Review: Review from Hampton Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 14, 2011
A Defiant Lady gives us a glimpse into the world of nobility in 1815 England. Two sisters, Ivy and Willow, young women born in France to a woman who was the lover of a wealthy and titled man from England, find themselves desperate enough after their mother dies to ask their paternal grandmother for a place to live. The duchess is not at all pleased at the plight of the two sisters, but takes them in and begins to educate them in the ways of the genteel. Ivy, being the oldest and of marrying age, is introduced to a neighbor named Cyrus Corbin Archibald, the earl of Stanton. The earl is in a desperate situation himself, he finds that he must marry to pay off a large debt his father had passed on to him or lose everything. When the duchess makes a deal with him to marry her granddaughter to pay off his debt, he is unsure about the arrangement until he sees Ivy for himself. However, after meeting her and getting to know her, they seal the engagement.Ivy and Willow make the rounds at the society parties held in London and Hampshire, and while there, they meet a man - Lord Caldwell who takes an unwanted interest in Ivy. Cy warns him off, but he is not to be deterred. After Caldwell dishonors Ivy, Cy challenges him to a duel.  To make matters worse, Cy's ex-fiancé Emily has started a rumor about why Cy needed to marry Ivy in the first place. Ivy and Cy have many obstacles to overcome before they can have a happy life together.A Defiant Lady is a well-written historical romance and a good read. The characters are believable and well rounded. The villains are evil and nasty. The descriptions of the characters and surroundings are well done and makes you feel as though you were there attending the parties with the characters. The sex scenes were few, well  placed and tastefully done. Because I really enjoyed this book I have to give it a five star rating.[...]