title: Proof by Seduction (HQN)
author:  Courtney Milan 
description: Starred Review. Historical romance fans will celebrate Milan's powerhouse debut, which comes with a full complement of humor, characterization, plot and sheer gutsiness. The setting is 1836 London, where fortune teller Madame Esmerelda, n&eacute;e Jenny Keeble, plies her dubious trade at the fringes of respectability. She draws the ire of Gareth Carhart, marquess of Blakely, when his young cousin and heir falls under Madame Esmerelda's spell. Socially inept scientist Gareth wants to prove that Jenny is a fraud, leading to some delightful nonsense as Jenny inventively complicates the terms of Gareth's proof, but the more these two tangle, the more they come to see each other's attractive qualities among the flaws. If too much psychoanalysis sometimes gets read into a single heated gaze, such freshman flaws barely distract from the joy of watching the characters develop amid delightful plot twists. <I>(Jan.)</I> <BR>Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  OURTNEY
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  ILAN
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
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  Proof By Seduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “One of the finest historical romances I’ve read in years. I am now officially
  a Courtney Milan fangirl.”
  
  
  
  
  
  —
  
  
  
  
  
  New York Times
  
  
  
  
  
  bestselling author Julia Quinn
  
  
  
  
  
  “A brilliant debut…deeply romantic, sexy and smart. I couldn’t put it down.”
  
  
  
  
  
  —
  
  
  
  
  
  New York Times
  
  
  
  
  
  bestselling author Eloisa James
  
  
  
  
  
  “With a tender, passionate romance, a touch of sly humor, and a gruff and
  incredibly sexy hero, Courtney Milan’s
  
  
  
  
  
  Proof By Seduction
  
  
  
  
  
  is a delicious read from the first page all the way to the very satisfying
  ending. If you love historical romance you must read this book!”
  
  
  
  
  
  —Elizabeth Hoyt,
  
  
  
  
  
  USA TODAY
  
  
  
  
  
  bestselling author
  
  
  
  
  
  “Sexy, hilarious, and deeply, deeply touching. Courtney Milan writes with the
  keenest understanding of the heart. It is a cliché to say so, but I laughed
  and I cried. And I 