"terrific Regency romantic suspense"

In 1829 England, Sarah Calloway worries that a rejected suitor has abducted her cousin Rachel. She has no one to turn to for help except perhaps Guy Devoran, a man her cousin mentioned in a letter to her as a kind caring person. Desperate and worried, Sarah clandestinely observes Guy at various galas before finally asking him to find and rescue Rachel.

Guy cannot fathom why the young widow selected him, but admires her courage and loyalty. He agrees to investigate what happened to Sarah though he thinks she hides something from him. He knows he has not told her the entire truth of why he acquiesces to make inquiries. As they journey through the world of the Ton and the underworld of smugglers, they fall in love, but both must reveal their deepest darkest secrets if they want to make a permanent match and save Sarah.

This is a terrific Regency romantic suspense thriller as the rescuers fall in love while not totally trusting their beloved as each believes the other hides something critical from them. The action-packed story line moves rather quickly yet the prime players are fully developed. Julia Ross proves the sub-genre is alive and well.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 5, 2006

Summary

The Gentleman:
Guy Devoran, without question the most brilliant and charismatic single gentleman in late Regency London, has been busy recently helping his illustrious cousins, the St. Georges of Wyldshay (the dashing sons of the Duke of Blackdown), find happiness with the most unsuitable brides. No one has any idea that behind Guy's equally devil-may-care appearance, he's nursing a broken heart.

The Lady:
She's forthright and redheaded and works as a schoolteacher in Bath. Haunted by memories of nursing her late husband in the last weeks of their short marriage, the widowed Sarah Callaway isn't looking for romance when she accosts Guy Devoran in a London bookstore. She's looking for her missing cousin Rachel, who's just been abducted by an unknown villain, and Guy is the only person who can help her.

The Secret:
No gentleman can refuse to aid a lady in such a mission, especially one who's so sensually attractive. Yet Sarah Callaway seems entirely unaware of her own charms, and she has no idea that Rachel is no longer the innocent young lady she remembers. Forced to hide the truth from Sarah, yet determined to rescue Rachel from her unknown fate, Guy can never let down his guard, however much he wishes to take Sarah to his bed. If there was ever a formula for disaster, this is it!

The Chase:
Their mission will take Guy and Sarah from the ballrooms of London to the smugglers' dens of Devon, where it's close to impossible for either of them to stay focused on their quest. Her darkly handsome companion is so very attractive that Sarah soon falls head over heels in love, though she's hardly a suitable match for a duke's nephew. Yet trying to uncover the truth about Rachel's disappearance while resisting Sarah's sensual appeal is going to be an even greater challenge for Guy. When passion refuses to be denied, every turn of the chase seems destined to expose his terrible secret and destroy forever all of his chances for happiness.