Rated 4.5
Reviewed 12/30/98 by Pam
"The Forbidden Lord" was positively fun and quite clever. Sabrina Jeffries writes with a passion for romance that winds her readers through a delicious tale of dreams coming true and happy every afters.
Emily Fairchild is the daughter of a rector and "dabbles in physic." She blames herself for the death of her mother and has not gotten over the loss.
While attending a ball at the Marquess of Dryden's country estate, Emily has an unusual meeting with the rogue, Jordan Willis, the Earl of Blackmore. For a moment it appears that her reputation may be ruined, but a bit of scheming sets things right.
Lord Nesfield, the father of Emily's friend Sophie, and Ophelia Campbell, the Countess of Dundee, his sister, summon Emily to his home one day ask her to do something she can only refuse to do. Sophie had attempted to elope and the man she tried to leave with escaped without Lord Nesfield finding out his identity. The Lord has hidden his daughter away and is now committed to discovering just who would attempt such an act with his daughter. Certainly if the man were good enough for her he wouldn't have attempted to elope with Sophie.
Lord Nesfield was the first person on the scene the morning that Emily's mother was found dead. He uses the little bit of information he has to blackmail Emily into posing as Lady Emma, the daughter of Lady Dundee. With his threats, Emily finds herself unable to defy Lord Nesfield. They want her to help them figure out who Sophie's lover is before the man can get to her again and possibly succeed in running off with her the next time. She cannot do this as a rector's daughter so she is forced to pose as Lady Emma.
Before long, Emily is on her way to London with Lady Dundee. With her is a brand new wardrobe and a complete change of attitude you might say. One of the first people she runs into wearing her new name and identity is Jordan Willis. He is certain that the beauty before him is no one other than the lovely Emily Fairchild, the daughter of a rector he met months ago at the Dryden's ball. But she denies his claims and fights him at every turn. From here on out the story becomes one of extreme intrigue and was a page turner til the end.
Can Jordan finally get Emily to admit just who she really is? Can he change the future he has planned for himself to include her in his life? Will Sophie get to be with who she wants to be with or will her father get his way? Watch for "The Forbidden Lord" scheduled for release in February 1999.