Review: Unveiled by Courtney Milan

He was her bitterest enemy….

Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family, and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom, and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But when he arrives, he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance.…

And her dearest love

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who’s stolen her fortune and her father’s legacy—the man she’s been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion….

Ash Turner may be the most perfect historical romance hero.  He's driven, of course, but he's respectful and patient and very intriguing....  It's no wonder Lady Margaret cannot seem to keep her mind off him.

What's interesting about Ash is that he wants Margaret, plain and simple, at first glance, regardless of her station in life.  He sees her on the steps of Parford Manor, and he's immediately intrigued.  Because Ash is a go-get-it kind of man, well, he's going to "get" Margaret; rather -- and luckily for us readers -- he hopes Margaret will come to him, a backwards seduction of sorts. 

Also lucky for us, Margaret cannot seem to resist the man, despite knowing she should hate him for what he's doing to her family.  Honestly, who could deny a man who said things like this:

"Miss Lowell, you magnificent creature, I want you to paint your own canvas. I want you to unveil yourself."

It's a testament to Ms. Milan's writing style that Ash is an extremely sympathetic and relateable character when he could easily turn into a jerk.  Despite his motivation for revenge, however, Ash isn't hellbent upon it, given how he reacts to news during the legitimacy hearings and we discover just how far he's willing to go on Margaret's behalf.

This is the first book of Ms. Milan's I've read, but I can already admit I'm looking forward to more, especially Ash's brother, Mark, in Unclaimed (October 2011).

(A very special thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley who provided me with an ARC of Unveiled.)