Deceived

By Nicola Cornick

Book Overview

Princess Isabella never imagined it could come to this. Bad enough she faces imprisonment for debts not her own. Even worse that she must make a hasty marriage of convenience with Marcus, the Earl of Stockhaven -- the man she'd loved and lost so long ago. But that he now wants revenge by demanding she be his in more than name only...well, that is simply intolerable As the London gossips eagerly gather to watch the fun, Isabella struggles to maintain a polite distance in her marriage. But the more Isabella challenges Marcus's iron determination, the hotter their passion burns. This time, will it consume them both -- or fuel a love greater than they dare dream?

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373771649
• ISBN13: 9780373771646
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Hqn
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Nicola Cornick

A great writer of Regency romance. If you like Lisa Kleypas or Julia Quinn read Nicola Cornick

Thoughtful and entertaining

I've read a few Nicola Cornick books before and I thought this was another excellent book, injecting something new into the marriage of convenienve plot - a difficult thing to do. When her husband (deceased) leaves her with debts, to get rid of them, she looks for a husband who is already in gaol since on his marriage he will become responsible for her debts and she will be free. She discovers that the man she selects is the man who left her standing at the altar and it's the perfect chance for revenge. I don't want to give too much away but this is a witty, entertaining read and I recommend it to Regency historical fans.

Fabulous, original Regency

I read a lot of Regency historicals and this is one of the best ones I've ever read. It has a darker background than a lot of Regencies and I enjoyed that. Nothing light and fluffy here, just a deep, complicated, well-written love story. The hero and heroine are strong characters and I really believed in them and wanted them to resolve the problems between them. The romance between the heroine's sister and the hero's friend is brilliant as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a deep, sensual and engrossing book. One for my keeper shelf.

Witty and Passionate Regency

Fleet was not exactly the place one would go in search of a husband, but if one were as deep in debt, and desperate to boot, then it would beat Almack's. So it was that Princess Isabella Di Cassilis had come looking for the perfect man. In theory, finding a man already in prison for debt made him assuming his new wife's debts a moot point -- what would be the harm for him? Only one problem with this plan was the man known in the Fleet as John Ellis, her intended husband-to-be, was in reality Marcus Stockhaven, the Earl of Stockbridge, the man who had captured her heart, her innocence, and whom she'd jilted on the day of their wedding 12 years earlier. Her plans were to quickly annul the marriage once she received an expected inheritance, but much to her chagrin she is surprised when Marcus a very free and prosperous looking husband, shows up looking for his wife and a long awaited wedding night! *** This was a very witty, yet poignant story that I relished for the many emotions the author elicited by the very deep characterizations she fashioned for the main characters. Yes, this plot has been done before but not with such a deft hand that could even make the reader have sympathy for the villain in the piece. The dialogs alone are worthy of remark as when a very proper gentleman asked Bella's sister Pen if she'd like to partner him in a `reel' her outrageously funny reply was "I only reel when I am drunk, ....", gives you some idea of the wit employed in this highly entertaining story. Marcus and Bella were both passionately strong characters still harboring strong feelings for one another in spite of the passage of time. Marcus' thoughts of revenge were complicated for several reasons - Bella's jilting him being foremost in his mind but also for the fact that in marrying her cousin India, he felt guilty for never being able to love her the way she deserved. Isabella was still and always had been in love with Marcus but was terrified of letting herself love him again knowing he had every right to hate her -- that for him, it would be revenge and she wouldn't be able to bear to lose him again. All in all a powerful story, rich, witty and sensual - a divinely delicious treat. Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Any romance reader who knows their stuff will grab this book and devour it as fast as they can. It is a brilliant novel from one of the best Regency writers around, and held me from start to finish. Yes the first half was even more riveting than the first, but the second half didn't disappoint. I would give this six stars if they let me. Loved it!