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The Wayward Debutante
She Tempted Fate, Then Fate Tempted Her...
It was utterly scandalous for a young lady to attend the London theater unchaperoned. She could easily have been mistaken for a woman of easy virtue. Yet Eleanor Sinclair loathed stuffy ballrooms packed with fretful mothers and husband-hunting girls. Craving escape, she donned a wig and disappeared into the night.
There she caught the eye of James Bentley, a handsome devil with a wry wit. He played a game of seduction that imperiled Eleanor's disguise--and tempted her to forsake all honor....
It was utterly scandalous for a young lady to attend the London theater unchaperoned. She could easily have been mistaken for a woman of easy virtue. Yet Eleanor Sinclair loathed stuffy ballrooms packed with fretful mothers and husband-hunting girls. Craving escape, she donned a wig and disappeared into the night.
There she caught the eye of James Bentley, a handsome devil with a wry wit. He played a game of seduction that imperiled Eleanor's disguise--and tempted her to forsake all honor....
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
About the author
Sarah Elliot
18 books15 followersSarah Elliot was born in Newcastle and raised in Northumberland. She was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of ten and turned to writing her own stories as a way of keeping up her skills. She has never looked back since.
She graduated from Swansea University in 2009 with a Masters in Creative and Media Writing and has had three plays performed by a theatrical group in Swansea. She currently works as an administrator in a care home in Newcastle and spends her free time socialising with friends, writing and taking Petal the Rottweiler for long walks.
She graduated from Swansea University in 2009 with a Masters in Creative and Media Writing and has had three plays performed by a theatrical group in Swansea. She currently works as an administrator in a care home in Newcastle and spends her free time socialising with friends, writing and taking Petal the Rottweiler for long walks.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 7, 2019
A couple who meet at the theatre, withhold truths from each, have a steamy courtship, struggle to communicate their feelings and yet have some interesting relatives and friends to help them along the way.
June 8, 2014
Eleanor Sinclair is willful enough to make up an imaginary sick friend to keep from going to a ball so she can disguise herself and go to the theater unchaperoned. Unfortunately, while she's there, she catches the eye of James Bentley who wants to know more about her. He thinks Eleanor is a governess being bold in venturing out by herself. Suggesting a dalliance, he ends up instead being Eleanor's escort weekly so she can see the plays unmolested.
James himself is a cypher...son of a nobleman, the unfortunate son of a second wife. When his father became a widower, he married a second time for love, but his choice was an actress and although his half brother William accepted his stepmother, Richard, the heir, did not. When Richard becomes the new lord, he proceed to punish James by withholding a university education and beating his half-brother for every infraction. When James runs away, he's accused of thievery and more. His return after Richard's death, with William now the new heir, ends with his meeting Eleanor. He proceeds to do a little disguising of his own, hiding his relationship to William, until his brother--urged to marry for the title's sake--decides she's the young lady he'd best like as his wife.
When Eleanor's honor is jeopardized and William's name is attached to the scandal, James does the only thing he believes possible under the circumstances, he admits his own part. He marries Eleanor to save her reputation but is soon on his way to asking for a divorce, an unheard-of and entirely scandalous thing in itself...
This one is different in that it's the gentleman who's hiding his identity from the lady. Though James quickly finds out who Eleanor really is, he keeps his own background unknown for a good part of the story. It's an entertaining piece with some poignant moments--the loss of Eleanor's baby, James' shamed admission of the things his half-brother did to him, the attitude of society toward a woman whose only fault was being in an occupation they considered "low." Well worth a read.
Harlequin Historical #884
This novel was a gift to the reviewer and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
James himself is a cypher...son of a nobleman, the unfortunate son of a second wife. When his father became a widower, he married a second time for love, but his choice was an actress and although his half brother William accepted his stepmother, Richard, the heir, did not. When Richard becomes the new lord, he proceed to punish James by withholding a university education and beating his half-brother for every infraction. When James runs away, he's accused of thievery and more. His return after Richard's death, with William now the new heir, ends with his meeting Eleanor. He proceeds to do a little disguising of his own, hiding his relationship to William, until his brother--urged to marry for the title's sake--decides she's the young lady he'd best like as his wife.
When Eleanor's honor is jeopardized and William's name is attached to the scandal, James does the only thing he believes possible under the circumstances, he admits his own part. He marries Eleanor to save her reputation but is soon on his way to asking for a divorce, an unheard-of and entirely scandalous thing in itself...
This one is different in that it's the gentleman who's hiding his identity from the lady. Though James quickly finds out who Eleanor really is, he keeps his own background unknown for a good part of the story. It's an entertaining piece with some poignant moments--the loss of Eleanor's baby, James' shamed admission of the things his half-brother did to him, the attitude of society toward a woman whose only fault was being in an occupation they considered "low." Well worth a read.
Harlequin Historical #884
This novel was a gift to the reviewer and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.
June 30, 2011
Lovely book, truly romantic!
March 27, 2014
She was a b*tch (I don't want to be vulgar) and he was a real b*stard. Hated them both and the book was nauseating. Oh right, did not finish.
January 19, 2016
Great historical adultromance, didn't want to put the book down
June 8, 2017
I wish the drama and theatre element of the story had been more to the forefront of the novel, it would have made the story so much better.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews