Trapped at the Altar
Ariadne Daunt is a particularly strong-willed heroine whose conflicting passions heat up this quick-paced romance set in Restoration England in the Somerset “wilds.” Ariadne’s once-noble but Catholic family has long fallen out of favor with the king. They’ve maintained their dominance in Somerset and their fortune through banditry. However, her grandfather has a plan to return them to respectability: marrying her to her neighbor, Ivor Chalfont. Ivor’s Protestant loyalties place him on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Ariadne and Ivor have grown up together. She cherishes him but she is in love with the handsome outsider Gabriel Fawcett. When forced by her clan to marry Ivor, she makes secret plans with Gabriel to pretend to play along with the farce until they can escape together. Ivor, whose admiration for Ariadne runs deeper, has other plans. The story pits two determined, feisty lovers who share a common past and a deep affection against one another. That they are, in fact, fighting for the same thing helps determine the outcome. The Restoration setting provides an interesting and unusual historical context for a romance, if you’re looking for a sexy tale that offers a little something more.
