Caroline Torrington is a voluptuous young woman who has
accepted the fact that no man will ever find her
attractive. It is puzzling to her that Lord Lucas Foxhaven
has proposed more than once. He can't really want to marry
someone who looks as she does. When Caro makes a splash in
society, she is convinced that it is all a hum. She
doesn't realize that her innocence and her good nature
shine through.
Lucas finally convinces her that they can have a marriage
of convenience, which they will end once Lucas has
accomplished his goals. With their marriage, Lucas will
inherit a fortune that he badly needs and Caroline will be
able to save her family from penury. Lucas has had nearly
every material possession that most people could want. His
father has forced him to give up the one thing that gave
him joy and solace. Lucas is hoping to help others achieve
what he couldn't.
Ms. Young's writing shows promise. There was much about
this book that I admired. The characters are interesting
and the storyline had some good twists and turns. There
were a few things that kept me from giving this my whole-
hearted approval. The misunderstanding between the hero
and heroine went on far too long. If Lucas had just
bothered to explain some things to Caro and had them
working to achieve his goals much sooner, I'd have enjoyed
it much more. The introduction of a secondary villain
and a secondary plot lengthened caused my interest in the
characters to lag. It felt like the secondary plot was
thrown in to make the book a little longer. Overall, I was
disappointed in a story that had many of the elements that
I normally like.
Caroline Torrington is large, and she wears glasses. Beside
the beauties of her day, she feels dowdy and unattractive.
Since the death of her father the Vicar, she and her sisters
have fallen on hard times.
Meanwhile, Lucas, Lord
Foxhaven, a noted rake for his wild and reckless behavior,
is once again in dispute with his father, who won't give him
his grandmama's fortune unless he marries Caroline
Torrington. Lucas and Caroline arrange a marriage of
convenience and go off to London for the
season.
Little does Caroline know that her voluptuous
body is driving Lucas to distraction. Each time he pulls
back, Caroline thinks that he is disgusted by her
body.
In the midst of this deepening mutual
attraction and misunderstanding, Caroline gets embroiled in
a scandal and is kidnapped. Lucas comes to her rescue and in
a dangerous escape they discover they are each other's true
love.