Proof by Seduction
Courtney Milan
Harlequin HQN, Jan 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780373774395
In 1836 fortuneteller Madame Esmeralda is comfortable in her vocation as she feels she provides a service by informing her customers with information they need to know. Twelve years as Madame Esmeralda has made humble impoverished Jenny Keeble all but disappear.
Her favorite client Ned arrives with his cousin, Blakeley, Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely. Ned explains that Gareth is a skeptic that Madame can predict the future. A scientist just back from an expedition in Brazil, Gareth plans to prove Esmeralda is a fake. However is scheme to expose the charlatan has a major roadblock; his attraction to her, which makes him wonder if she is an enchantress, but will he accept proof of the heart?
This is a terrific early Victorian romance starring a wonderful somewhat inflexible lead male and a totally unique female who challenges his decisions when everyone else fears to contradict his dictatorial rulings. The story line is fast-paced but driven by the relationship between the scientist and the fortuneteller. With a strong secondary cast starting with Ned, this reviewer can predict that sub-genre fans will relish Courtney Milan’s delightful historical.
Harriet Klausner
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