Sebastian Reyne is cousin to an earl, but the Reyne family doesn’t recognize him. Rumor has it he’s illegitimate; at any rate, his wealth has been made in trade. Sebastian has a difficult past partly spent in child labor, and he has only recently found his long-lost younger sisters, who were separated from him when they were infants. Now he’s trying to make a home for young Cassie and Dorie, but Cassie is a fourteen-year-old hellion who carries a knife strapped to her thigh, and twelve-year-old Dorie won’t speak. Desperate, Sebastian decides to marry a woman of impeccable character, one who can give his sisters the upbringing they lack and the entry into Society they deserve. His choice: drab Lady Elinor Whitelaw, whose life is focused on doing Good Works with indigent and orphan girls.

In London to woo Lady Elinor, Sebastian is instantly smitten with a vivacious young lady he spies across a ballroom. Miss Hope Merridew is all that Lady Elinor is not: pretty, charming, and full of the joy of life. Sebastian tries to dismiss her as a spoiled debutante, but finds he can’t seem to put her out of his thoughts. Their first dance together is a disaster, with Sebastian stiff and tongue-tied and Hope wondering why this handsome man will barely speak to her. And why is he so magnetically attractive?

Hope’s past has been difficult as well. Her upbringing under her abusive grandfather’s thumb only ended when her older sister, Prudence, escaped to London with her sisters (see The Perfect Rake). With Prudence and Charity now married to wealthy peers, Hope’s misery is behind her. Her loving Great-Uncle Oswald and Aunt Gussie have welcomed the Merridew girls with open arms, and she dreams of finding a man who will love her wholeheartedly, one with whom she can share a perfect waltz. Could Sebastian Reyne be that man?

Sebastian and Hope meet again in the park, where Hope is practicing riding tricks. She draws him like a moth to a flame, and as much as Sebastian knows she’s not the woman he came to London to court, his heart tells him otherwise. He attempts to distance himself from Hope by telling her it’s Lady Elinor he’s pursuing, but then finds he can’t bear to lose Hope’s company. Sebastian and Hope begin a tentative friendship that blossoms into something strong and supportive, a friendship Sebastian will need when his young sisters end up in London and need a friend. Hope’s twin, Faith, and their younger sister, the irrepressible Grace, band together to help the Reyne girls. Hope’s kindness to his sisters is the final straw. Sebastian can no longer deny it – it’s Hope who has captured his heart.

Sebastian Reyne is about as unique a hero as readers are likely to find. Ms. Gracie employs a little-used but realistic aspect of Regency society – that money could open doors, and many members of the ton were willing to overlook a pedigree if a man’s pockets were full enough. The author takes no shortcuts with this, either. An earldom does not magically fall into Sebastian’s lap – his character is established early on, and it’s this man Hope falls in love with. His life has been so hard and joyless that it’s easy to believe Hope would live up to her name and bring a new sense of happiness to Sebastian and his sisters.

Hope, lovely though she is on the outside, sees herself as the clumsy sister, always doing something awkward or inappropriate – a legacy from her demeaning grandfather. Other than riding and dancing, she doesn’t feel particularly adept at anything, and she’s as astonished as anyone at the effect she has on Sebastian, and that of Sebastian on her. Readers may be as frustrated as Hope with Sebastian’s initial stiffness and reticence, but as he gradually unbends in her company and they begin to really talk, a wonderful romance unfolds before the reader’s eyes. These two characters are a perfect match.

A secondary romance between Lady Elinor and an unlikely suitor adds a nice touch to the story, and it’s fun to watch the starchy Elinor begin to question her own repressed upbringing. Unhappy childhoods are a theme here, and as Hope states late in the story,

”If one thing is clear to me, it’s that none of us had enough fun when we were children, so it is our duty to make up for it now.”

And make up for it they do, with a sexual attraction that builds to a sizzle. Sebastian takes the high road until Hope forces his hand, and then their relationship takes a steamy turn. It was well-done and didn’t feel gratuitous at all.

It’s going to be a long, impatient wait for the next book in this series, which isn’t due out until next summer. In the meantime, I’ll be re-reading The Perfect Waltz and enjoying this delicious story. Please, Ms. Gracie, write fast!

--Cathy Sova