The Romantic by Madeline Hunter (2004, Paperback)

Synopsis
Penelope, Countess of Glasbury, has spent years in Italy, avoiding her abusive husband. But the childless earl, requiring an heir, is plotting to kidnap the countess and force her to provide one. The desperate Penelope secretly returns to England to gain assistance for her plight. Her savior is her brother's friend and solicitor, Julian Hampton, who, unbeknownst to Penelope, has secretly loved her since childhood. This is fifth in the Seducer series of Regency romances.

Key Details
Author:	Madeline Hunter
Language:	English
Publisher:	Bantam Books
Format:	Paperback
ISBN-10:	0553587293
ISBN-13:	9780553587296

Size
Length:	385 pages
Height:	7 in
Width:	4.3 in
Thickness:	1.2 in
Weight:	7.4 oz

Publisher's Note
A passionate new historical romance in Madeline Hunter's nationally bestselling "Seducer" series. This one features a fifth member of the London Dueling Society, the reserved, enigmatic lawyer to the Laclere family: Julian Hampton. All his life, it seemed, Julian had been in love with Penelope, now Countess of Glasbury. And when he learned the horrors she had endured at the hands of her vicious husband, Julian was instrumental in arranging for her escape to Italy. But he has never forgotten the love of his childhood, the woman he had rescued first as a "damsel in distress" when she was a girl, and then for real once she had blossomed into woman. When Penelope returns secretly to London, Julian is the one she turns to, even though her trust in him puts both their reputations, and ultimately their lives, in peril.

Industry Reviews
"Brimming with a great depth of emotion, powerful characters, historical detail and a sweeping story, this is a romance reader's dream come true. Hunter is a true grand mistress of the genre, developing compelling, intelligent, sensual stories without compromising anything. She cements herself as a star with another tour de force. (Romantic Times BOOKclub TOP PICK!)
Romantic Times BOOKclub - Kathe Robin (11/01/2004)