The devil's charm

Lord Lucian Blackwood, second son of a duke, tries his best to keep his exacting father's endless disapproval at bay while he farms out as many duties as he possibly can, devoting himself to making others happy and himself idle. After his father threatens to cut off his allowance, Lucian meets the intriguing Lady Diantha and decides that industry, on his own terms, suits him. Diantha is doing her best to keep her family above water, and it is her task to figure out the dispensation of a family legacy shared between Duke Blackwood and her father--once best of friends and now sworn enemies. Thankfully, Lucian and Diantha more than hit it off, and they join forces to make the best use of that legacy to help as many people as possible. In the process, they discover purpose and parts of their personalities they might not have noticed before--and, of course, the deep appeal of each other. VERDICT Frampton (Her Adventures in Temptation) starts a new series with this Victorian-set novel that stresses friendship, being true to oneself, and finding appreciation.--Neal Wyatt

A practical lady is unexpectedly charmed by a louche lord. Lady Diantha Courtenay spends her days following the rules and being practical--it's the only way to balance out the impulsive and often irrational behavior of her parents, who since Halley's Comet appeared in the sky more than 20 years ago, have pledged to do whatever they please. But she's made an exception tonight, staying up late to attend a dear friend's wedding, where she finds herself attracted to a man who looks like "the embodiment of a fallen angel in a painting"--and decides to kiss him even after realizing he's the son of her father's mortal enemy. For Lord Lucian Eldridge, second son of the Duke of Waxford, the encounter is not unusual; as the spare, he feels it's his duty to enjoy life to the fullest, so a secret kiss with a beautiful woman is nothing new. But the next morning, as Diantha resolves to return to her practical self, Lucian learns that his older brother has had a hunting accident in Scotland, and while his overbearing father heads up there, Lucian will need to become more involved with the family's affairs. This horrifies Lucian, though he's intrigued to discover that those affairs include resolving a long-standing lawsuit between his family and Diantha's, something the two will have to work on closely together. Due to their intense attraction, they find it hard to focus on the task at hand, and a steamy bout or two of "system-cleansing" at locations like the British Museum serve only to make them even more confused about who they are becoming, both on their own and together, and what the future might hold. Frampton is in fine form at the start of her new Heirs and Spares series, fleshing out the opposites-attract story with witty dialogue and complex characters. The instant chemistry between Lucian and Diantha catalyzes both to finally consider extracting themselves from their very different families, and accordingly the plot focuses on their individual development as much as their burgeoning relationship. Readers looking for a well-constructed, satisfying historical romance will be pleased. A strong start to a new Victorian romance series. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.