Gigi Rowland is a very wealthy young lady and accustomed to
getting all she desires. But after meeting the handsome
Camden Saybrook, she's confronted with a first -- he is
engaged to another and his sense of honor makes him
unwilling to break the betrothal. Gigi is convinced she's a
much superior catch to the milquetoast young woman who's
her rival and takes things into her own hands, setting out
to win Camden in whatever way necessary.
Gigi's trick works and she soon finds herself engaged to
the man she cannot live without. Unfortunately, Camden
becomes aware of her scheming the day before they are to be
wed. He hopes Gigi will divulge the truth to him before the
wedding takes place, but when no confession is given,
Camden leaves his new wife and travels, not to just another
town, but to another continent. Gigi follows him to
America, but all her attempts to win him back fail and she
returns to London.
Ten long years pass and Gigi wants to marry again. She
writes to her husband and asks for a divorce. Instead of
granting her request, Camden has a few demands of his own
that completely take her by surprise. Gigi will do whatever
it takes to win her freedom, but the memories of the love
they once had and his disgust of her treachery still haunt
her. Will being together again bring back any of the old
feelings they once shared and somehow save their marriage,
or must they let the past be forgotten and find happiness
elsewhere?
The first chapter begins in 1893, the second slips back to
1883, then alternates back and forth between 1893 and 1883
until the 17th chapter is reached, which many readers may
find disruptive to the flow of the story. Although the
characters are adequately developed and the dialogue well-
done, the relationship between the hero and heroine is
almost entirely made up of deceit, anger and hatred. Even
after they are reunited in London, where the heroine must
work to satisfy the hero's demands before he grants a
divorce, their intimacies are encounters that are almost
too painful to read. When a new understanding is finally
reached between them as to what they've really had and
lost, neither is capable of saying what really needs to be
said. Not until the last few pages does the author give the
reader a taste of happily-ever-after, and for some readers,
it may be too abrupt a change too late in the story to ring
true.
To all of London society, Lord and Lady Tremaine had the
ideal arrangement: a marriage based on civility,
courteousness, freedom-and living on separate continents.
But once upon a time, things were quite different for the
Tremaines...When Gigi Rowland first laid eyes on Camden
Saybrook, Lord Tremaine, the attraction was immediate and
overwhelming: she simply had to have him. But what began in
a spark of passion ended in betrayal the morning after
their wedding-and Gigi wants to be free to marry again. Now
Camden has returned from America with an outrageous demand-
an heir-in exchange for Gigi’s freedom.
Gigi’s decision will have consequences she never imagined,
as secrets are exposed, desire is rekindled-and one of
London’s most admired couples must either fall in love all
over again...or let each other go forever.