Oxfordshire, England, 1874

Lady Rebecca Newland and Devon Sinclair, future Duke of Pembroke, meet under dramatic circumstances; Devon rescues Rebecca and her father, Lord Creighton, from a runaway coach. Devon finds Rebecca tantalizing, but too young for flirtation. To Rebecca, Devon is a hero; she falls in love that night and though she does not see him again for years, remains true to those feelings. Four years pass, and Rebecca is now betrothed to a man she detests. She does not understand why her father will not listen to her. Rebecca takes her fate in her own hands and, with the help of her aunt, sneaks away in the night to accept an invitation to a party given by Devon’s father, who is the Duke of Pembroke. Rebecca hopes to convince Devon to help her -- no, she hopes to marry him and thus escape her unwanted betrothal.

Devon returns home after four years away. His family has called him back to England because they need his help. It seems his father is slowly losing his mind, believing the family is cursed, and that unless his four sons marry by Christmas, terrible things will happen to all of them. The costume party he is hosting is to introduce Devon to a lady he believes will make his son a good bride. However, Rebecca also attends the party, and when Devon meets her again, all other women fall away from his sight. Attraction and sexuality sizzle between them; before the night is out, they are completely ensnared with one another, and married soon after. Each has expectations and secrets they have not revealed; can their love survive?

IN MY WILDEST FANTASIES is a bit like a fairy tale; lovers are drawn together by a force they cannot understand nor resist. Their passion fueled by an old diary that Rebecca found many years ago that contains a racy story of forbidden love that will not be denied. They have a lot of fun trying out some of the things the diary describes. Their love scenes are hot, and their story warms the heart. Devon becomes obsessed with Rebecca, and marrying her does not even begin to ease that obsession. Fear not, gentle reader, their love is true and steadfast; not only will they have every happiness, but peace will come to abide in the dark places that have grown in Devon’s heart. While I felt that the villain of the piece received short shrift, Ms. MacLean’s description of how Devon’s family handles his father’s apparent madness felt very real and well done. IN MY WILDEST FANTASIES -- a good classic romance and a recommended read for historical romance fans.

Lisa Baca