Review on "A Date at the Alter"

Cathy Maxwell's, "A Date at the Altar," is the third installment in her series "Marrying the Duke". I have not had the pleasure of reading Ms. Maxwell's novels before, but I can definitely say that I am now a fan. I did not read the previous novels in her series, but you really do not need to, in order to understand the gist of the story. Gavin Whitridge, the Duke of Baynton, has been rejected twice now at the altar. In the previous novel he encountered Sarah Pettijohn, the aunt of his former intended, now wed to his twin brother. Sarah is an actress and struggling playwright. She hopes to stage her new play but is thwarted by the theater owners that she works for. In exchange for her role as the Siren, they promised to stage her play. They end up running off with the money, leaving Sarah in a pinch. Sarah stirs Gavin like no other woman has before. He makes a bargain with her; teach him about the delights in the bedroom (he is a virgin), and he will set her up in style as his mistress, and stage her play. Sarah struggles with her decision to give in to Gavin, as she has witnessed in the past what being a mistress does to a woman. Her own mother was a mistress to a powerful lord, Sarah's father. The two embark on an affair that neither one was prepared for.

I really enjoyed her novel. It gave a new shine to the sometimes overwrought actress-turned- mistress topic. Her characters are fully fleshed-out and you want to cheer for Sarah, as she fights to keep her dignity in the face of a society that looks down on women who try to better themselves. The author's writing style was unique and fresh. Sarah is a wonderful heroine who has had her troublesome past, but tries to rise above it. Gavin is the typical high-strung hero who needs to find a woman to ruffle his feathers a bit. I look forward to the next novel by Cathy Maxwell.

4 out of 4 stars!