Olivia Drake's brand new trilogy is based on the common historical romance framework of 3 sisters. It also has many of the old standbys; a misunderstood hero, the blackest of villains hiding behind a congenial face, even an abduction. On the surface, the romance follows well-trodden plot lines but Olivia Drake does not trot out a formulaic romance. There are enough intriguing twists in her tale to satisfy even the most jaded reader.

The heroine of SEDUCING THE HEIRESS is not a poor but blue- blooded slip of a girl, she is a sturdy, intelligent commoner whose rich dowry makes her the focus of much unwanted flattery and attention. She has no real interest in a proper marriage or fitting into society but attempts to do what is acceptable for the sake of her younger sisters. Her heart is still captured by the heat and color of India, and her childhood sweetheart, son of the Maharajah. She is intrigued by the hero at their first encounter (facilitated by a well-thrown strawberry) but is horrified at her lack of perception when rumor paints him a profligate gambler accused of patricide.

Viscount Radcliffe makes no bones about his search for a wife. He needs money, badly, and would have pursued Portia if she'd weighed as much as his horse and had an uglier visage. Once he meets her, he is predictably swept away by desire. He is attracted by her beauty, of course, but even more by her wit and direct to-the-point questioning of his motives. He doesn't bother to lie about his situation, but baldly states both his attraction and his need for her inheritance.

The sexual tension between the two is developed well by Drake, and the love scenes crafted with honesty and romance, and enough heat to steam up your contact lenses.

The main storyline is satisfying, but what truly endeared the book to me were the more minor characters. A pregnant prostitute, a young thief turned 'tiger', the nursemaid from India clinging to her incense and altars; and especially Portia's younger sisters. They will make even quirkier heroines than Portia has, and I look forward to their stories in the next few books of the series.