The Dangerous Protector

March 28, 2005
Coastal Maine serves as the appealing backdrop for this charming but clichéd novel of romantic suspense from Chapman (The Seductive Imposter)
. When a lobsterman alerts state Assistant Attorney General Willow Foster to the presence of contaminants in Puffin Harbor, she begins a secret investigation. She's unofficially assisted by bar owner and former salvager Duncan Ross, whose offers of both marriage and passion she's been resisting since a one-night stand 18 months earlier. As the two explore both the corporate paper trail and the local seascape, Duncan reveals that he's actually a Scottish lord, while Willow is forced to grapple with her fear of commitment. The story's use of old-fashioned romantic conventions often seems silly in this modern context. Corporate polluters call their victims "Miss," while Duncan's sister's Internet lover arrives from New Zealand carrying family heirlooms to ask for permission to court. Chapman's mimicry of Duncan's brogue is also unfortunate, making him sound more like Popeye ("Can ya climb with yar splint?") than an aristocratic adventurer. This novel works best when it focuses on the timeless bonds between friends and family, community and place. Agent, Grace Morgan Literary Agency.

April 15, 2005
Everyone in Puffin Harbor, ME, knows that adventurer -turned -pub owner Duncan Ross intends to marry state Attorney General Willow Foster; there's even a pool on when the wedding will take place. Willow, however, is having none of it, and it will take all of Duncan's patience and seductive powers to convince her that marriage to him is exactly what she wants and needs. Environmental issues are an underlying theme of this funny, sexy, fast-paced contemporary that features an appealing pair of beautifully matched protagonists. This is the companion volume to "The Seductive Imposter" (Pocket Star), which tells the story of Willow's sister, Rachel. Down-Easter Chapman's quartet of well-received time travel romances also is set in contemporary Maine.

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