Search - The Arrangement (Harlequin Historicals, No 389)

This book was highly enjoyable.

Ms. Stone employed several well known plot points familiar to us who read lots of historical romance. A young woman is an heiress, but she has a dastardly relative (an uncle) who plots to cheat her out of her money by marrying her off to a man of his choosing, who will then split the money with him. She escapes this plot by marrying someone else. There is a case of mistaken identity. Also, the hero is a younger son who did not expect to inherit the title.

But this book has qualities that give it that different twist. It is set in the late Victorian period (1889) and English society is changing, becoming more democratic and less tilted toward favoring the aristocracy in everything. Women are becoming more cognizant of their own strengths and our heroine actually works, writing stories for her uncle's newspaper. She is a modern woman and doesn't wait for the man to solve everything.

The story was action filled until the very end.

hero is a tormented musician who has been used in past for his talents and trust in very little. heroine falls in love while trying to find out his secrets. nice dialogue that keeps the emotions on rollercoaster.

this is a excellent book