THE COURTESAN'S DAUGHTER

Author: Claudia Dain ISBN: 0425217205 10/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY
Time Period: England 1802

What Price Love? Young Lady Caroline's prospects for a suitable match are severely limited by her mother's infamous past. Before Lady Sophia Dalby became a courtesan and entered London's society, she was a highly desired courtesan. What man of title, position, and wealth would marry a courtesan's daughter? Sophia's solution is to purchase a husband for Caroline—in the person of the Earl of Ashdon, agreeing to settle his gambling debts if he will take her daughter's hand. Insulted, Caroline refuses the match. She won't have a husband who was bought for her. But after meeting the fiery Lord Ashdon, she begins to wonder if it wouldn't be so very satisfying to have him pay for her, perhaps with a priceless pearl necklace? Who better to turn to for advice but a former courtesan? With Sophia pulling the strings, Lord Ashdon may get more than he bargained for and Caroline may get just what she wants...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Positively delicious! That is the best way I have to wrap up for you what is surely a perfect book, THE COURTESAN'S DAUGHTER by Claudia Dain. Well, I suppose I should also add in witty, stimulating, more than original, and that it surely boasts the best dialogue. Oh wait, I can hardly forget the best adjective—tempestuous. A lovely word that must be included.

Anyway, to say that I enjoyed this book and will no doubt be thinking about it for some time to come is quite an understatement. I woke up at 3:00 a.m. (truthfully, I never fell asleep because I could not stop thinking about it, so "got up" is probably more accurate) just so I could finish it! It is just so... well, forgive my repetition, delicious! There is intrigue, wickedness, and plotting like I have never read before, and all done in the most scandalous emotion-filled scenes. The characters are flawless and the love affair is a love/hate type that will have your own bosom heaving. But the best of it is the dialogue, especially the dialogue given to the heroine's mother. It is beyond fabulous.

Simply put, THE COURTESAN'S DAUGHTER is delicious!!

Shannon Johnson