Lady Charlotte is the happiest of young ladies as she awaits her beloved Gerald Kirkland, the dashing young man who is also, seemingly, devoted to her. Then, suddenly and without warning, Gerald disappears to far-off America in the company of the caddish Fitzwilliam Canterby, there to fall into the clutches of the lovely, dangerous Miss Chastity Brown. When Charlotte finds herself forced by her father into an engagement to the notorious Marquis of Beresford, who can promise her only a lifetime of cold courtesy and callous betrayal, she can bear it no longer.

As her wedding day draws near, Charlotte realizes she is about to lose her one chance of happiness – unless she takes matters into her own hands, and even if it means behaving as no young lady should, and taking a gamble she cannot afford to lose.

Fans of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer will delight in the reissue of this classic Regency Romance by Judith Harkness. With a light touch and keen eye for human foibles, Harkness not only paints the fashionable world of Regency England, with its beaus and belles, balls and routs, but takes the reader on a fascinating tour of post-Revolutionary New York. There, on the majestic banks of the Hudson River, we are given a privileged view of how aristocratic Americans lived only a few decades after declaring their independence from the British. Brimming with period detail, Lady Charlotte’s Ruse will delight readers craving a good, old-fashioned romantic caper.

Judith Harkness is the author of five classic Regency Romances: The Montague Scandal, The Admiral’s Daughter, The Determined Bachelor, Contrary Cousins, and Lady Charlotte’s Ruse, all originally published by Signet. She is the co-author of a screenplay, EMMA in New York, an updated version of the classic Jane Austen novel set in contemporary Manhattan. As J.H. Richardson, she writes non-fiction on subjects ranging from children with learning and developmental issues to profiles of notable creative artists. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Will Taft.

Finally! A really well written historical romance that can hold it’s own with the likes "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice." Can’t wait to read more…
—Sally Quinn, New York

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