Tag: romance

Lord of the Vampires

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | book reviews> C Reviews

Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter is the first book in the Royal House of Shadows from Harlequin Nocturne. The series is about the children of a royal family in a world that exists parallel to our own. This is a world where magic exists, the king is a vampire, and the queen is a witch. Unfortunately for this particular ruling pair, their throne was coveted by an evil sorcerer, and they were murdered. But not before they each cast one final spell. The king’s spell imbued his four children with an unstoppable need for revenge. The queen used her last ounce of power to send each of her children far away from the sorcerer, from the kingdom, and unfortunately, from each other.

Lord of the Vampires is the story of the crown prince, the oldest son Nicolai. The spell flings him naked out of his own kingdom, Elden, and into the slave markets of Delfina, where he is quickly sold as a sex slave.  His memories are wiped away by magic, and he knows nothing except rage and his dreams of vengeance against a sorcerer whose name he cannot remember.

In our world, a woman named Jane Parker receives a leather-bound book, along with a note bearing four simple words, “I need you, Jane”. Jane is disbelieving. No one needs her. Her family was killed in a car crash, and she was the only survivor. She has just regained the use of her legs. She is totally alone. But touching the book brings back memories that she doesn’t think are hers, as well as dreams that she barely remembers. In dreams she has experienced what the book details, and she knows it. What she doesn’t know is how it is even possible. She worked in quantum physics before her accident, she has met creatures from the parallel world, but she is sure what she feels just isn’t logical.

But just the same, she can’t stop thinking about the book, her dreams, and her memories of those dreams. So when logic fails completely, she settles down to actually read the book itself. And when she falls asleep over the book, she crosses the barrier between the worlds, and meets her destiny. And Nicolai, who needs her.

Lord of the Vampires fell into the “just plain fun” category for me in spite of the dark themes throughout the book. The evil characters were all caricatures of evil, particularly the ones who have been “keeping” Nicolai for the last several years. The link between our world and Nicolai’s was just a bit too convenient. And although Nicolai summoned Jane to help him escape from his captivity, when she turns out to be his chosen mate, they are both surprisingly agreeable to being bound together for life. On the whole, Lord of the Vampires was mind candy, but it was pretty good mind candy. The next book in the series will be Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe, followed by Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen and last by definitely not least Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh. It will be interesting to see how different authors manage to handle the different siblings while still retaining the continuity.

Escape Rating: C+: Definitely worth following the series, but the cliché count rose to high to keep me up all night reaching for the ending.

Motor City Wolf

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> book reviews

Werewolves in Detroit. Who would ever have thought? Robots maybe, but not werewolves. However, in Cindy Spencer Pape’s third book of the Urban Arcana, the idea more than works, it downright kicks ass and takes names.

The werewolf in Motor City Wolf is Greg Novak. Greg owns a bar in Detroit and is assisted by his brother George. The wolves are not the only paranormals operating in the Detroit area. There are also fae of various kinds and human magic practitioners, otherwise known as witches.

There are also those less kindly disposed toward humans and human-like creatures. Everyone calls them demons.

The fae had their own internal struggles, a kind of racial purity movement. At first it seemed like an internal fae struggle between those who favored pure fae heritage and those who had interbred with humans. It turned out that the movement may have been fomented by outside agitators from the demons.

Fianna of the Meadows was supposed to be brainwashed by her family to believe in the purity movement. But when that movement started killing people, she turned herself in. She was still punished, but instead of a death sentence, her fae powers were suppressed and she was forced to live as one of the humans her family had so despised. The intent was for her to learn humility. She was given a job that definitely has its humble moments: she was sentenced to be a barmaid at Greg Novak’s werewolf bar in Detroit!

Fianna Meadows learned how to wait tables, pull drinks, make change, dodge rowdy drunks, and fend off the pinching hands and grabby paws of the bar patrons. She learned how to do real work instead of taking short cuts through magic. And she learned how to make her own decisions instead of relying on the men in her family to tell her what she was supposed to believe, because that was what got her into trouble in the first place.

But being human had some interesting side effects for Fianna. Human senses are less effective in a lot of ways than fae senses. On the other hand, human emotions are a whole lot more volatile than anything Fianna ever experienced as a fae. They’re embarrassing and confusing. Especially the feelings she has for the werewolf Greg Novak. And the ones he seems to have for her, but won’t act on.

Then the demon conspiracy against the Detroit paranormal community turns its attention to the werewolves, and Greg’s bar becomes one of its targets. When Greg’s need to protect Fianna as a member of his “pack” expands out of control, he realizes that she means more to him than he had ever planned on.

The Urban Arcana is an ongoing series, and Motor City Wolf is definitely part of that series. I read all three books, Motor City Fae, Motor City Witch and Motor City Wolf in one grand, glorious reading binge over the weekend, and I absolutely loved the series. I can see who I think the next book will be about, and I wish it were out now.

Considered as part of the ongoing story, this book was tremendous fun. Greg and Fianna are interesting people. They’ve both been damaged, and in the same way, so they understand each other. Greg is someone who has learned to be strong in the broken places, and knows that everyone needs a second chance. That is part of why he is willing to give Fianna a job as part of her punishment at the beginning of the story. And Greg is an alpha because it is necessary to the story, but manages to not be a jerk or worse about it. That’s an interesting combination and not easy to pull off. Fianna’s redemption was also well done. The person she was in Motor City Fae I wouldn’t have given the time of day to. She changes in a way that works.

The Urban Arcana definitely puts Detroit on the Urban Fantasy map. And the next book in the series will be Motor City Mage in March 2012. I hope it’s not the last.

Escape Rating: A+ Keeps you awake until the very last page–no matter how late (or early) it is!

Dark Awakening

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews

There’s a subgenere of urban fantasy that ought to be given a name. It goes something like this: once upon a time, meaning right now, there was a young woman. She has been alone and unloved her entire life. She was either orphaned in horrific circumstances or adopted under mysterious circumstances. Either way, she doesn’t know her real origins. She has some unknown power and no one she can ask about that power–see orphaning or adopting above. When her power is suddenly required, a hunter is sent after her, and life as she knew it goes to hell in the proverbial handcart.

The heroine’s journey is to discover her previously unknown power, and make it work for her in time to save herself from the evil that has been stalking her all her life. Sometimes all her previous lives as well. She usually discovers the secrets of her past, As an added bonus she may manage the redemption and love of her hunter.

So, if we’ve all read this story before, what makes it worth reading again?

Dark Awakening by Kendra Leigh Castle threw in some new elements to this old story. Lily Quinn, the heroine of this story, was no pushover. She never expected to be rescued. Lily was an active participant, an equal player in everything that happened once she understood what the stakes were. Speaking of stakes, both the good guys and the bad guys were vampires. A big part of the story had to do with vampire internal racism. Apparently these vampires think that vamps who can turn into animals are less vampy than those who turn into mist. Of course, to the humans, fangs are fangs. (Yes, I read this as commentary about humans. Your mileage may vary)

The vampire who comes to hunt Lily is one of those vamps on the supposedly lower end of the vamp social register. Ty is a member of the Cait Sith–he hunts as a cat. He also purrs when stroked, whether whichever form he happens to be in.

Escape Rating B: Humans love to write about vampires with convoluted political structures. In this case, the politics have become so twisted they have turned on themselves. And any vampire society where House Dracul (yes, that Dracul) turn out to be the good guys (again, for certain select definitions of good) has more than enough twists and turns to keep me looking for the next book. Expect to meet a representative of every vampire family you’ve seen from everywhere and everywhen, but used in ways you were not expecting.

Lily isn’t quite what anyone was expecting, either. And that’s a very good thing…for everyone.

The Battle Sylph

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | book reviews

There are a lot of myths where a virgin sacrifice (always female) is necessary to tame some monster or other. Occasionally, the sacrifice is bait for the monster, so that the intrepid hero can slay the “dreadful beast”. If the sacrifice survives, she’s either a pariah or forced to wed the beast-slayer, whether she wants to or not. She’s his reward.

The Battle Sylph from L.J. McDonald turns the entire trope on its head, and in this story, throws the entire female-subjugating society that produces it for a loop as well.

Solie runs away from home. Her merchant father is going to marry her off to one of his friends, a fat old man three times her own age who has been leering at her ever since she grew breasts. Solie’s plan is to run to her aunt in the next village, five miles away. Instead, she is captured by the king’s men.

The kingdom of Eferem, and all the lands around it, use creatures called sylphs to perform all kinds of magic. Elemental sylphs control wind, water, fire and earth. Healer sylphs cure diseases and injuries that would otherwise be untreatable. These sylphs are lured from their world to Solie’s by priestly incantations that open a portal between the worlds, and presenting the sylph with something that they like, such as music for air sylphs, or a really interesting injury for a healer. Once the sylph crosses the portal, the they are summoned for gives them a name, and then they are bound to each other for the life of the summoner.

Battle sylphs are different. To summon a battler requires a human sacrifice: the aforementioned female virgin. Then they can be bound, but only by a strong warrior. And the battler will spend his time on this side of the portal projecting hate at everyone who is near him. But one battler is the equivalent of whole armies in combat.

Solie is supposed to be the sacrifice for the son of King Alcor. But the prince was a weakling, and Solie had a surprise up her sleeve. Or rather, in her hair. Her barrette contained a tiny knife, and with that knife she cut the ropes binding her. When the battle sylph was summoned, she stabbed the prince in the arm. She didn’t kill him, but she proved herself stronger, and the battler bonded himself to her. She named him “Heyou” because she stuttered “Hey You” when he faced her, but it was enough. Heyou killed everyone in the summoning chamber to protect her.

In their escape, Solie and Heyou gathered a motley group of followers. The first was Devon Chole, the master of an air sylph, who refused to watch as the king’s men attempted to cut Solie down in cold blood while Heyou fought another battler. Then Garrett, an older man who rescued the wounded Heyou after the fight. And finally an entire valley of desperately poor refugees just trying to carve out a life separate from any of the surrounding kingdoms.

Solie’s escape from her father challenged his authority. Her bonding to Heyou challenged the King’s authority. Even worse, Solie’s position as the master of a battler, for that matter, her position as the master of any sylph, challenges the entire male-dominated structure of her society. And every move that she and Heyou make, every ally they secure, continues to chip away at the authoritarian structures everyone around her believes are solid. But nothing is solid, because it is all built on the loyalty of the sylphs to their masters. Solie’s story represents change, and an awful lot of people don’t like change.

On the other hand, conflicts and change make for great storytelling. There were parts of this story that I liked a lot. Solie is a very interesting character, because she has to both grow up, and also grow as a result of the role she is thrust into. Her journey from merchant’s mostly ignored daughter to valley leader is well done. She’s someone I’d like to meet. The battlers are more difficult, because of their nature. They are strong warriors, but they have a built-in compulsion to obey their masters, even if they hate them. It makes for a lot of perfect warriors with Stockholm Syndrome. Also, Heyou doesn’t grow up, but that may be because his lifespan is longer than Solie’s. He looks like an adult, but he isn’t. The true villain of the piece is King Alcor, and he was a little too one-dimensional, as were his underlings.

But on the whole, this was a good read. More than good enough that I picked up the second (The Shattered Sylph) and third (Queen of the Sylphs) books in the series.

Yours to Keep

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | book reviews

I originally reviewed Shannon Stacey’s Yours to Keep for Library Journal. Although an edited version of the review appeared in LJ’s Xpress Reviews, I also wanted to include my original review here, since it prompted me to read the first two books in Shannon Stacey’s series, and I’m grateful that it did.

Sean Kowalski served in the Army for 12 years. His current plans include moving into the apartment over his cousin’s bar and getting carpentry jobs while he figures out his future.  Emma Shaw plans to build up her landscaping business and buy the big house she grew up in from her grandmother. But to make her plan work, Emma has to convince her grandmother that she’s happy and isn’t living alone, so Emma has been pretending that she has a fiancé who has moved in with her. Since Sean’s cousin Lisa is a good friend of hers, Emma pretends Sean is her fiancé. Emma’s plan works just fine until Sean comes home from the Army, and her grandmother decides to come up from Florida for a month long visit.
Sean thinks Emma is crazy, but also hot. And since he doesn’t have anything better to do, he agrees to move in and be her fake fiancé for a month. But Emma’s grandmother knows they’re faking from the first second, but hopes it might become real if she plays along. Sean and Emma start out by pretending to be a couple, and end up by deceiving themselves that they’re not.

Verdict Third in the Kowalski Family series (Exclusively Yours, Undeniably Yours)  this story starts with one of the ultimate “meet cute” scenarios. The hero is already the fiancé, he’s just uninformed!  The characters are appealing, including all of the members of Sean’s extended family, who can’t resist teasing him about the situation he’s gotten himself into. There’s also a secondary storyline, that includes Emma’s grandmother doing a “walk of shame” and Sean and Emma’s reactions to it that is priceless. This is a fun, sexy story for an afternoon’s reading pleasure.

 

Undeniably Yours

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | book reviews

Shannon Stacey’s Undeniably Yours is the second book in her series about the Kowalski Family. The first book was his big brother Joe’s story, the second book is Kevin’s story.

Kevin Kowalski used to be a cop in Boston. Now he owns a bar in Concord, NH. Owning a bar means that all the bar bunnies hit on him pretty regularly. Owning a bar in New England also means that Kevin scores when the New England Patriots win. But two years after his divorce, the whole bar bunny thing has gotten pretty stale. Kevin is starting to want a real family, just like the one he grew up in.

So instead of the bimbo trying to get his attention, one night Kevin is keeping both eyes on a brunette fending off her date, who just won’t take “no” for an answer. Not just because the woman was more than pretty, but because the guy she was with had slid down the scale from merely obnoxious to drunken scumbag very, very fast. As the owner of the bar, Kevin was legally obligated to cut the man off. That’s when things turned ugly. And, he found out  he was wrong: the scumbag wasn’t the brunette’s date, he was her boss. Ex-boss, since said scumbag fired the pretty brunette as he was being hauled out of the bar for resisting arrest. He turned out to be a seriously drunken, as well as totally stupid, scumbag.

Getting a lady fired is not a great way to introduce yourself. Having the subsequent conversation interrupted by one of the bar bunnies is even worse. Just as Kevin thought he might at least find out more than that the mystery woman’s first name was Beth, she disappeared on him. He was only polite to the bleached blonde bimbo because it was good for business. He was interested in Beth, and she was gone.

A couple of days later, Kevin was sweating in his tux, posing for the “best man” photos at his brother Joe’s wedding (Exclusively Yours) when he spotted Beth tending bar for the wedding. Kevin thought he’d been handed a second chance to make a first impression. In less than 24 hours, he blew that one, too. But fate, a one-night stand, and a defective condom gave him nine more months of chances. Kevin Kowalski needed them all.

I found this story frustrating to read. I read the last book (Yours to Keep) first, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Not just the primary story, but the secondary characters also had an interesting romance, and the family was interesting, and funny. I wanted to see where the relationships started. Being kind of a completist, I got the first two books.  Exclusively Yours was great. The idea of the second chance at love was well done, and again, both for the primary and the secondary story. In Exclusively, I understood why their relationship didn’t work when they were teens, and why they could make it work this time. I thought the author did a good job of showing that they didn’t pick up where they left off–they picked up where they were now.

But Undeniably Yours, I did not get the female character’s reasons for any of what she did. She packed up and moved every six months to a year, holding down mostly low-end jobs and living in literally stinky apartments because she felt smothered by her parents, who lived in Florida. She wouldn’t let anyone help her with anything because they might take over her life. What happened to her to cause this? I didn’t get her. I couldn’t understand why she kept pushing Kevin away, but she wouldn’t let him go, either. Nor did her epiphany at the end seem to come from real growth, it was too fast, or her emotions weren’t explored enough.

This story would have worked better for me if the secondary characters had been primary. Trust-fund heiress runs away from smoking-hot business tycoon at the altar when she is literally halfway down the aisle. He finds her hostessing at a sports bar five years later and sweeps her off her feet, without making her change who she really is. Paulie and Sam were fantastic. Kevin was terrific. Beth, not so much.

Exclusively Yours

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews

Sometimes we all want a “do over”. In Exclusively Yours, by Shannon Stacey, Keri Daniels and Joe Kowalski get one.

I kept hearing John Mellencamp’s song Jack & Diane while I read this book. It fits. Joe Kowalski and Keri Daniels were high school sweethearts almost 20 years ago. But that was then, and this is now. Now, Joe is a best-selling horror writer. Think Stephen King, but younger, handsomer, and even more mysterious about his personal life. Keri Daniels is a journalist for a weekly celebrity magazine. Her editor is obsessed with Joe’s elusiveness, but then she discovers that Joe and Keri were once an item in their small, New Hampshire town, way back when.

Now, Keri has one and only one assignment–bring back an exclusive interview with Joe Kowalski, or don’t even bother to come back and clean out her desk.

Keri knows where to find Joe. She’s always known. Her family still lives in that same small town, and so does his. She’s been back. She’s just never tried to find him. She knows she broke his heart when she left to go to college. And she never got over him, either. But Joe’s dreams were all about staying near his family, writing his books, and hitting the big time by sticking to his roots. Keri’s dreams were about stretching her wings, seeing the big city lights, and finding out who she was away from small-town limits. She left…and almost never looked back. But she never found anyone else either. And neither did he.

When Joe agreed to meet with her, each hoped that the sparks were dead. Or that time had treated the other badly. But no on both counts. They sparked each other just as much as they ever had, and the years had been kind. And Keri was honest about what she wanted. She needed the interview, or she’d lose her job. She didn’t play games or pretend. And Joe wanted to keep fanning that spark, to see if he could rekindle that flame they once had.

So he did something either really dumb, or really smart. He “blackmailed” Keri into coming along on the Kowalski extended family 14-day camping vacation with his parents, siblings, in-laws, nephews, niece, animals and ATVs. But no cell phone, no computer and no electronics of any kind. And if she participated in every activity, she could ask one question per day, which he agreed to answer.

As each day goes by, Joe and Keri discover, not just what they had, but what they could have now. Nostalgia is not enough, there is a lot of hurt that has to be healed first. And not just theirs. Keri’s leaving damaged Joe, and his pain hurt everyone he loved. They weren’t ready when they were 18. But it’s just possible that they are ready now.

Escape Rating B+: Exclusively Yours was one of those books that I just plain liked. A lot. I enjoyed the romance, I liked the people, and I had a good time with the characters. I read this because I had previously reviewed the third book in the Kowalski family series (Yours to Keep), and enjoyed it a lot. I decided I wanted to see where everything started and I am very glad I did.

Defying Convention

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | book reviews

Defying Convention, by Abby Niles, is a romance that takes place at a science fiction convention. Her main characters are both writers, a successful science fiction writer and a struggling investigative reporter. But both writers have big secrets.

Luke Blaster is not his real name, but everyone knows that. His real name is Luke Evans. But as Luke Blaster, he is the successful author of the Farmen series. Well, successful until the sixth, and latest book, that is. In the most recent Farmen book, Luke killed off his hero, Ben Frank. And killing Ben has gotten Luke about the same reaction that killing Sherlock Holmes got Conan Doyle–except with new technology. Sales of the book have tanked. The Farmen Fan Organization has organized hate mail campaigns in every possible media. Luke’s career might be over. So Luke is at the con to see if he can salvage anything from his self-created mess.

Emma Portland is an investigative journalist whose last several investigations have been scooped by rivals at other news agencies. Her hated editor has sent her undercover to the con with the promise that if she finds a story, she can keep her job, and the threat that if she doesn’t, she’s fired and blackballed. Her editor expects her to fail.

Eddie, Emma’s brother, is back at a con for the first time in two years. He is Emma’s guide to the geek scene. Eddie used to go to all the cons with his ex-wife, but when his game design company became more important than his marriage, Fiona left him. Now Eddie is rich, but lonely. And he sees Fiona everywhere he turns. He also sees Emma making the same mistake he made, putting a job she that may not be right for her ahead of what is really important.

In order to work undercover, Eddie gets his sister dressed up as Princess Leia.  The early version, with the white dress and her hair in the side-buns. That costume is a classic. When Emma steps out of an elevator and sees Luke being beaten by a group of guys with Nerf swords, she immediately gets in the way. She doesn’t know about his book, and too many against one just isn’t fair in her book.

Luke is fascinated by the only woman at the entire con who doesn’t know who he is and hasn’t pre-judged him. Emma senses a story, but is equally fascinated by the man behind it.

Meanwhile, the Farmen Fan Organization decide to teach Luke Blaster the error of his ways, live and in person. They decide to run a LARP, that’s Live Action Role Playing game, as part of the con, casting Luke Blaster as his dead hero, Ben Frank. Emma’s new involvement with Luke means that she has cast herself as “Ben’s” love-interest, Mia Marrows.

The LARP, the books, the con, and the so-called “real” world overlap each other, as Eddie, Luke and the Farmen Fan Organization each use the LARP to attempt to teach various characters different lessons, sometimes at the same time. It turns ugly when Emma’s journalist rival turns up, and everyone’s real secrets come out.

The romance part of this is fun to read. I enjoyed these people, and I wanted them to get their happily-ever-after. The secondary characters, too. This was one where all the characters had some stuff they needed to work through, and the story really shows how they got where they are, and that they earned their reward.

I picked this up because it takes place at a science fiction convention. There were a lot of years when I regularly attended at least three science fiction conventions every year and I have friends who have organized cons. So I know too much about the setting, and this didn’t quite match.  If you’re looking for a book that gives the flavor of a science fiction convention, the best book is still probably Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb. It’s a murder mystery where the famous sci-fi author is so hated he gets murdered at the beginning and the rest of the book is about the new sci-fi author/amateur investigator. The description of the murdered author was so true-to-life that a very real and very much alive famous author received a number of copies of the book out of “concern” at the time it was published. I’ll leave you to guess who that was. (Hint: he’s still alive)

Turn it up

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> book reviews

Turn it Up by Inez Kelley is a story about two people who have been best friends for a very long time. Their friendship is the most important relationship that either of these two people have in their lives, and neither of them wants to jeopardize it. But risking it all might bring something even better than friendship.

To their radio listeners, Dr. Bastian Talbot and Charlie Pierce are Dr. Hot and the Honeypot. Charlie is “Honeypot”, one-part unlicensed sex therapist, one-part adventuress, one-part sex kitten, and all goddess. Bastian is a real-life M.D.–he’s there to provide medical advice when callers ask questions about pregnancy, STDs, and other real-life consequences of sexual activity. But mostly, they banter with each other, and sometimes the flirting gets pretty steamy.

But they’ve always been all talk, and no action. For most of the years they’ve known each other, Bastian has been married, and he took it seriously, even when his marriage went wrong. Charlie values Bastian’s friendship way more than fulfilling any (and every) fantasy she has about him. She definitely does sex, and lots of it, but she doesn’t do commitment. Bastian does commitment. He’s been single for over a year, and he’s decided exactly what commitment he wants to make. He wants Charlie. Not just for a night, or even a few months. He wants forever. And Charlie doesn’t do forever. Ever.

Bastian wants marriage. Charlie wants sex. They end up challenging each other, not just figuratively, but literally. On the air. They declare a contest: Wed or Bed. As the ratings for their radio show skyrocket, they find their way towards a relationship that is more than just friendship, in spite of the baggage they both carry.

Escape Rating A: Watching these two people negotiate a way towards each other was well worth reading this book. This story was built on friendship, and on two very clever people who talked their way into a relationship. I enjoyed reading the conversations between Bastian and Charlie. I wish I could listen to their radio show. I bet it would be hilarious!

Notorious

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews

It’s almost a universal concept. The person your child looks like they are going to marry just isn’t good enough for them. The definition of “good enough” may vary, but the idea probably occurred to the first caveman’s parents when he dragged a cavewoman home from the cave next door.

In Nicola Cornick‘s latest Regency romp, Notorious, she takes the concept to a whole new level. Betrothals were broken if one of the parties proved unfaithful before the marriage was solemnized. After the wedding, of course, the rules were a little different. But what if a young man’s parents really, really wanted to prevent his marriage to an unsuitable young lady? What if they could hire a professional “betrothal breaker” to tempt him away from someone they were just certain wasn’t, in this particular case, blue-blooded enough for their tastes?

There weren’t, as far as history records, any such things as professional “match breakers”, but that hasn’t stopped Cornick from creating a story centered around one.

Susanna Burney has been hired to prevent the impending match between Fitzwilliam Alton, the heir to the Duke of Alton, and Francesca Devlin, the rather impoverished sister of Lord James Devlin. Miss Devlin isn’t well enough bred for the son of a Duke. Not to mention, the Duke and Duchess of Alton fear she is a fortune-hunter. Unfortunately for Francesca, she really is in love with Mr. Alton. It is her brother, Lord Devlin, who is the fortune-hunter. James Devlin has been dancing attendance on Emma Brooke for two years, waiting for her to finally give him her hand, and her fortune.

Susanna Burney’s introduction into the London Season as the mysterious widow “Lady Carew” causes havoc, not just with Francesca’s plans, but also with Devlin’s own. Dev has met the lady before. However, he was informed, by her family no less, that the lady was dead. If he had not been so certain of her death, he would never have proposed marriage to the rich and possessive Emma, as Susanna Burney is Devlin’s wife.

This is a Regency farce that starts out with two couples and ends with three. At the beginning, James Devlin is unhappily engaged to Emma Brooke. He is a former adventurer who is marrying her money. She is a spoiled rich girl who wanted to marry an adventurer and is disappointed that he has become respectable. Francesca Devlin hopes she has an “understanding” with Frederick Alton. She loves him. He is a cad who intends to use her and then throw her away.

Enter Susanna Burney, masquerading as the mysterious Lady Carew. Her job is to seduce Alton away from Francesca, to the point where he proposes marriage, and then break the engagement a month or so later. Her plans start to fall apart the minute that she and Devlin meet. He has spent the last eight years believing himself a widower. She, on the other hand, has always known that he was among the living. Her reasons for not seeking him out are just one of the many secrets that lie between them.

Escape Rating B: Notorious was a great way to spend an afternoon. I wanted James Devlin to find a happy ending for himself, and I knew from the very beginning that Emma Brooke was not the right girl for him. I think she got what she deserved in the end, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise. However, I found the character of Susanna to be somewhat contradictory, and it bothered me. She was a professional “matchbreaker”, and her “job” was to be sophisticated and seductive. And yet, she had managed to keep all of the men she had previously become engaged to not just out of her bed but had kept their hands off her as well! This stretched the bounds of either her luck or my fictional belief, even for a romance. But not enough to keep me from finishing the book at breakneck speed!