"The Rosebuds Appear Again"

Lord Gabriel Kenyon found the 17 year old Kate Talisford in his bed and had to resist her seduction attempt. She was trying to stop him from taking her father away on a trip to Africa and he gently removed her from his room, with her telling him how much she loathed him.

4 years later Kenyon returns after the death of Kate's father in Cairo, proclaiming he is her guardian. His claims are complicated as Sir Charles Damson also claims to have guardianship and Damson has a signed paper from her father as his proof.

Kenyon tells Kate that Damson killed her father and tried to murder him as well. She is not sure she trusts him, but then reads an entry in her father's journals that convince her Gabe is truthful, at least about the murder.

Kate and her 16 year old sister Meg go with Gabe to his palatial ancestral home, where they meet his family. Gabe's Grandmother, Lady Lucy Stokeford is one of the 3 legendary Rosebuds, who appeared in last year's Romancing the Rogue. The Grandmotherly Rosebuds are determined to engineer a romance between Gabe and Kate, so agree to help them find an item stolen from Kate's father and avenge his murder.

Kate is a fine heroine with both pluck and sense. Her resistance to trusting Gabe are based on reality and are never carried to excess.

Gabe is an adventurer who is afraid of marriage and commitment, but cannot deny his attraction to Kate. Gabe fights the physical attraction, but reacts honorably when he gives in and makes love to Kate.

The romance between Lucy and Kate's Great-Uncle Nathaniel is sweet and it would have been fun to see more of them. But, another Rosebud book is set up at the end of TMT between the dissolute son of one and the daughter of another. The Rosebuds and their kin are a delight and I for one hope they have lots of grandchildren in the offing!

Reviewed by Linda Hurst
Posted December 29, 2001

Summary

She's the brightest, rising star in historical romance, and with each new bestseller, Barbara Dawson Smith delivers the kind of smart, sexy love stories readers adore. The success of her New York Times bestseller Romancing the Rogue is proof positive that her witty dialogue, bold heroes, and feisty heroines will capture your heart and your imagination... A rogue shrouded in mystery, Lord Gabriel Kenyon returns from abroad to find himself guardian of Kate Talisford, the girl he had betrayed four years earlier. Now sworn to protect her, he fights his attraction to the spirited young woman. Although Kate wants nothing to do with the scoundrel who had once scorned her, Gabriel is the only man who can help her recover a priceless artifact stolen from her late father. On a quest to outwit a murderous villain, she soon discovers her true adventure lies with Gabriel himself, a seducer whose tempting embrace offers an irresistible challenge-to uncover his secrets and claim his heart forever...