Devotion
Sutcliffe's latest (a spin-off of Miracle) is an exemplary romance-perfect in every way. Behind it all is a Beauty-and-the- Beast plot. Desperate to escape her zealous, puritanical father, Maria Ashton takes a job as nursemaid to the Duchess of Salterdon's grandson, Trey Hawthorne. On arriving, she discovers that her charge is not a child but instead a full-grown man unable to control his speech or movements following an attack by highwaymen. In his frustration, he has fits of yelling and throwing things-which make everyone believe he is insane. Without being sanctimonious or sloppy, Maria brings sunshine, understanding and love into the tortured duke's life and pulls him back from the brink of insanity-before nearly losing him. Flawlessly plotted and written (and without relying excessively on sex), this is one of the most romantic stories in years.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.