Truth Within Dreams by Elizabeth Boyce
When
Henry De Vere wakes up naked in bed with his longtime friend Claudia Baxter, it
is his fondest dream and his worst nightmare come true. Could he truly have
compromised one of his dearest friends without even the benefit of remembering
it? Plagued by somnambulism his whole life, Henry fears his baser nature has
asserted itself, and insists on doing the honorable thing to marry Claudia.
Claudia’s
plan to stage her own ruination and escape marriage to the churlish and elderly
Sir Saint had seemed foolproof. She was sure the kindly Henry wouldn’t mind
helping her out . . . but somehow she hadn’t counted on him actually proposing.
Their illicit encounter
awakens feelings long buried for each. Will this preposterous scheme result in
a happier ending than either could have hoped for?
Sensuality
Level: Sensual
Published & Release Date: Crimson
Romance, January 19, 2015
Time
and setting: Regency England
Genre:
Historical Romance
Length:
132 pages
Heat
Level: 2 Scorching Flames
Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns
Vikki’s Musings
I
won Truth
Within Dreams in a Rafflecopter drawing for a book tour for Elizabeth
Boyce’s recent release, and I am so glad I did. Thank you Elizabeth Boyce! What
a sweet little gem of a story this is. It is always so nice to discover new
authors. Don’t you agree? I caught myself giggling out loud from the very
beginning, and I kept a smile on my face until the end.
Claudia
Baxter has a huge dilemma on her hands. After several failed seasons in London,
her aging parents accept an offer of marriage for her to Sir Saint Tuggle, a
gentleman old enough to be her father. In a tizzy over what to do to avoid this
horrendous marriage. She comes up with “The Plan”.
Miss
Baxter sneaks into her childhood friend’s bed and dumps a vial of pig’s blood
onto the sheets. Only there is a problem. Either deflowering is much more
alarming than she had thought, or she used too much. But her course is set, so
she curls up beside Henry and goes to sleep. She is awakened the following
morning with the very naked Henry kissing her in a most astonishing way.
Pandemonium
breaks out when she is discovered in Henry’s bed. Of course her parents and twin
brother are horrified and assume the worst. Henry is horrified as well. How
could he have done this to his dear friend? He can’t imagine ever assaulting a
young innocent woman. Being an honorable man, he immediately offers marriage,
even though he cannot remember doing the deed.
Henry
De Vere believes a problem that plagued him in his youth has returned. He
suffered from a severe case of sleepwalking throughout his formative years. It
was so bad, his friends had to lock him in his room, or he would wake up in odd
places, at times putting him in embarrassing situations. The somnambulism must
explain how this happened. What he cannot accept is that he has violated her and
so violently, not when he has harbored feeling for Claudia for years.
This
scene starts the madcap adventures of this delightfully witty tale. I always
enjoy humor in a story, and this book is filled with plenty of chuckle out loud
moments. Here is an example of one of those moments:
When
her brother finds them, he starts yelling at Henry, and Claudia says:
“Stop shouting, Claude. (Yes, her twin brother is named Claude.) You’re giving me a headache.” She scratched
the side of her nose and plopped back into the pillows.
“Claude, get out of that bed,” her brother
demanded. (Yep, her brother calls
her Claude.)
“Go awaaay,” Claudia moaned. “I didn’t sleep
well last night.”
Henry dropped his face into his hands. “Not
helping, Claudia.”
The rest of the scene is nothing short of hilarious.
This is a very light-hearted read and just what I needed after reading the last
two books, which were filled with anguish and heart-breaking moments, although
excellent books. Truth Within Dreams is a refreshing change, and I thoroughly
enjoyed it.
There are no deep, dark moments, but it works for
this humorous tale. The pacing is excellent, keeping the story moving along at
a brisk clip. The dialogue is crisp and witty. I love the back and forth dialogue
between Claudia and Henry.
If you are looking for a story that will brighten
your day and keep a smile on your face, then you will definitely want to read
this sweet little tale. Oh, and by the way, the sensual scenes are hot, hot,
hot! I highly recommend you give Truth Within Dreams a read. You will
not regret it. Happy reading!
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