Maya Rodale: The wicked wallflower, Wallflower gone wild ja What a wallflower wants

Maya Rodalen historiallisissa viihderomaaneissa puhutaan tanssisalien seinäkukkasista, jotka ovat jääneet alakynteen englantilaisen yläluokan kovasti kilpailuilla avioliittomarkkinoilla. Kirjojen tarinat ovat täyttä huttua, mutta jonkin verran omaperäisyyttä kerronnassa silti on. Toisaalta saman tarinan toistaminen vähän eri kuosissa ei pidemmän päälle kanna. No, erityistä omaperäisyyttä ei ole teosten kansikuvissakaan.

The wicked wallflower (Avon, 2013; ISBN 978-0-06-223114-7)

After Lady Emma Avery "accidentally" sends The London Weekly the notice of her betrothal to Blake Lovelace, Duke of Ashbrook-a man to whom she is not acquainted, let alone engaged-they embark on a sham engagement. As one does with so much at stake. The Duke has just created a scandal so great that he may never be received again (Two words: twin sisters), let alone inherit a desperately needed fortune from his Oh-So-Proper Aunt Agnes. Reform-or the appearance of it-is the answer. What better way than to partake in a betrothal with one of London's Least Likely To Misbehave? Ashbrook persuades Emma to embark on a sham engagement in spite of her protestations that he's beyond insufferable and then he begins to seduce the one woman impervious to his charms, only to discover this wallflower may not be such a shy, retiring miss after all.

Wallflower gone wild (Avon, 2014; ISBN 978-0-06-223126-0)

Being good has worked out very badly for Lady Olivia Archer. All she has to show for four seasons on the marriage mart is the nickname Prissy Missy. Her prospects are so bleak that her parents have betrothed her to a stranger with a dire reputation. If Phinneas Cole--aka The Mad Baron--wants a biddable bride, perhaps Olivia can frighten him off by breaking every ladylike rule.

What a wallflower wants (Avon Books, 2014; ISBN 978-0-06-223128-4)

Everyone knows that Mis Prudence Merryweather Payton is the only graduate from her finishing school to remain unwed on her fourth season--but no one knows why. With her romantic illusions shattered after being compromised against her will, Prudence accepts a proposal even though her betrothed is not exactly a knight in shining armor. When he cowardly pushes her out of their stagecoach to divert a highwayman, she vows never to trust another man again.

John Roark, Viscount Castleton, is a blue-eyed charmer with a mysterious past and ambitious plans for his future--that do not include a wife. When he finds himself stranded at a country inn with a captivating young woman, a delicate dance of seduction ensues. He knows he should keep his distance. And he definitely shouldn't start falling in love with her. When Prudence's dark past comes back to haunt her, John must protect her--even though he risks revealing his own secrets that could destroy his future.