My Lady Taken

This is the fourth novella in the Archangel series. The Archangels are a group of British noblemen who have served their country during the Napoleonic Wars. They have served as soldiers, as diplomats, and as spies. None of them have escaped unscathed, whether physically or emotionally.

My Lady Taken is the story of Radford, the Duke of Sutherlin, who lost an eye in a disastrous spy mission during the Wars. With his piratical black eye patch, and his title and money, Sutherlin has his pick of the single ladies on the Marriage Mart. He wants only a particular type of lady, however. To find her, he proposes a bold contest in which the contestants are the ladies, and the prize is his hand in marriage. He invites a number of the most eligible ladies to his estate for a country weekend, planning to observe the contestants in their native habitat, as it were.

But someone is conspiring against Sutherlin, and has employed the services of Lady Nia O’Shea, a woman struggling to support her younger brothers and sisters. This mysterious stranger gives Lady Nia strict instructions regarding her actions toward Sutherlin and in return, sets her up in style in a townhouse, with servants, rich clothing, etc. The mystery is ... what is the plot of the mysterious stranger, and will it succeed? Meanwhile, will Sutherlin find his ladylove?

This was an amusing story that is not a run-of-the-mill Regency romance. Ms. Anders stories always throw a slight twist into an otherwise traditional Regency plot. In this case, rather than running from marriage, the hero decides to run toward it, placing the ladies in the role of the aggressors. The heroine meets his requirements of boldness and strong sexuality in a woman, and proceeds to demonstrate those qualities in all of their interactions. The characters of Radford and Nia are well matched; both are well rounded, and have distinct personalities that are very appealing to the reader. The supporting cast, including the heroes and heroines from the previous installments in the series, are quite amusing in their antics. The love scenes are very explicit and sexy, and depict a man and woman in a loving relationship. I was definitely entertained by this novella, and would recommend it to my friends.

Reviewed by: Jean