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Antonia wants to learn about the other side of life, and because of this decides to dress as a man and go out with her cousin. Her cousin is a woman, but she still winds up in a brothel and seeing all manner of things that she never knew existed. There she meets Gideon, and is instantly attracted. She wants nothing to do with marriage, and neither does he, so after he figures out she is really a woman they strike a bargain. He’ll show her what it’s like to be a man in his world, and in exchange she will have sexual relations with him as long as she remains a virgin.
Gideon has seen a lot in his time, but Antonia intrigues him like no other woman has in a long time. He’s surprised by her attitude towards marriage and children, but he wants her enough to offer her a deal that she is sure to refuse. When she agrees, he finds out that she’s a lot more than he bargained for…
This has a lot going on, and a strong heroine that I thought was different from the norm in historical romances. I liked Antonia; her determination to remain free in the kind of society she was in was refreshing. She has her own demons, but she deals with them in her own way. Gideon is also an interesting character with an unusual background, not quite your standard issue hero. Antonia’s Bargain is a wonderful romance that has a lot of spice, and some twists that make it a book that you won’t put down.
Reviewed by Julie Bryan
for The Road to Romance
February 26, 2007
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