Rosie is an actress who disguises herself as a boy to follow her dream of being on the Elizabethan stage. Yet absurd rumor destroys her cherished dream-the rumor that she's the lost heiress to an estate currently owned by Sir Anthony Rycliffe. Vague memories of her past trouble her, but worse than that... more » is Sir Anthony himself, a man determined to hold his estate by even if he has to seduce and HIAnd he should have no troubleaccomplishing this, for he's the self-proclaimed"Greatest Lover in all England."« less
Mara F. (Catalina) - , reviewed The Greatest Lover in All England on
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent, entertaining book, woven with historical fact and fiction. William Shakespeare himself a character, with his quotes liberally throughout. :)
England in the 1600's with Sir Anthony Rycliffe as master of the Queen's Guard and currently in possession of Odyssey Manor. Rosencrantz, an actor who plays a female on stage, is a female in real life, but has hidden as a boy since she was three years old. But Anthony recognizes her for what she truly is and wonders why she is hiding in disguise. Her guardian, and friend, is a great actor and close friend to Uncle Will (William Shakespeare)and knows her true identity even though she doesn't. When Rosencrantz returns to Odyssey Manor as an actor she begins to have dreams about the place, and soon realizes that she used to live there with her father. As her memories return it become obvious that she may be the real owner of Odyssey Manor, and Anthony may lose everything if he doesn't claim her and protect her from whomever it trying to kill her. How will they get this past the Queen, and how will he prove he loves her, not her inheritance?
Since childhood, Rosie's life has been the stage-passing herself off as a boy playing women's roles in the somewhat disreputable theatrical troupe of actor Danny Plympton, Rosie's adoptive father. But when unanticipated danger confronts them, they must flee London, taking refuge at the estate of Sir Anthony Rycliffe. A handsome, devil-may-care rakehell, Tony quickly sees through Rosie's disguise.
But a lush, womanly form and eminently kissable lips are not the ravishing young beauty's only secrets-and the burning attraction Tony feels for her does not lessen the peril she has brought to his doorstep. The dashing rogue is determined to strip the irresistible lady of her mysteries-and her masculine garb-using all of his fabled seductive powers. After all, Tony has a reputation to uphold, as . . .