During the war, Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven had agreed to a marriage of convenience in Portugal to protect Catarina Neves. Benedict is shocked when she arrives in London, after five years, to ask him for an annulment. The one kiss they had shared still lingers on his mind, and he finds her even more beautiful than before. He want to have a go at their sham of a marriage, but she is adamant they end it. Catarina has become a very successful lacemaker, she has her own money, and she doesn't want a husband who will take everything away from her. She also has a very big problem, and only an annulment will solve it. If only there were another way, because Draven is very attractive and so kind to her, but her predicament is very serious and very real.

While THE CLAIMING OF THE SHREW stands entirely on its own, followers of The Survivors will recall the stunning scene when we learned that there was a wife in Draven's past. Now we get all the details of how it came to be, and I loved that it was logically explained. Catarina has known her share of abusive and domineering men and, while she knows deep down that she can trust Dreven, she still hesitates. She is an extremely strong woman, but men always have the final say, and she relishes her independence. But she doesn't know the honorable Draven as well as we do!

THE CLAIMING OF THE SHREW is one of those insidious stories where the quiet mood belies the turmoil that lies beneath. The pace is nice and steady, and the story captured my attention and never let go. There's something very intimate about the tone and a subdued sensuality and sparks fly when you don't expect them. There are some wonderful details about lacemaking, the author's eloquence shines in her vivid descriptions, and Shana Galen paints such an enticing picture of Barcelona that I wished more of the story had taken place there. It would not have been possible because Draven's life is in London, and we would not have had the privilege to see some of the other Survivors: Duncan, Phineas, and the charming Colin FitzRoy. Towards the end, I found one element of the rescue highly improbable but I liked the character a lot, so I won't make a fuss over that trifle. THE CLAIMING OF THE SHREW is one of Shana Galen's most romantic stories, it was lovely to see Draven find love, a love that is as delicate and lasting as the finest lace.

Book Summary

What happens when a marriage of convenience isn't so convenient?

Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Draven has retired from the army and spends most of his days either consulting for the Foreign Office or whiling away the hours at his club with his former comrades-in-arms. He rarely thinks about the fiery Portuguese woman he saved from an abusive marriage by wedding her himself. It was supposed to be a marriage in name only, but even five years later and a world away, he can't seem to forget her.

Catarina Neves never forgot what it felt like to be scared, desperate, and subject to the whims of her cruel father. Thanks to a marriage of convenience and her incredible skill as a lacemaker, she's become an independent and wealthy woman. But when she's once again thrust into a dangerous situation, she finds herself in London and knocking on the door of the husband she hasn't seen since those war-torn years in Portugal. Catarina tells Benedict she wants an annulment, but when he argues against it, can she trust him enough to ask for what she really needs?

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