Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Unlacing of Miss Leigh by Diane Gaston
Historical romance eBook short story released by Harlequin Historical Undone 1 Apr 09

Not surprisingly, many romance readers cite Beauty And The Beast as their favorite fairy tale. There’s something so magical and compelling about a heroine who has the gumption to open up the guarded heart of a wounded and scarred hero. The romance landscape is practically riddled with such tales and heroes, but romance readers cannot (and dare I say it – will not) tire of the plot. Gaston is counting on it with this short story for the Undone line.

Unlike many younger sons, Captain Graham Veall, didn’t join his king’s army for the money and prestige, he joined it to defeat Napoleon. What he got for his trouble came at the end of a Frenchman’s sword, and Graham now hides behind a mask while lurking about a friend’s hunting lodge. However, he’s desperately lonely….and horny.

Certainly he could just head to the local brothel to scratch his itch, but he does not want only sex, but companionship as well. A woman to spend time with, to talk with, a woman to chase away the loneliness. So in a most business-like manner, he advertises for a mistress and Miss Margaret Leigh responds. The daughter of a vicar, her father is now dead, and Margaret is desperate to pay for her younger brother’s schooling. So she answers the ad, only to discover that the man she’s been corresponding with is Graham Veall, a hero from her childhood, and a man she’s never forgotten.

What follows is Graham and Margaret striking a bargain, spending time together and falling in love. It’s a pleasant story that follows the path of many Beauty And The Beast-type tales. I did have a couple of niggles, mostly revolving around Margaret – who seems positively wanton when one considers her upbringing. Certainly it helps that she “knows” Graham, but she jumps into his bed awfully quick. The author explains this by pushing her heroine’s back up against the wall (no money, brother needs to go to school), but still, for a proper young Regency miss to go from zero to sixty is a little jarring. Also, the plot device the author tosses in at the end to “get” Graham and Margaret to their happily-ever-after, is admittedly not a favorite of mine. It will work for other readers, but I couldn’t help wishing she’d found a different way.

Still, this is a nice pleasant story that I easily and happily devoured on a lazy Sunday afternoon. For Beauty And The Beast story fans, this tasty morsel hits many of the right notes.

Grade: B

Summary:
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Disfigured in battle against Napoleon’s forces, Captain Graham Veall has become a recluse, spending months alone on his estate and appearing masked in public. Yet Graham is determined not to forgo life’s pleasures forever…especially the delight of a woman’s touch.
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He hardly expects virginal Miss Margaret Leigh to respond to his advertisement for female company, thinking he sought a lady’s companion. Still, the impoverished vicar’s daughter is a surprising temptation he can’t ignore. His proposition? That she live with him for two months as his mistress in exchange for supporting her and her brother for the rest of their lives.
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But Margaret has a secret. Graham once saved her life as a child and she has dreamed about him ever since. As he awakens her desire, she longs to soothe his inner wounds—though only two months with her damaged hero may not be enough….
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Read an excerpt.

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