Fair Game

by Diane Farr

Book Overview

At the start of the 19th century love is a game to those rich enough to play it, and Trevor Whitlatch is an undefeated champion. His first glimpse of lovely, baseborn Clarissa fills him with desire -... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451198565
• ISBN13: 9780451198563
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 1 year and up

Customer Reviews

Another winner from Diane Farr

Diane Farr is like the best race horse-always a good bet. Even her earliest work is of exceptional quality and should not be missed. Fair Game is the delightfully entertaining story of a wealthy ladies man who meets his match in an intelligent and highly principled innocent with exceptional qualities. As with all Farr novels, summarizing the plot does not do justice to the reading experience. The plot may not be unique but Farr's style is. She writes deftly with exceptional grace and beauty about very appealing and well-drawn characters whom she puts in high stakes emotional situations that ring true and completely capture the reader's interest. In Fair Game, handsome and powerful Trevor Whitlatch forgives a huge debt an infamous harlot owes him in exchange for taking possession of the harlot's extraordinarily beautiful twenty-one year old daughter, Clarissa Feeney. Unfortunately for him, his new exotic lady of the night turns out to be an innocent reared at a ladies' boarding school who has no intention of giving her virtue to any man. Clarissa will either be a governess or a wife, and Trevor, who has high social aspirations, is not in the market for either, at least not for a bastard whose mother is a harlot. However, he cannot resist Clarissa's honesty, frankness, kindness, and goodness, which is in stark contrast to all his previous mistresses. And so begins an intense battle of wills and hearts as Trevor can neither get nor give up on his quest to make Clarissa his mistress, and Clarissa has sworn to never follow in her hateful mother's footsteps, yet she cannot resist falling in love with Trevor. When Trevor cannot get Clarissa to agree to become his mistress, he positions her as his ward, while still doing all he can to wear down her willpower. However, everything changes when Clarissa's position as ward brings on a young and very ardent suitor. Don't miss this beautiful story of two people who learn to discover the best in themselves and the best in each other as they come to love and cherish one another. This fast-paced, moving, and sensual story will please every romance lover.

Gentle, warm and angsty love story; a keeper

This is the first Diane Farr book I've read, and it won't be the last. The set-up may seem a little unusual, but I didn't find it beyond the bounds of credibility at all, and once past the initial scenes at La Gianetta's home I began to enjoy the tale very much.Clarissa is a splendid heroine, determined to keep her virtue regardless of the alternatives, and Trevor - determined though he is to seduce her - displays an impressively keen sense of conscience once he is convinced that she is really a virgin. Farr develops the growing friendship between Clarissa and Trevor in a sensitive and humorous fashion, at the same time showing the sexual attraction between them which refuses to go away no matter how much Clarissa wishes it would. I did find Trevor's own attitude towards marriage and love a little contradictory, true - he was determined to view his marriage as a stepping-stone to Society, but on the other hand he wanted to marry for love. However, I saw that as displaying a lack of understanding of what Society was like; after all, Trevor is very much on the fringes of the ton.I did think the climax of the book was a little rushed; I would have liked a lot more of the character introspection which Far gives us earlier on in the book. However, that doesn't spoil the story for me.

Hero and Heroine Help Each Other Know True Selves..and Love!

VERY well-written Regency. Excellent characterization of both principals. For a novel that is mostly conversation (little action), it didn't bore me once. The conversation had a naturalness and sparkle, and I wished that it were a BBC production so that I could see skilled actors in luscious costumes in an elegant manse emoting subtly over their well-crafted dialogue.At first, I thought I would dislike the plot --and Trevor. But it quickly became apparent that this guy was a good soul trapped in his role and in the ideas of what society approves/disapproves. He was a man who did not know his own soul as well as, eventually, the heroine does. He THINKS he's this brazen fellow who can just take what he wants, but what we see and what is confirmed is this industrious, generous, sort of mushy idealist. Yes, idealist: This is a man who actually believes in love and wants to MARRY for love, and plans firmly to be a devout and faithful husband. Talk about bucking Regency male ideas of sexuality even while married!Trevor doesn't know himself; neither does Clarissa. She isn't aware of just WHAT she really wants in life--she thinks that respectability and children will be enough, or a governess position and a quiet dutiful life. But WHAM!--Trevor's presence and coming to know him over several weeks show her that she has passion as well as virtue, that she has a longing for good things, and genteel poverty isn't to her taste. She wants the lovely clothes,the beautiful house, the passionate embraces, the companionship of a kindred soul. The wonderful thing Farr does is show the development of both Clarissa and Trevor as they come to that marvelous climactic scene in the snowdrift stranded carriage. He wants her, loves her so totally, that he'll cast aside his ideal of who is suitable wife material and propose. Clarissa acknowledges that her wants have gone beyond her previous notions, and she's willing to sacrifice virtue for happiness. And Farr handles it so well that we readers CAN believe they have genuinely turned those corners in self-awareness.An excellent Regency novel in terms of prose, characterization, dialogue and structure. The ending--where he plans La Gianetta's comeuppance via granchildren--brings us back to the beginning with a humorous twist. The book also has many small touches of intimacy between Trevor and Clarissa that drew me in, made me feel like a hovering spirit watching their interplay, and it felt cozy and warm.Most satisfying. : ) My only regret is poor Mr. Henry. But he'll recover. ; )Strong A-.**Mir***

Regency writing at its finest

What did I enjoy about this book? Everything! I can't believe this is only the author's second book. This is one of the best books I have read this year, well-written and entertaining from start to finish. It's refreshing to read a romance where the conflict between the characters never gets nasty or petty or mean. Both the hero and the heroine were extremely likeable, yet the obstacles to their relationship were believably insurmountable, which made the happy-ever-after ending particularly satisfying.

Regency writing at its best

Diane Farr only gets better with her second Regency effort. Her knowledge of the Regency period is expert and Fair Game's plot and characters immensely compelling. Fair Game exudes sensitivity while entertaining us to the fullest. My only question is - since this is only her second Regency novel, how will Ms. Farr top this? I am looking forward to finding out.