Thinnish plot of seduction and redemption
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Grace Banbury's life hasn't exactly been normal for a young lady. She's 24 and unmarried, she was rejected by a man she loved, and now it seems that her mother, an inveterate gambler, has lost their two houses through gambling. Grace's mother has disappeared and when Grace discovers the house has been lost to Mr Daniel Throckmorten she is horrified to discover he has also won the right to marry her.
Fortunately for Grace, Throckmorten doesn't want to marry her - or anyone else for that matter. However he does want a new mistress and eventually they find themselves in a wager; if he can tempt her to be his mistress within two weeks, he wins; if she holds out against his seductive charm she will be allowed to have a family heirloom, a rather special violin.
And so the story continues in what seems like an oft-trod direction. Man tries to seduce woman, woman is very tempted but tries to resist. Grace decides to try to redeem Daniel whose family have been rather scandalous in the past, Grace's gambling-addicted brother appears from time to time, there's another minor plot about someone who wants to marry Grace, but most of the attention is on Daniel and Grace.
The story feels rather lightweight most of the time with Grace able to behave in a most unlikely manner in a world when women were closely chaperoned. We see the story through both Grace's and Daniel's eyes and there are few surprises along the way. It's a reasonable enough read but didn't stand out in any way and towards the end the story was dragging a little too much for this reader.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
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