CLAIMING THE COURTESAN
ANNA CAMPBELL
ISBN# (13)9780061234910/(10)0061234915
March 2007
Avon Books an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022-5299
Paperback
$6.99
384 pages
Historical Romance
Rating: 4 Cups

Verity Ashton is also known as Soraya, a famous European courtesan that has all of England enamored of her. Men have even killed themselves or fought for her favors at times. Her current protector is the Duke of Kylemore, whom she contracted to a romantic liaison for a year at which time either party could dissolve it and go their own way. Little did Soraya know that leaving in the middle of the night once that year was up, that her life would now never be the same.

Justin Kinmurrie, the current Duke of Kylemore, was smitten at first sight of the lovely Soraya six years previously. Not until she needed a new protector and he pressed his suit did she relent and engage in a single year contract with him, leaving him searching for her in London and all over the countryside once it was found she had left the night that contract was fulfilled.

All Verity wanted was to take care of her younger siblings, all orphaned many years ago. At fifteen she took the only job she could as a maid for the local landowner. Everything was fine until the son of the owner decided he wanted to pursue the young Verity and beat and almost raped her until a guest stopped him. She did not know her life would never be the same, With the promise of taking care of her siblings she consented to be the mistress of the elderly gentleman that saved her from rape or worse. He gave her a new start, teaching her all she would need to know to behave in society and be the envy of all the men in London. The Duke could not believe that she would run away and abandon what they had together. He tracked her down and literally kidnapped her from her brother, and test of wills begins. She may have given her body to him for a year, but he did not own her heart or soul.

This take is on a noble that could not take being abandoned, no matter that the lady had fulfilled a contract and was free. This might be disturbing for some since it proves that men in that era believed women were possessions, to obey, give pleasure and not have a life of their own. He was humiliated, a courtesan could leave him and just vanish thinking she could succeed in being independent? In the end though both found that their secret hidden pasts would rear their ugly head and bring them closer together than they would ever imagine. What might have been desire soon turned to love and more and that love can conquer most anything. This also is letting us know that life for women was dreadful unless lucky enough to find the right man to cherish them.

Lainey
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
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