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Abigail Aldridge has grown into a lovely young woman, but she feels stifled by the rules imposed upon her by her overly-strict parents. Abigail’s father, an important United States Diplomat in England, has his reputation to consider—something Abigail’s impulsive actions seem intent on destroying!
When Abigail becomes outraged by the chasm between her Christian parents and the plights of the poor, she becomes intent on doing something about it. But her attempts land her in prison, make her a social outcast, and the resulting scandal finds her on the next ship bound for America. Will that put her beyond the court’s wagging tongues? Will Abigail find the adventure she desires?
I think the desire for adventure is something that most people have in common, and that is a good thread to develop the reader’s sympathy toward Abigail. I don’t think that what she did was bad enough to result in the scandal that it actually caused, but I felt sorry for Abigail and hoped she would be able to move past this without ruining her family’s name.
THE INNOCENT LIBERTINE has a heroine that took me awhile to place. I knew she had to have something to do with the first book in The Heirs of Arcadia Series, but I didn’t remember what immediately. I liked the realistic development of the characters, but found all the detail rather overwhelming.
Readers of The Songs of Acadia Series that Mr. Bunn co-wrote with Janette Oke will want to keep up with the family in The Heirs of Arcadia Series. Even though THE INNOCENT LIBERTINE is the second book in the series, it easily stands alone, but readers might want to read The Solitary Envoy first, just to bring you up to date on who some of the characters are and what their roles in THE INNOCENT LIBERTINE are.
Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton
for The Road to Romance
October 5, 2004
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