When a Rake Falls
1825: Lord Boyce Parker, called Piglet Parker by his “friends,” has a curious mind and a curious personal trait: he loves to sing. These are not songs he learned at home or at school, but songs he puts together on the fly. Accepting a challenge to win the hand of a fair lady, he makes arrangements to fly a balloon across the English Channel.
Enter Miss Eve Mountfloy, balloonist and scientist. Despite her unease at the prospect, Eve flies Boyce toward France, only to be dragged back by the wind, her family, and an unwelcome suitor favored by her father.
Eve and Boyce discover their attraction is not just to flying, but to one another. Can Boyce get to France and claim a bride he does not know? Or will his heart lead him in a different direction—to Eve?
This is what I’d term a fluffy romance—all in good fun with no pretensions to great art. It was an enjoyable read for a cold winter weekend, and made me wish for a balloon trip through sunny warm skies.
