"Delightful highwayman tale"

Charlotte Engle is on route to her sister, who is about to have her baby. Naturally since this is middle 1700s, she is accompanied by her elderly aunt, Maude. However, life is about to take an exciting turn as their coach is stopped by a Highwayman. Charlotte is hardly your shy, retiring miss, so she wields her barbed comments and her accurate pistol work to save the day. Mother dearest thinks darling daughter needs taking in hand and so arranges a betrothal to Lord James Houghton. Charlotte is not so thrilled, as she has an eye set on being a writer, despite this was hardly the goal of a proper lady.

More so, she meets Kenley Fairfax who encourages her wicked ways. She is delighted with the man who appreciates her wit in a time when women were supposed to be dullards. Only, she is smart enough to see Fairfax is more than he seems.

Reinke is a fresh voice in romance writing. You get a clear sense she is more than willing to follow in the footsteps with the tried and true writers of the genre who have gone before, but she is going to do it drumming to her own beat. That shall set her apart and quickly engage readers.

I am looking forward to her Kensington debut release, Dark Thirst. I hear it's a very different vampire romance that will quickly gain her the lion's share of the spotlight.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted February 21, 2007