Illusion
Frances Woodward is not your typical 19th-century English gentleman's daughter. While in India, her father is killed and she is taken captive and trained to serve as a concubine. She escapes and returns to England to start a new life but finds that with her reputation she has no choice but to continue to support herself as she has in the past. Considered mere property, she is won in a card game by nobleman Nigel Arundham, a spy notorious for his sexual exploits. Frances becomes involved in his espionage activities, which take them into France during Napoleon's return to power. They pose as merchants, capitalizing on Frances' exotic apparel, nose ring and all. As Nigel makes contacts and they try to reveal the traitor in their midst, Frances must learn to trust her man and see through all the deception and double-crossing that surround them. Ewing has written an erotic and dark historical romance with characters as complex and intriguing as the plot.Pat Engelmann