Lady Juliana Myfleet loved to shock London society. She gambled, she had dubious friends, and her reputation was nearly beyond repair. So when she presented herself nearly naked at a bachelor party and found herself staring into the eyes of a stranger, Juliana was surprised that she actually felt embarrassed by her actions. Upon examining herself further, she began to realize the reasons for her shocking behavior. She rebelled against her father, who never loved her; love, which had left her heart-broken; her mother, who had deserted her family and never looked back; and society in general, with its snobbish attitudes. And all because of the look of a stranger...
Martin Davencourt was no stranger to Lady Juliana, but she didn't remember that. They had met while in their teens. Martin had been drawn to her beauty then, but he was even more drawn to the shocking widow now. For although everyone else saw a woman with loose morals and hideous behavior, he saw the innocent, vulnerable girl she had once been. He fought his attraction for her viciously, but he was still drawn to this incredible woman. Could stuffy Martin, an aspiring politician, and shocking Lady Juliana truly make a match?
The book opened up with a heartbreaking scene from Juliana's childhood, and that scene gave much insight into Juliana's character. I felt an immediate bonding with Juliana's character, and therefore never saw truly her as the wicked, scandalous widow. Juliana had never been secure in love, for her father loved her not, her mother had deserted her, her first husband had died, and her second husband had left her and died in a prison stabbing. With so much heartbreak in her life, it was no wonder Juliana reacted so.
Martin was an interesting character, as well. Although he was a bit stuffy at first, he did have an overwhelming attraction to Juliana. Once he saw past her scandalous facade, he saw who she really was and wanted to protect her from herself. Their love story was entirely credible, and I felt that this was something that could have almost really happened, once upon a time. The characters seemed so real.
I initially thought the ending was going to be hokey and a horrible ending to the book, but I really did feel at the end that the ending was brilliant. It was poetic justice to the extreme, and brought a real sense of finality to the book. For those who enjoyed the character of Juliana, she also appeared in two of Nicola Cornick's previous books: The Earl's Prize and The Chaperone Bride. Altogether, this book was a wonderful read, and I see myself reading it again in the future.
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