Deception

by Claire Lorrimer

Charlotte Wyndham's dreams of falling in love and marrying are dashed when her father is imprisoned for fraud before she had even completed her first season. In Victorian England, her family's disgrace left her cast out of aristocratic society, and meant she could never hope to find a suitable husband and a wealthy future. Alone in the world, Charlotte had resigned herself to a life of poverty and drudgery in London. But then Charlotte's childhood friend, Verity Conniston, rescues her from her miserable London existence and takes her to live on the beautiful Conniston estate in the Kent countryside. There Charlotte slowly rebuilds her life as she becomes like family to Verity, her husband Guy and their daughters. When Ket, Guy's handsome younger brother, returns home, Charlotte finally realises that there are still some dreams that she can never hope to come true. But can life on a beautiful country estate ever compensate her lost dreams? How long can this idyllic life last before her family's past returns to haunt her?

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Claire Lorrimer began writing at the age of ten, encouraged by her mother who was the author Denise Robins. Her post as a sub editor on a woman's magazine gave her a close insight into the world of publishing, but it was during the Second World War that her writing career became established. She subsequently turned to historical fiction. These novels on an epic scale feature the lives of passionate and striking heroines set against a strongly drawn historical background, often highlighting the situation of women. Claire Lorrimer lives in rural Kent, and is currently busy writing her latest historical novel.

Reviews

[ANGELIA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Without a doubt, the most ridiculous waste of time I've ever spent on a book, even though I skimmed through most of it. If the h had just told the H the truth, that - thinking she had no chance with him - she hoped to give his brother and his wife (her BFF) the son they desperately wanted, she spent the night with him and (jokes on them) had a baby girl instead, he would have said, "Oh, what the heck?" (After all the sleeping around he did he could hardly begrudge her a night in another man's bed, even if it did happen to be his brother.) And they could have had their HEA about 100 pages sooner.

Better still, Ms. Lorrimer could have skipped writing this one altogether!