THE WEDDING TRAP

Author: Tracy Anne Warren ISBN: 0345483103 6/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: BALLANTINE
Time Period: 1820's Regency

From ugly duckling to beautiful swan... Eliza Hammond has always been quiet and reserved—hardly the best qualities for finding the man of her dreams and living happily ever after. A new heiress, Eliza is financially secure, courtesy of her aunt’s fortune, but even great wealth has its drawbacks since every greedy, fortune-hunting bachelor suddenly finds Eliza irresistible. To help her best friend, Violet takes Eliza’s romantic dilemma into her own hands, enlisting the social skills of her brother-in-law, Lord Christopher “Kit” Winter. Kit helps transform Eliza into a stunning belle, certain to attract a worthy beau. There’s just one problem: Eliza has always been head over heels in love with Kit, the very man who is trying to find her a husband! But during Eliza’s sometimes-comic extreme makeover, and with a few secret love lessons from Kit on the side, sparks—and passionate kisses—begin to fly. Kit soon finds himself completely overcome by an all-consuming desire for Eliza. But if he fails to realize his true love for her, he may lose this fair lady forever.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS: 1/2

Kudos to Tracy Anne Warren for ending her trilogy on such a high note. Hands down, THE WEDDING TRAP is my favorite book of this winning triple play that began with a set of identical twins trading places in THE HUSBAND TRAP. And while I did have a somewhat lukewarm reaction to the second book in the series, THE WIFE TRAP, I found this last winning entry fun, fast-paced and a much better mix of both character and plot than both of its predecessors. There's nothing better than having the ending of a series leave its readers with a smile upon their face and begging the author for more.

Christopher (aka Kit) has always been a standout personality through all three of the "Trap" books, I was happy to see that his carefree ways and endless ravenous appetite always seemed to remain intact. While some might see Kit's boyish charm and ever sunny disposition as immature compared to most of the macho lead characters in today's historical romances, I actually found these traits endearing. With Eliza's painful shyness and low self-esteem up against Kit's playfulness and who-gives-a-damn-what-anyone-else-might-think attitude, Warren has created just the right mix of a couple to entertain and delight as Eliza struggles to find her confidence and Kit learns to grow up—er, somewhat *G*.

It would have been so easy to make this pygmalion themed storyline we've read a thousand times before into just that—another one out of a thousand My Fair Lady's we've all read before. But thanks to Warren's deft skill as a writer and her ability to twist and turn the plot in oh-so-subtle ways, THE WEDDING TRAP comes off as fresh and entertaining. With visits from old characters, a few new ones added in and a Lancelot who limps away nursing a broken heart (Can I see his own sequel coming in the future?), THE WEDDING TRAP is one Regency era romance you won't want to miss.

Nancy Davis