In this sexy
Cinderella-like story, the beautiful, orphaned and penniless Margaret
Gray must live with her selfish oversexed Aunt Lavinia and young
conceited Cousin Penelope. The sweet, innocent, kind and intelligent,
Margaret is respected by those in the local village and young children
at the school where she works and is able to escape the verbal and at
times physical abuse of her aunt and cousin. The widowed Lavinia
discovers from her long time lover and Steward Robert Mason that she
has depleted the funds left from the estate of her merchant husband.
She plans an arranged marriage for Penelope with the titled, handsome
and naughty Jordan Prescott, Viscount Romney. Jordan is cynical about
life and love, as he has been burdened with estate debts and the care
of his younger siblings left in his care by his rogue of a father
Charles Prescott, the Earl of Kettering. When Jordan arrives at
Lavinia's home to meet Penelope, he accidentally walks into the bedroom
of the beautiful Margaret. He falls in immediate lust for her and
decides he will have her as a mistress while pursuing the spoiled
Penelope for marriage. When the Earl discovers his son is considering
marriage to a rich young heiress, he plans to steal the young Penelope
away from Jordan. He shows up at Lavinia's home accompanied by his
long-time mistress Anne. This wicked house party soon becomes a house
of schemes with revolving doors on the bedrooms, with the schemers
unaware that not a one of them has any money. Penelope decides she
would rather have Charles than the son Jordan. Lavinia wants Charles
for herself while leading on her Steward Robert as well as Jordan.
Anne, disappointed in Charles and his continued lies desires Robert.
Jordan wants Margaret most of all. They meet for several passionate
interludes that begin to grow into love. Margaret desires Jordan and
realizes her love is growing and knows it will lead to a painful
ending. While she and Jordan are struggling with their intense
feelings, Lavinia catches them in a passionate embrace and evicts
Margaret to the streets. Robert, while doing some searching into
Lavinia's accounts, discovers that it is Margaret who has been the
heiress all along and that Lavinia has been living off of Margaret's
dowry while keeping her unaware and enslaved. Just as Jordan realizes
he loves Margaret, he discovers the news about her dowry. He now
understands he has an upward battle to convince her of his love, but
most of all he seeks justice by attempting to find her and inform her
of the inheritance, while at the same time making sure Lavinia and his
father pay for the years of using people for their selfish needs. The
secret fantasies of all the players involved in this story of scheming
for money and sex fall into place in many surprise endings. Secret
Fantasy is an entertaining erotic read that is difficult to put down
with a complicated plot that seduces sizzles and flows in perfect
balance.
Publisher: St.
Martin's Press (March 2007)
Reviewed
by Beverly,
Beverly Romance Books
