Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope is ruined and everyone knows it.  Back in Town for the first season since her downfall, Willa plans to remain firmly on the shelf, assuming only fortune hunters will want her now.  Instead she focuses on her unique tea blends, secretly supporting a coffee house which employs poor women and children.  If her clandestine involvement in trade is discovered, she’ll be ruined. Again.

No one is more shocked by Willa’s lack of quality suitors than the newly minted Duke of Hartwell.  Having just returned from India, the dark duke is instantly attracted to the mysterious wallflower.  His pursuit is hampered by the ruthless Earl of Bellingham, who once jilted Willa and is now determined to reclaim her.

Caught between the clash of two powerful men, a furious Willa refuses to concede her independence to save her reputation. But will she compromise her heart?

When I first started writing this review, I thought I’d never read any of Diana Quincy’s “Accidental Peers” books before but then realized I’d read Book 2, Tempting Bella.  And really liked it.  But if you haven’t read any of them, don’t worry about it – Compromising Willa can definitely stand on its own.  But I definitely recommend reading other books by Quincy if these two are anything to go by.

The interactions between Willa and Hartwell are fantastically fun.  They are sassy and funny and they both give as good as they get.  Hartwell is fabulous – he’s charming, handsome and caring.  He is immediately drawn to Willa’s cheek and blatantly sets out to win her hand.  Willa is also wonderful – she’s given up on ever marrying, but she’s strong, smart and resourceful in her own right.

Some may be thrown off by Bellingham – he’s quite the villain.  Convinced that he’s loved Willa for ages, he’s intentionally set out to ruin her reputation to keep away other men until he’s in a position to marry her.  He’s got a horribly black heart and does despicable things to people.  Quincy may have been a little zealous in making him the bad guy, but she does it with such style that you actually enjoy hating him.

The plot is well-developed and the pacing is very smooth.  As we move through each of the stages of Hartwell and Willa’s relationship, I kept finding more and more to be captivated by – from the initial stages where she tries to rebuff his advances to their engagement and Bellingham’s machinations, Quincy finds new and interesting roadblocks to their happy ever after.

Compromising Willa is a wonderful treat for those who like historical romances – the dashing, gorgeous hero has to win the heart of his clever, sexy heroine and defeat the plans of the dastardly villain.  It’s deliciously fun, with a clever narrative and engaging characters, and I’m definitely looking forward to more.