Katie MacAlister’s latest might seem a little odd since it is a historical, but it has a picture of a modern rubber ducky on the cover.  Don’t really know what to make of that except that she might be having a little fun with readers.

Lord Harry Haversham needs a wife.  As a member of society, he doesn’t want to go through the normal proceedings to get one.  He wants to make sure she wasn’t after his money or position, so he instructs his man, Templeton, to place an ad in the newspaper.  He really wants a woman he can have relations with, but what he neglects to bring forth is that he has five children, all little hellions.

 Frederica Pelham, or Plum, wants a family of her own.  Nearly forty, the scandal after marrying a man she thought loved her, only to find out he was already married, has left her virtually unmarriageable by society’s standards.  So she gets labeled as his mistress and is shunned by society and her own family.  Now, there is little hope for her until she decides to answer the ad in the newspaper.  She could hardly believe it, that he was handsome and he chose her!  They wed in two days and she was sure to start her wonderful marriage.

 Until she discovers that he has children.  Not one, two or three, but five!  A little miffed that he declined to inform her, she withholds her wifely duties for a night, but decides that her secret is probably worse.  Forget that she writes the banned “The Guide to Connubial Calisthenics”, she is a fallen woman, in disgrace!  Then her former not really ex husband shows up to make things more difficult for Plum. 

Charming from the beginning, this light hearted historical Regency is full of little pleasurable scenes that will keep you awaiting more.  It was so fun reading this book, but I knew that as soon as I tried to get through Harry’s trying to explain the bird’s and the bees to his children without laughing out loud.  Entertaining and face paced, readers will not have any trouble with keeping the pages turning with Ms. MacAlister’s latest.