AN IMPOSSIBLE CONFESSION

Author: Sandra Heath ISBN: 9780709080879 1/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: Robert Hale Ltd. UK
Time Period: Regency

Miss Helen Fairmead was an innocent in the ways of the world, so her older sister and sensible brother-in-law took great pains to select a perfect suitor for her. His name was Ralph St John and he was everything a proper young lady would want in a gentleman. Lord Adam Drummond, on the other hand, was everything a young lady should avoid. A shocking scandal in his past belied his dashing good looks and devilish charm. It was clear which man Miss Fairmead should choose, especially when St John pressed for her hand in marriage. But though Helen dares not give Lord Drummond even her name, she finds herself longing to give him everything else...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Even though this is a reprint from 1988, this is my first foray into the writings of Sandra Heath. I knew she'd been around a long time and is a favorite among many Regency era romance lovers, but not having read her I didn't exactly know why. Well, after reading AN IMPOSSIBLE CONFESSION, I can totally see why she's so popular, and she's just now gained another big fan.

Miss Helen Fairmead first meets up with the handsome Lord Drummond when she masquerades as a widow during an unexpected overnight stop at an inn. Of course, there's an instant attraction between the two, and even though they part ways the next day, both are more than a little determined to meet up again in the near future. However, we all know what happens when you base a relationship on lies, even little white ones, and as Helen's feelings deepen for the English aristocrat, the more unexpected obstacles seem to crop up to keep her from owning up to the truth. Besides, she now has another quandary to deal with, for her sister and brother-in-law have more or less married her off to one of their friends, a slimeball who just happens to be the enemy of Lord Drummond and is responsible for some vicious slander that nearly drove the said lord from society.

Sandra Heath has definitely set the standard for other soft Regency writers to live up to. Her characters have depth, including the secondary ones, the storyline's pacing is smooth and continuous, and Heath makes sure that all her characters adhere to the strict dictates of the time. If those little historical details are important to you as a historical romance reader, then Sandra Heath's romances are must haves.

So, go ahead and toss me another Sandra Heath book to review from the U.K., for you'll hear no complaint from me. I think that anyone who loves the gentler, "truer" feeling Regency romances will surely fall in love with this author as I did.

Nancy Davis