"A good reading experience"

Lord Jarrett Dering receives a letter demanding he account for his sins and meet at a chop house. He ignores the invitation, but the author visits Jarrett asking him to go to the exclusive estate Paradise at the bequest of the mysterious Black Phoenix. Though he would prefer to say no, Jarrett agrees to visit this renowned den of iniquity.

In Paradise, actress Gaetana makes Jarrett look silly as well as sexually frustrating him in front of a packed house. Later she wears a mask when she meets him in private to inform him she is his partner. Jarrett tells her he knows from her smell that she is Gaetana, but calls her Kate from the Taming of the Shrew. As they work undercover (figuratively and literally) together to expose Carrington and he makes public displays of his sexual power over her, they fall in love. However, Carrington and his minion have killed before and will do again if they strip bare either identity.

The strong lead characters must put on a sexual pretense in public, but fall in love in private. Thus, readers will take delight with this fine amateur sleuth investigation in which the hero fakes abuse of the heroine to gain access to the inner secrets of Paradise. Though the last forty or so pages occur after the good guys win seemingly too easily and come across as two padded unnecessary subplots, fans will appreciate Lynn Kerstan's erotic Regency romance and seek out her animal tales (see THE GOLDEN LEOPARD; HEART OF THE TIGER, and THE SILVER LION).

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 15, 2004

"Exotic adventure, dangerous intrigue, and seductive passion" (Booklist) are the hallmarks of award- winning author Lynn Kerstan. Now she presents a trilogy about a secretive fellowship dedicated to righting wrongs in the highest circles of Regency society, and the men and women who risk their lives—and their hearts—in the cause of justice.

Summary

"You are summoned to Paradise..."

One of these challenging invitations is accepted by Jarrett, Lord Dering, a family outcast who lives by his own rules...the other by Kate Falshaw, a high-tempered actress on the run from a scandalous past. The exclusive resort promises to fulfill every desire, but beneath the glittering surface deadly games are in play...

Jarrett and Kate, with nothing in common and nothing to lose, are forced into a dangerous alliance against a powerful enemy. But the daring masquerade that hides their true purpose also sets them on a journey of self- discovery. When Kate's antagonism yields to Jarrett's seductive charm, the unexpected passion engulfs them both. Jarrett longs to understand the secrets of his tormented and beautiful new companion. And as the two work their way into the dark heart of Paradise, through its perils and mysteries, they discover that Kate's own past could prove to be the gravest threat of all.