Charged with excitement, sparks flew in this historical romance. Katherine, a lady of London's 19th century high society, spent the three years since coming out at her debutante ball rebelling against the constraints of the society in which she lived-until she met dashing Jonathan Drew.

As a child, he was her knight in shining armor when he rescued her from a tree top, and the moment he walked into the ballroom the childhood memories of her handsome knight came flooding back. But she was not going to let this man make her weak in the knees, like so many women before her. A conversation ignited between friends, and a challenge was presented. Katherine was to race her team of horses against Jonathan's team. Katherine's mother was mortified. Katherine, she believed, had set her life's course to bring shame to the family by acting so un-lady like. But Jonathan was intrigued. He had never met a woman so fiery as Katherine. One moment she barely said a word, the next she was sparring with him on topics that a lady should never discuss, let alone know anything about.

However, her parents forbade her participation in the race and her father raced in her place. Jonathan won and wanted Katherine as his prize. That was something, however, that he learned he could not have. To appease her mother and perhaps bring some adventure to her life, Katherine decided, with the prodding of her father, to sail to America with her aunt. There she would act as advisor to her uncle and, with any luck, forget about Jonathan Drew.

The Challenge was one of those books a woman of today would have a hard time putting down. It appeals to the inner struggles we deal with in our society even today. It was a stunning love story that will keep the reader on their toes, wondering what will happen next. The chemistry between the two main characters is excellent and makes the reader want to cheer for their successes and cry when they fail. Katherine and Jonathan are cut from the same cloth. Katherine wants to live her life with independence and strength and Jonathan longs to remove himself from the service of his country and the deceit that he must live as a spy from the crown. Both are thorns in their parents' sides, forever bending, and sometimes breaking the rules of their society. Neither want love to interfere with their plans but they discover that love does not follow the rules by which they play. Janet Cooper did an excellent job putting these two together and making the readers feel as though they were right there with Katherine, sailing to America and leaving her family behind and with Jonathan as he struggles with his bachelorhood and his loyalty to his country. An excellent read.

Reviewed By: Nancy Peckford
© June 2004