To Tempt a Bride
By Edith Layton

      Camille has always been in love with Eric, but despairs of never capturing his interest. He has always looked upon her as the sister of his best friend, Miles. In addition to that, he is 10 years older than Camille and suffers with bouts of malaria. Miles' wife, Annabelle, is chaperoning Camille in her first season and is having problems with Camille, who has the habit of saying what she thinks.

     When Eric rescues a beautiful young stranger, Nell Baynes, Camille opens her house and friends to Nell, giving up any hope of engaging Eric's interest. She doesn't realize that Eric is becoming aware of his feelings for her. The arrival on the scene of Nell's cousin threatens their budding romance. There follows a chain of events (a poisoning and a kidnapping) which must be resolved before they can find love together.

      This is a pleasant romance in the Regency world with a cast of appealing people that are well developed. The atmosphere and the society of Regency times are portrayed in detail. The dialogue is witty; the action is fast. Layton has given us her usual excellent easy romantic read.