THE TASTE OF INNOCENCE

This steamy nineteenth-century romance pairs rich Charlie Morwellan, the eighth earl of Meredith, with Sarah Conningham, whose family lands are just to the north. Sarah gives Charlie two weeks to prove he's perfect for her--what ensues is seduction by night and feigned distant interaction by day. The abridgment seems awkward. Cutting out much of the daytime interplay, it emphasizes Sarah's development into a sexually aware woman. Elizabeth Sastre reads the sex scenes with practiced ease but without tension or emotion. But as soon as Sarah consents to marriage, the sex scenes abruptly stop. A subplot, smoothly developed through Sastre's expert pacing and intonation, adds some mystery to the story. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]