Miss Augusta Meredith went to Bath with her ailing friend the Countess of Tallant. Bath seemed an ideal town for Augusta's plan: she requires a lover. The heiress to the Meredith Beauty's cosmetics fortune is not quite accepted by the ton; she comes from -- gasp! -- trade. Happily, in Bath, she'll be able to proceed anonymously under the name of Mrs. Flowers, a flirtatious merry widow of ordinary means.

Everything goes well until she is recognised by Josiah Everett, who is the man of business of his cousin, Lord Sutcliffe. The exotic-looking Mr. Everett, Joss to his friends, and Augusta, whose bosoms could launch a thousand ships, quickly come to an agreement. Sutcliffe is being blackmailed, that's the reason for Joss's presence in Bath; Joss does not want Augusta to become intimate with just anyone, and Augusta knows people who can help him with his cousin's problem; thus begins their story.

SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS is the perfect conclusion to the splendid Matchmaker Trilogy. From the first lines, I was swept away by the elegance and wit of Ms. Romain's incandescent and exquisite prose. What begins as a delightfully wicked, clever, and hilarious farce slowly gives way to provocative, profound and fascinating existential questions: can one flee one's true self, can one escape the confines of one's birth? SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS is filled with unforgettable, colourful and intriguing characters: from the determined and sinfully delicious Augusta, "the dear fake widow", to the honourable Joss who is a hero for the ages, and everyone in-between.

SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS is an astonishingly brilliant work of art. Ms. Romain's prose is sheer perfection: effortless, flawless and luminous; the dialogues are sparkling and witty. SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS made me laugh, cry, think, smile, and wish for the next book by the incomparable Theresa Romain. I could rave for pages, but I will merely conclude with these words: SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS is happiness in a book.