An enjoyable romance but not without some issues. Our heroine, Melissa, literally was raised within the confines of her rooms to not only hide her existence from her very disturbed sire, but also because of the obsessive over-protectiveness of the man she knew as her father. Okay, I've never come across that before in this genre, so I was intrigued by her adjustment to one-on-one interaction, never mind society. Her inexperience made her seem much younger than her twenty-three years. John was a great guy, just a little flawed in his no-such-thing-as-love thinking. So he got the one-two punch when he finally realized that he loved Melissa. Seeing him try to keep away from her and tame his lusty urgings was quite fun, yet sometimes a little painful. John had a friendly and respectful relationship with his father, who also subscribed to the it's-not-love belief; however, the father's thick-headedness kept him from recognizing a woman in love with him, which almost cost him his very own HEA.

Fully understanding society's view on bastards was a huge blow to Melissa, and she began to question herself and her relationships with her new fiance, her uncle, and John. Yet it was gratifying how they all tried to protect her from the inevitable confrontation with her sire, the duke. Speaking of the duke, his part of the story was rather vague, but I certainly got the gist of his perverse proclivities, and the actual confrontation was creepy. Unfortunately, his end was wrapped up just a little too neatly to be believable.

Still, this is a diverting tale. Goodger always leaves me wanting more. Recommended at 3.5 stars.

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I found the first third of this novel interesting, for the heroine's situation, but lost interest and skipped to the end to find out how it was all resolved. The ending left me with some open questions. This author isn't a dry or boring writer; she has a good style and she described events and circumstances in the novel well. That said, it didn't feel particularly Victorian to me; it could have been set any time between 1800 and 1900; setting and era are quite vague. On the other hand, many readers looking for the relationship aspect prefer not to be slowed down by atmosphere. So, readable, if it holds your interest, but not memorable.

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Melissa is the daughter of the "Mad Lord of Northumberland" and has been a virtual prisoner in a suite of rooms because her father was afraid that Melissa would get a fatal disease. She was never touched without gloves and she never stepped outside in her life. Now, at her father's death, Melissa is collected by the deceased lord's brother and moved to his home. Her father requested that his brother find a suitable match for his daughter and see her married.

The story is how Melissa learns to live in society and get ready for her Season in London. Lord Braddock, Melissa's uncle, and his son do not believe in love.

Lord Braddock is aware that Melissa needs a chaperone and engages Diane Stanhope to take care of Melissa's coming out activities.

This is an engaging story that flows smoothly and has lots of interesting characters to move the plot along.

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