Jane Toombs has written a colorful tale set in Regency England. Celeste Prescott takes a position as companion to Rowena, lovely daughter of the predatory Mrs. Gordon.  The two girls soon become friends.  Rowena is in love with dashing Prince Lothar and they plan to marry.  But his father engages aristocratic rake Lord Campion to put an end to such an improper alliance.  Prince Lothar must marry the lady to whom he was betrothed in childhood.

Celeste and Roderic, Lord Campion meet as adversaries.  Against her better judgment, Celeste initially agrees to help Lord Campion break up the young couple’s romance, but it all goes horribly wrong.  Celeste realizes she is falling in love with the cold-hearted Lord Campion.  Ms. Toombs is an accomplished writer, and her prose style uses many of the colloquialisms we have come to expect of the period. Indeed the foreign king is rather proud of his English vocabulary and makes use of it excessively, which adds a touch of humor to the tale.

My only complaint is that the story begins rather slowly.  I urge the reader not to give up too soon.  The intricate plot picks up pace, all the cogs start to fall neatly into their allotted place and the temptation is to read the last few pages far too quickly!  An Improper Alliance provides a pleasant read for anyone who enjoys Regency tales.