Harlequin Historical, $4.99, ISBN 0-373-28971-5
Historical Romance, 1997

Kate Courtland’s sister Lucy is seduced by a man claiming to be the Marquis of Worth. Kate decides to dress up in her sexy highwayman costume and scares the useless man into doing good with Lucy, but ends up shooting him instead.

It gets more complicated – Grayson, the Marquis, has never seen Lucy before. As he recuperates, he and Kate start seeing stars, and Grayson snatches at the chance of discovering who the lout using his name to seduce innocent women is to hang around. And when he realizes that Kate is a poor nobleman’s daughter fallen to hard times, his protective instincts are aroused (among other things).

Unfortunately, while Grayson is a wonderful hero, Kate will do much better as the new ornamental rug in the Wroth manor than a romance heroine. She is giving and selfless to the point to dimwittery. Lucy is so obviously in need of a dressing down, but no, Kate caters to her every whims like a misguided Cinderella. She readily believes that Grayson has the eyes for Lucy, and lo, she willingly prepares to step aside for Lucy’s happiness!

It’s always Lucy, Wroth, and Tom her loyal servant. Poor selfless Kate. It is one thing to be generous and kind, but this woman takes the whole giving thing a bit too far. She’s a pushover, no match for anyone – in fact, she’s a free-for-all for all opportunists.

Kate’s willingness to let the others test out the soles of their boots on her back soon overrides whatever plot elements that are fun here. Seeing her pampering Lucy makes my blood pressure soar to new heights. Lucy’s the smart woman here, I say. And she even gets an adoring hubby! Kate gets her virile man, but she really has to work to get there. Poor Kate.

I have a hard time finishing it without gritting my teeth and wishing I can just get my claws around Kate’s neck and shake some sense into her. Strangling – er, Tempting Kate gets a generous two oogies.