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Cassandra Marston always knew her father was a drunken oaf, but she hadn’t thought he’d go so far to destroy their family. He had always been unreliable, gambling and drinking with no thought to the welfare of his two daughters. Cassandra shouldn’t have been surprised when a powerful mean-tempered Earl arrived on their doorstep to claim his winnings from Cassandra’s father’s latest gambling stint, but she was. And she never would have imagined that her dear younger sister, Eliza, would be the prize that was owed to the Earl. Unable to just stand by and let her sister be taken away and ‘ruined’ – for the Earl had no thought of marriage - Cassandra reacts on impulse.
She realizes that for the first time in her life, she has committed an act of violence upon another person and that, if caught, she will be branded a murderess. As such a criminal, she will hang if she is ever caught. There is only one thing left to do: flee to America. But Cassie is not sure how she will raise the money for their passage. All that they once had has been claimed by creditors – or lost to other unsavory characters collecting their winnings from her father.
Cassie had already decided, before knocking the Earl over the head, that she would seek shelter with her Aunt Philana. After the altercation with the Earl, she has no choice but to go through with their previous plans. Hoping that no one will think to look for them in the country, she flees, taking her sister and her father with her. With only twenty pounds to her name, she hopes to use a special skill – one that she’s never used for profit before – to get the money that they need. Cassie plans to win the money at the week-long house party that her aunt’s neighbor was hosting. Her inexplicable knack at winning in card games had always caused quite a stir, but she had never used her skills when the stakes were so high. If she can’t raise enough money for their passage to America during the week of the house party, she will surely be caught and hanged.
But, Cassie had not counted on meeting her old flame, Lucien, at the party. His presence, and her reluctant attraction to him, makes things all the more difficult for her.
Almost Perfect tells the tale of these obstinate lovers perfectly! Their story takes readers back in time to a place where love and courtship were a dance, a name meant everything and honor was all.
Ms. Hampton has done a wonderful job of creating both the characters and the storyline. Her characters come to life as one reads through the novel, and when the ending comes, every reader will be wishing that they had a man just like Lucien. Her female characters are strong and smart, yet not obnoxiously so. Her plot keeps the story moving right along at a fast, engrossing clip. Ms. Hampton also provides a slew of wonderful details, adding substance and flavor to the story.
Almost Perfect is truly one of the better novels that I have read lately, Ms. Hampton’s wonderfully engaging style and fine attention to detail make her an author that readers won’t want to miss.
Reviewed by Janean Nusz
for The Road to Romance
April 3, 2003
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