Years ago, the Holwells brought ruin onto the Yorks, and the families are still feuding. Now Soren York, Earl of Dewsberry, is determined to restore his family's fortunes, but for that he needs money. Wealthy Cassandra Holwell, a woman he'd known as a young girl and whose land marches with his, is the ideal choice, but Cass resists him at every turn. Then fate takes a hand, and they are caught in an innocent but totally compromising situation. Soren nobly proposes. Cass's options are ruin or her father's fury. An independent bluestocking and an honorable peer find that marriage is more challenging—and ultimately rewarding—than either had imagined. VERDICT Sparkling badinage, unforeseen plot twists, and tender passion make this engaging romance one to savor. Maxwell (If Ever I Should Love You) lives in Virginia.

The bland, insipid second Spinster Heiress romance opens at a country house party outside of London, where Soren York, the Earl of Dewsberry, is looking for a wealthy woman to marry. Cassandra Holwell has enough money to attract his interest, but she keeps snubbing him. She has never forgiven Soren for his childhood insult to her—an incident Soren doesn't even remember—and assumes her father wouldn't consent to the match. Thanks to a series of ridiculous events, Cassandra is discovered in Soren's bedroom, and their inevitable engagement reveals that Cassandra's father has stolen her inheritance, leaving her penniless and Soren without the funds he desperately needs to save his ancestral home. The painstakingly crafted plot is set up for Cassandra and Soren to tackle the challenges together, but this pedestrian romance doesn't deliver. There is no tension between Cassandra and Soren (or with anyone else), and Cassandra's petulant reluctance to leave London and live in Cornwall is not well explained. The attention to historical detail is commendable, but Cassandra and Soren's path to their happy ending is so smooth as to be dull and instantly forgettable. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Apr.)