"Exhilarating Regency romantic suspense"

In 1817, irate Waldo Bowman visits the printing office of the Avon Journal to confront J.S. Chesney for the comments on his being a rake by her columnist the unknown Lady Tellall. Waldo is stunned that J.S. is a widow Jo, who keeps the paper going as a tribute to her late husband.

Lady Tellall who is actually Chloe Webberly sends a letter to Jo warning her to be careful. Not long afterward, Chloe comes up missing. Jo seeks her best friend's diary hoping there may be clues to her disappearance. At the same time, her aunt involves her in a "criminal" incident with a young lad at a boarding school. Jo heads to London with Waldo following her because he believes she is in over her head and insanely feels he needs to protect her. After bailing her out of jail, Waldo shadows Jo and soon becomes deeply involved in the search for Chloe, but also needs to keep his now beloved Jo safe as someone believes she has the infamous diary.

SHADY LADY is an exhilarating Regency romantic suspense that takes off from the moment J.S. tells Waldo to leave until the final moment when he knows he must face danger to try to keep his beloved widow safe. The lead couple is a delightful duo and his friends provide insight into both stars. Fans also get a sense of Chloe through the words of others. Though the villain's motive to protect his family name from scandal at any cost seems off kilter (why cause the problem in the first place), fans will gain plenty of pleasure from this fine historical.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 15, 2004

Summary

As the Avon Journal's no-nonsense publisher, Jolie Chesney always stuck to the facts. And the fact was that she found the celebrated war hero who'd come to her office angrily demanding a retraction unsettlingly charismatic. His wild sexual exploits had found their way into her paper's gossip column, and Jo had no intention of compromising her standards, journalistic or otherwise. But when her star reporter suspiciously vanishes, Jo seeks help from this dangerously sensual man, whose connection to the Special Branch may save her friend's life, even if it means putting her own life—and heart—on the line.Waldo Bowman sensed danger in his immediate attraction to Jolie the instant they met. Beautiful and independent, she was unlike any woman he knew—and he was determined not to lose her, whatever the risk. But when Jo uses her paper to set a trap for a cold-blooded killer, these reluctant lovers embark on a mystery that will change their lives—or end them.