Ridley’s second Dukes of War Regency (after The Earl’s Defiant Wallflower) proves that intellect doesn’t have to consign a woman to a lonely life. Jane Downing is tired of being forgotten, but she’s come to terms with her future as a spinster. When she encounters handsome Capt. Xavier Grey, she makes the rash decision to leave her London home, travel to his country cottage, and seduce him into a secret affair. While he details all of the reasons that she shouldn’t become involved with him, she learns the innermost secrets of his wartime days and tries to prove to him that she wants to understand the man behind the heroic image. It soon becomes apparent that succumbing to lust might lead to greater emotional involvement. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the characters are affable, and humor is ever present thanks to a chaperoning cat. (BookLife)