Known To All

Violet is the daughter of Viscount Kelly and his mistress, Sadie Welsh. The Viscount married her mother and publicly recognized Violet as his daughter however the stigma of being a daughter of a courtesan still follows her. Violet was coerced into a sexual relationship with her mother's last protector and she is determined that it will never happen again. Lord Jared Falweir, nephew of the Duke of Hawkinston has fallen in love with her and determined to marry her. The Duke is not pleased with his nephew but he also falls under Violet's spell. But it is not marriage the Duke plans to offer her but the role of his mistress.

Violet is a young girl who has been through the mill. She suffered the humiliation of being an illegitimate child and more importantly she was forced to enter a sexual relationship when she was still quite young. However, she is a bright, beautiful and sensible girl. Grateful for what her father has done for her and her mother, she does not want to do anything to sully his reputation. It is surprising how well she stands her ground against the Duke. She is no push-over! Peregrine de More, Duke of Hawkinston (Hawk) is a product of his time. He lives a privileged life and gets what he wants; after all, he is a Duke. He is more than surprised when Violet turns down his offer but it only gives him an incentive to go after her with more vigor. It is a clash of strong personalities as Hawk pursues Violet. Their relationship is slowly developed as outside forces intrudes on them. The reader will enjoy how they interact with each other.

KNOWN TO ALL is a sweet historical romance. The author does a fine job with her character development and the storyline is nicely paced. There are several villains in the story and they are integral to the plot. Violet, Hawk, Jared as well as her parents feel like real people and their characters are fully developed. There is mention of Violet’s importance in the lives of the Earl of Arandale and his wife in this story. It gives the impression that this may be a sequel to an earlier book. It contains very mild eroticism but lots of romance. KNOWN TO ALL is perfect for those who enjoy the traditional regency romances.

May 2007