February 25, 1991
Under the Quick ( Surrender ) pseudonym, veteran romance novelist Jayne Ann Krentz (see review of Silver Linings below) offers a tale of Regency England that, while deftly handled with touches of humor, is more notable for its darker side: the hero and heroine rescue each other from past injuries while challenging each other for control within their relationship. Emily Faringdon, a 24-year-old spinster, adores a man she has never met: Simon Traherne, her favorite correspondent on her favorite subject, romantic poetry. When Simon attends a meeting of Emily's local literary society, he indeed seems to be ``the man of her dreams,'' a handsome earl apparently willing to overlook the scandal in her past--a thwarted elopement. But Simon is interested in her mostly as an instrument for revenge: he blames Emily's father for his own father's ruin and suicide 23 years before. Since then, Simon has plotted to destroy the Faringdons. A romantic with a strong pragmatic streak,pk Emily persuades Simon that marrying her enhances his possibilities for gaining revenge and she pk then begins her own campaign to win his affection and free him from the past that has poisoned his life.