Innocence Undone is precisely the type of romance I enjoy reading when I’ve read several bad books in a row. Not just because it’s a good read, although it certainly is. But because it features a traditional premise, albeit with some unique twists. And a nice, traditional story-line is always welcome; it brings me back to the start of my love affair with the genre, and reminds me of what is good about it.

Of course, romances would be boring if they were too traditional, so Kat Martin has tweaked things nicely. Instead of a heroine who is just a beautiful, tomboyish hoyden, this heroine is also the daughter of a whore. Instead of a hero who is just a hunk of a naval officer, this hero also has feelings. Whenever a hero has the ability to cry, he becomes more attractive to me, and I automatically hold the author in higher esteem.

Lovely Jessica Fox was taken in by the aging Marquess of Belmore while his son Matthew was off at sea, off at war. Matthew returns home on leave and is certain Jessica is making a dupe of his father. Although his first impression of Jessie as a grown woman is not as she would have hoped, their chemistry cannot be denied. Although he is nearly betrothed to another woman, it is Jessie who fires his blood. And Jessie? She has loved him from afar for years.

While Matthew can see Jessie as mistress material, he can’t get beyond her background and see her as a wife. But with some prodding by the old Marquess and an old friend of Matthew’s, he drunkenly rescues her from the altar and marries her himself. Of course, neither can admit their true feelings. He still isn’t sure of her, and besides, he never planned on loving a wife anyway. And she won’t admit her true feelings because she knows he’d never return them.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Well, it is, and. . .it isn’t. While none of this is terribly novel, this author tells a terrific story. The chemistry between Jessie and Matthew is dead on. The anger, the jealousy, the hurt feelings – all are written extremely well. And the secondary characters are given a chance to shine. Matthew’s old friend and a school chum of Jessie’s are given a lively secondary romantic story-line that adds incredibly to the texture and depth of the book. The Marquess is a wily old devil, and his antics and that of the lady in his life bring a humor and warmth that will add to the reader’s enjoyment as well. And the scorned Lady Caroline, the woman who was to have been Matthew’s wife, while initially rather white bread and bland, definitely hath fury.

While Jessie may not come from an aristocratic background, she is worthy of Matthew’s love. Even he comes to realize that, although there is always something nagging at the back of his brain that prevents him from fully accepting her. They both worry about the threat of scandal, should Jessie’s background come to light. The author’s creation of a small child for Jessie and Matthew to love was skillful; the child is Jessie’s niece Sarah and while she is the light of her life, she is a daily reminder of Jessie’s past.

While fear of scandal is at the heart of many a Regency-era historical, sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. In this case it works wonderfully. When the scandal comes to light – as it always seems to – Jessie and Matthew are true to form. Each behaves heroically, to save the other, as each sees fit. Of course, Jessie’s response leads to separation and Matthew’s brings them together again.

I found this to be a very emotional read. Those moments when Matthew realizes what a gem Jessie is are touching. The climactic scene between Jessie and Matthew’s old friends is very strong, given that these are secondary characters. Jessie’s regret as she and Sarah leave their beloved home to “protect” Matthew is definitely two-hanky read time, as is Matthew’s discovery of what Jessie has done out of love for him. And , the final pages of this book will definitely bring a tear to the most stalwart reader’s eye – it is that romantic.

This is the first book I’ve read by author Kat Martin. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to discover her. Uh oh – I feel a glomming coming on!