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Lily Lawson is a
brazen hussy – at least that is what Lord Alex Raiford, the Earl of
Wolverton, thinks when he first sees her. Of course, the fact that
she’d just jumped off of the boat at a water party – into the filthy,
icy Thames, no less – just to retrieve her favorite hat could have had
something to do with his opinion. And, perhaps the knowledge that she
herself had dumped the hat into the river in the first place, for a
simple bit of entertainment, might also have influenced his judgment.
At the time, he has no idea that the dripping-wet woman at the water
party is actually the disowned sister of his fiancé.
Lawless Lily, as
she’s called by many of the demimonde, has no interest in the Earl’s
opinion, nor any man’s. In all actuality, she has no interest or use
for men at all, excepting, of course, for their use as hunting
companions. Lily has been alone for a good many years, and she plans
to keep it that way for as long as she is able. There is only one
person that she needs, her four-year-old daughter, Nicole. But, her
daughter has been kidnapped and taken from her. It is Lily’s sole
mission in life to correct that problem.
That is. until her
sister’s sweetheart comes to plead with her to save his love, from her
arranged marriage, before it is too late. Unable to resist the urge to
help her sister, Penny, even though she has been estranged from her
family for quite some time, Lily sets out to prove whether or not the
Earl of Wolverton would make a satisfactory husband. Her experiences
with the Earl confirm what she’d suspected; Lord Alex Raiford is an
unfeeling beast, a cold heartless cad who will walk all over her shy
sister.
Lily finds that she
cannot stand the thought, and so she sets out on a series of wild
schemes to thwart the match. She soon finds out that Lord Raiford is
not as easy to control as she’d first imagined. Lily has never met a
man that she couldn’t best - be it at riding, gambling or a battle of
wits – but the Earl is wholly different than most of the men she’s met
and bested.
Then Came You
was a sexy, enjoyable read. I thoroughly enjoyed this fun historical
romance. Lisa Kleypas is a masterful writer, and has once again
provided a skillfully woven story to take every woman on a magical
journey of love and romance. Her characters are deep and very
believable, her storyline unique and her plot fast-paced and expertly
crafted.
Although Then
Came You is a re-released version, originally published in 1993, the
novel provides all that is desired in a romance. Kleypas never
disappoints. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book by this wonderful
author!
Reviewed by Janean
Nusz for The Road to Romance
January 2, 2004 |
