The Improper Wife
Diane Perkins
Warner Forever, 2004, 359 pages
ISBN# 0-446-61437-8
Historical Romance, London circa 1814
$5.99 (U.S.) $7.99 (CDN)
Reviewed by Maria
November 2005
Captain John Grayson awakes to the sound of frantic pounding at his door. A very pregnant woman stands searching for her husband & the father of her child - Captain John Grayson. Puzzled beyond belief, frantically tries to remember exactly what his relationship was with this woman. Sure that he's never even met her, let alone fathered her child, Grayson still has doubts as to what might have occurred during one of his many drunken nights at war. But time does not allow him to dwell too long for Maggie Delaney is about to give birth on his kitchen floor. With Gray's assistance, Maggie delivers a healthy baby boy. So begins a bond so strong that it could very well tie Gray to this woman and child for life.
After having wed a man that called himself Captain John Grayson, Maggie Delaney soon finds herself abandoned and with child. Maggie was taken with the handsome young man's gentle manner and charm. Little did she know that he was not the person he claimed to be, marrying Maggie just to get her into his bed. Maggie's quest to find her husband soon lands her on the doorstep of the real John Grayson. The handsome and honest Gray not only helps bring her son into the world, he also finds the new little family a place to stay until Maggie can get back on her feet. Maggie and her son are left to stay with Gray's cousin Harry & his wife Tess, a well-meaning yet somewhat interfering pair. Feeling that he's done his duty, Gray sets off to go about his life as usual.
Two years pass with Maggie living comfortably in Gray's family home. Having been absent for those two years, Gray returns to Maggie and her toddler. Quite certain now that he's not the father, Gray is furious that this almost stranger of a woman and her child are still present. Gray's feelings of anger and resentment grow when Tess finds marriage papers - forged with his signature. Not sure of what Maggie is up to he demands she leave the comfort and security of his childhood home. As Maggie makes arrangements to leave Gray softens to the presence of her son Sean, complicating his emotions just a bit. The adorable little boy calls Gray 'papa' and Gray wonders if it's such a bad thing after all.
Meanwhile, things have not gone so well for Leonard Lansing, an old friend of Gray's. Down in luck and money, Lansing makes his way to Gray's hometown. With the hope of courting Gray's beautiful, wealthy and widowed sister in law, Lansing sets to turn his luck around. What he doesn't bargain for though is coming in contact with Gray again. Little by little, Gray begins to discover that Lansing wasn't quite the friend he pretended to be, complicating Lansing's plans. The story heats up quickly, fuelled with drama and surprises.
THE IMPROPER WIFE is quite an enjoyable novel. The story flowed effortlessly and was laced with a subtle humor in Gray's character that made it so much fun to read. For all his complaining and feelings of doubt toward Maggie, Gray still finds it in himself to make sure that she and Sean are provided for. His paternal feelings are soothed by Sean's presence and the memory of the little boy's birth remains with him always. The special bond Maggie and Gray shared on that day manages to keep them tied to one another's lives. Feelings of mistrust and conflicts add to the credibility of this couple's saga. Gray's sad past and Maggie's secrets add spice to the story, rendering this book hard to put down.
Diane Perkins scores with this wonderful novel. This tale of love in the 1800s has all the elements of a classic. The twists and turns Gray and Maggie must face truly add to the old-time feel of this beautifully written novel.