Bedazzled by Bertrice Small, Guest Reviewer Barb Huff

Lady India Lindley knows that when she marries that it must be for love and nothing else. Her stepfather, while a true seventeenth century nobleman in all respects, agrees that the child that he had raised as his own should love the man-- as long as he is a proper nobleman. So, when Adrian Leigh, the Viscount Twyford, catches her fancy, he must put a stop to their relationship. He is a dashingly handsome young man whose brother fled from murder charges and mother is known to bed any man she can. The duke of Glenkirk is sure that the man is strictly after her large inheritance, and he forbids the two to see one another.

India will see nothing of what her stepfather says and runs away with the viscount. Heading for Italy and relatives there, Adrian Leigh plans to marry the girl, have her bore him a son, and then return with her to her family to collect her inheritance and live his life very prosperous. The duke will then have to accept him as part of the family.

The ship on which they stowed away pretending to be a widow and her nephew is captained by Lady India's cousin, and they are soon discovered. Pirates from the Barbary States then capture the ship. Everyone is taken captive. Ignoring the captain's advice, the Viscount is sent as a galley slave, and our beautiful heroine finds herself in front of the dey, the ruler of the province and consequently in the dey's harem.

The dey is like no man she has ever seen and life in the palace is both beautiful and frightening. He is handsome and boisterous and finds great pleasure in "taming her wilds." Yet, the dey has a past and an agenda of his own, and regardless of himself, he begins to fall in love with her. Lady India finds herself falling in love with him as well.

She finds her life perfect until the revolt begins and her cousin stubbornly comes to her rescue to take her back to her family. Maybe she is not destined to be happy in her life...

Bertrice Small writes a tantalizing-- yet tasteful-- tale of harem life, domination, and love. "Bedazzled," at times, has a plot that just fits together too well, but it is an enjoyable read. Fans of the best-selling author may like the book more than I did, but I would give it 3 stars.

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