Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady

December 15, 2009
Jack Vernon had seen enough death and destruction fighting the French in Spain. Now all he wants to do is paint, but establishing himself as an artist in London has not been easy. So when Jack is offered the chance to paint the portrait of the Drury Lane Theatres new leading lady, it seems the obvious answer is yes. The only problem is that the actress is Ariana Blane, and the man commissioning the work is Lord Tranville, whose goal is to convince Ariana to become his next mistress. Because Jack himself is in love with the intriguingly original Ariana, there is no way on earth he is about to let Tranville have either the lady or her portrait. Writing with her usual quiet wit and flair for nuanced characterization, Gaston fashions another cleverly crafted historical romance, which includes some fascinating details about the worlds of art and theater during the Regency era.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)