| Gideon St. Goddard, Duke of Stanthorpe, makes a deathbed promise on the battlefield to marry his
friend's sister. Sabrina Whitcomb agrees to the marriage to provide safety from the horrors of her past and
security for her children for their future. Based on a portrait hanging in the Duke's home, she expects her
intended to be elderly and therefore not a threat. Gideon expects his bride to be a shy, sheltered virgin who
will be content to be secluded in the country for most of the time. When this Regency rogue encounters his
very pregnant bride-to-be, both are in for a rude awakening.
In Gideon, Annette Blair has given readers a memorable hero. Gideon's devil-may-care attitude hides the
soul of a boy who was abused and a man rejected for money. His tenderness toward his new wife and her
children softens Sabrina's heart even as she struggles to keep her distance from Gideon. Their wedding
night scene will leave readers laughing through their tears, and thoroughly sympathetic to Gideon's
condition. Sabrina, despite years of abuse, has not completely lost her innate feistiness. As she learns
that Gideon can be trusted, she begins to blossom in the warmth of their growing attraction to each other.
Ms. Blair has a delicate touch with love scenes, particularly with a heroine in a delicate condition. None of
her characters are insignificant. Even the baby plays a part in the story, both before and after birth. Ms.
Blair does an admirable job of keeping track of her characters, and using them wisely throughout AN
UNDENIABLE ROGUE. When Gideon tracks Sabrina down at the racetrack, his questions are exactly the
ones readers would ask, adding an extra layer of credibility to the scene. Sabrina's twin sons are
well-depicted, avoiding baby-talk and the cloying sweetness of many fictional children. Their nicknames are
fitting and funny, and Deviltry is a wonderful name for a horse.
Gideon is certainly AN UNDENIABLE ROGUE, but as readers know, and Sabrina learns, reformed rogues
make the best husbands. Regency fans will be thrilled to know that Hawk's story, AN UNFORGETTABLE
ROGUE, is due out in October. Readers will want to add both these ROGUES to their collections.
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