ready for a taste of freedom. So when she receives an unexpected legacy, she packs her bags, says good riddance to her family, and sets off for London. To celebrate her independence (and to avoid questions about her ruinous past), Bella takes on a new nameBellona Flintas part of her plan to help Lady Fowler and her organization for moral reform. When Bellona unexpectedly discovers who plotted her social downfall all those years ago, everything changes. Enlisting the help of the mysterious Captain Rose, the very same man who saved her once before, Bellona plots a course of revenge only to find her plans complicated by her irresistibly sexy new partner. Characters adopt and discard identities as quickly as those in a Shakespearean play, but with its seductive mix of danger, deception, and desire, the latest addition to this RITA Award winners Georgian-set Malloren series is classic Beverley.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)