LEADING LADY

Tales of London - Book Three

Lawana Blackwell

Bethany House

ISBN 0-7642-2260-0

February 2004

Inspirational Historical Romance

Bethia Rayborn has a lot to be thankful for in life. She is about to graduate from college and become engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Guy. She also has a job that she simply adores. As the wardrobe mistress for her cousin Jewel's theater, Bethia excels in creating costumes with precision and authenticity. However, Bethia's life has been recently troubled by the unwanted attention of a distant relation, Douglas Pearce. He is a man who will not simply take "no" for an answer. Bethia is pushed into an action she later regrets. Douglas leaves England for Canada on a fool's errand to find the gold he thinks will convince Bethia to love him. Douglas' sister, Lady Muriel Holt vows to take her revenge on Bethia as punishment for her "mistreatment" of Douglas.

Will Bethia's life ever be as happy as it was before she shared a fateful cup of tea with Douglas Pearce?

LEADING LADY is simply wonderful! From the historical detail, mesmerizing yet realistic characters, family dynamics and the politics of the theater, Ms. Blackwell spins an unforgettable tale of revenge, betrayal, heartbreak and triumph. The author artfully weaves together individual storylines so they converge at the most dramatic and suspenseful points in the story. LEADING LADY demands the reader's full attention from first word to last.

Readers will no doubt rally behind Bethia as she endures the trials of Douglas Pearce's misplaced affections and the subsequent wrath of his sister Lady Muriel plus all the evil machinations Muriel sets into motion. All characters are affected in various degrees and certainly no one is left unscathed but the essence of the story is still good versus evil with love conquering all...though not as one may expect.

LEADING LADY is a highly moral and wildly entertaining example of all that is good about today's inspirational fiction. I look forward to reading the other installments of the Tales of London series. Without a doubt, Ms. Blackwell is a new-to-me author that is going to the top of my must-read list!