ENCHANTED AFTERNOON
A Regency Romance
-
-
4.6 • 27 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Book 4 of the Calhoun Chronicles by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs.
New York, 1880s
Beautiful, charming and respected as the wife of an ambitious senator, Helena Cabot Barnes is the leading lady of Saratoga Springs. But beneath the facade lies a terrible deception. Helena married for all the wrong reasons—and discovered too late that her husband is a dangerous man. Fearing for her safety, she ends her marriage and flees to legendary Moon Lake Lodge, where she creates a refuge for other women in need of a safe haven. And there she finds the courage within to become the woman she was meant to be.
But Helena can't outrun her past. In desperation, she turns to Michael Rowan, a man she once loved, a man who broke her heart. A brilliant inventor, Michael is still ruggedly handsome, still defiantly unconventional. For Helena, the road to trusting Michael again is long and hard. And danger lies ahead. But Michael has just discovered a shattering truth…and a reason to stay and fight for the woman he once lost.
With a deft hand and a unique voice, acclaimed author Susan Wiggs creates an enchanting story that will take your breath away as it reaffirms the power of love and the magic of forgiveness.
A historical romance.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Spousal abuse, illiteracy and disputed paternity are only a few of the contemporary issues that figure in this late 19th-century romance. When last seen in Wiggs's Halfway to Heaven, the scientific-minded Michael Rowan had broken off his relationship with hotheaded Helena Cabot, a society belle from an important family. Upon discovering she was pregnant, Helena accepted a marriage proposal from up-and-coming politician Troy Barnes. As this book opens, nine years have passed, Troy has discovered the deception right after the death of Helena's father and he has begun beating her. As readers will expect from one of Wiggs' resourceful heroines, Helena breaks from him and sets out on her own with her eight-year-old son. Her first impulse is to turn to Michael but, unaware that she's being abused and certain that his long-held secrets would repel her, he demurs. So she leases the rundown Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and proceeds to create a haven for other women in trouble. One of them helps Helena overcome her inability to read while Michael bonds with his newly discovered son. Wiggs has a knack for creating engaging characters, and her energetic prose shines through the pages. However, the romance between Helena and Michael is curiously tepid compared to their earlier sparks. Although it's not vintage Wiggs, her latest should please her fans, and to a lesser extent, readers new to her work.
