#117 (#53) - Echo of Another Time ~ Audrey Howard

ISBN: 9-780340-595831

In last year of Queen Victoria's reign, Celie Marlow first begins working for the Latimer family as a kitchen maid. Determined to be the best cook in Liverpool at worst, she's taken under the wing of the Cook, Jess Harper who recognises her talent.

Shortly after that a young Swedish Boy is taken into the Latimers', he speaks no English and he and Celie form a special bond to one another.  Not knowing what his real name is, or being able to pronounce it when they do find out, he is called Dan Smith.

Celie eventually becomes Cooks' assistant, and after the sad demise of Celie's Father, Dan becomes Head Gardener for the Latimers'. She also forms an attachment to one of the Latimer girls, Prudence, who is cast out of the family for falling deeply in love with the wrong man.

However, the eldest son, Captain Richard Latimer has fallen in love with Celie, and at the wedding of one of the Latimer girls there is a terrible fight, and both Dan and Celie are dismissed.  Cook, who has been struggling for some time to continue, also walks out, taking with her another maid Kate.

Jess Harper uses money she has put aside to start a Tea Rooms, and eventually they also steal quite a lot more of the Latimer staff.

What of Richard and his love for Celie though?  You will simply have to read this 4 **** Star read to find out, but it was a totally enchanting tale.

#104 (#40) - Voices From The Sea ~ Evelyn Hood **NEW AUTHOR**

ISBN: 0-316-73074-2

Okay, I was right to not let my preconceptions dictate whether I read, and fully embraced this book ... I'm a big girl, I am not afraid to admit that I should endeavour to widen my horizons, in this case anyway.

It was not wildly exciting, romantic or packed to the rafters with excitement, but it was definitely a really nicely crafting story ... and I will definitely read more of her work now.

Eppie Watt is left a widow after the North Sea takes her husband (and true love).  With a young child to bring up.  She has not choice but to send her beloved Daughter to live with her parents and earn a living as a lowly fish packer and seller to make ends meet, despite the fact that she came from a better class of family before she married her Murdo.

She is offered a chance for a better life when the housekeeper to a local wealthy widower decides to retire, and she recommends Eppie for the job.

Whilst Alexander Geddes is good to work for, his mother is a different story altogether.  She entered the house when his second wife died in childbirth and liked to think she ruled the house with a rod of iron.  However, she was doing more harm than good in the upbringing of Alexander's Daughter, and was eventually given her marching orders - leaving Eppie and Alexander in the house alone together, causing no end of gossip.

To stop the rumours getting out of hand Alexander ask him to marry here.  When she refuses, he decides on a compromise and brings Eppie's own Daughter to live with them.  He also employs here Sister, Marion as the girls' governess, thus taking out any suggestion of of dis-honourable intentions.

Alexander's estranged son returns to Portsoy, bringing with him an old adversary of Alexander's who has a very mysterious past for a short time.

An relationship slowly builds between Alexander and Marion, and they eventually wed. with Eppie leaving to look after her friends children when see kills herself.

So all ends well .... except that Eppie only at the very end realises that there was just one thing missing .... oh yeah, that mysterious stranger!

A 4.5 ***** Star read in the end.

#102 (#38) - The Founding ~ Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

ISBN: 0-316-90793-6

Book 1 of Morland Dynasty


I have to admit to not being that keen to start this book, but was given a gee-up because it had to be back at the Library and couldn't be renewed again as somebody else had reserved it.

It's not a period in history that I like, finding it much to brutal with huge depravation .... I like luxury in the main!

I don't know why I worried so though, as the author did a very splendid job all round ... and I fell into it from the first page.  The story of Eleanor the founding Mother of the Morland Dynasty and her love for Richard, Duke of York, but with an arranged marriage to Robert Morland and the many children and grandchildren she produced.

A worthy 4 **** star read.

Kay

#89 (#25) - The Devil In Winter - Lisa Kleypas

ISBN: 978-0-7499-4290-8

Book 3 in the Wallflower series

I have eagerly anticipated the arrival of this book, and it definitely did not leave me wanting ... well, except perhaps for the final story in the series about Daisy.

Sebastian Lord St Vincent is the most gloriously dangerous and depraved hero I've met thus far ..... and it is unbelievable (but heartwarming) to learn that the lovely Evangeline Jenner with all her innocence and tangled tongue could bring him to heel.

A 5 ***** Star read.

#88 (#24) - Mr Impossible ~ Loretta Chase

ISBN: 0-7499-3711-4

Right, lets just get right to a rating a big fat 5+ *****+ Stars from me - I love, love, love, LOVE Loretta Chase and the story of the Carsington boys.

Who could fail to fall in love with Rupert Carsington .... I couldn't and ultimately neither could Mrs Daphne Pembroke.

It was a set up, of course, but then so were the marriages of Alistair and Darius too.  Only Mr Perfect seemed to find his own lady love.

Lord Hargate is fed up with the amount of money his 5 sons are costing him, so Rupert was dispatched off to Egypt to work for the Consul .... there he is thrown into jail for assisting a beggar.  Simultaneously, Daphne Pembroke's brother is kidnapped and it's suggested that she let Rupert assist her with finding him.

Assist probably seems to strong a word, as she finds him a great lumbering ox with not a brain in his head.  Unlike her .... she has an enormous brain ... .but has had to try and cover it up using her brother as camouflage.

They set out on a journey down the Nile to find her brother .... but they also find each other along the way.

Hop and skip to the book shop to get this one (don't run it will alert others to the fact that they books are really rather, lovely, entertaining, funny and great to read, you don't want anyone getting them before you do!)

By my count I just have one further brother to go, Geoffrey Carsington story but I don't think she has actually written it yet.

There is Last Night's Scandal to read though, which features Olivia Wingate-Carsington the step-daughter of Lord Robert and Peregrine Lisle, his nephew.  I need to score that one soon as reading a Loretta Chase book makes my impossibly happy.

Happy reading.

Kay

#86 (#22) - His Wicked Kiss ~ Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 0-7499-3683-5

This is the last one in the Knight Family series - the missing brother - Captain Black (Lord) Jack Knight.

The first of the Hawkscliffe Harlot's illegitimate children, his father was an Irish Boxing Champion.

Sick to the back teeth with the shame heaped on him by the ton because of his birth, he ends up owning an international shipping and trade company Knight Enterprises, and spends his life pretty much on the ocean wave ...... until one trip down the Orenoco River he comes across the beautiful Eden Farraday in a tree above him collecting orchids.

She's been taken to the jungle by her Botanist father and longs for London Society.  A request to Jack to take her away is turned down, so she stows away on his ship .... soon to be caught by him and made to pay!

I have to say I loved this story, and Jack Knight game very close to Anthony Blake (who is one of my all time favourite heroes).

A 5 star read ****.  What a shame I've now finished the Knight family series.

Happy reading.

Kay

#85 (#21) - Lady of Desire ~ Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 978-0-7499-3654-9

Another in the Knight Family series, this time about the youngest of their clan, Lady Jacinda.

All of her life she has had to bear the whispers that she is almost certainly going to turn out like her scandalous mother, Georgiana the Duchess of Hawkscliffe, dubbed by the ton Hawkscliffe's Harlot.

Fearing Jacinda is going the way of their Mother, her brother Robert arranges a marriage between Jacinda and an older man.  Terrified by the prospect Jacinda fears the same fate as her Mother, and flees only to come face to face with the notorious leader of a London band of thieves, Billy Blade.

He's dangerous, gorgeous and as low as it is possible to get .... but there was just something about him that didn't add up ..... let's just say he was definitely no ordinary kind of criminal and definitely not born into that class.

Obviously she could so easily be ruined, but fortunately Billy has had business dealings with Jacinda's brother Lord Lucien and manages to return her to her family in the nick of time to avoid any scandal.

Faced with the prospect of losing Jacinda .... and the hangman's noose, Billy is persuaded that he should re-claim his old life and his title (Earl of Rackford)  and confront his brutal and tyrannical father, the Marquess Earl of Truro and St Austell.

Having left his old life behind at the age of 10, he has to come to terms with becoming and behaving like a gentleman, the censure and teasing of the ton......can he do it?  Can he win his lady?

A 4 **** Star read.  Highly enjoyable and very well written.

I have another Cynthia Harrod-Eagles next.

#84 (#20) - The Duke ~ Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 0-7499-0767-3

This is actually the first book in the Knight Family Series, and focuses on Robert, Duke of Hawkescliffe.

He's a positive paragon of virtue, everything that a Duke should be, but in love with the wife of somebody else he is drawn into to uncover the truth by her widower, the Earl of Coldfell.

Robert it seems will go to any lengths to get to the truth, even if it means involving himself in scandal and taking a beautiful young courtesan under his protection ........ even more shockingly, under his very roof.

After the wicked nephew of the Earl of Coldfell utterly ruined her life, the young Bell Hamilton was left with the shameful and distasteful choice of becoming a courtesan to attempt to save her Father from the Fleet and gain her own independence.

Robert offers her a short-term contract to live at his home and help him uncover the truth with no sex involved, only the impression of it to others.  He also makes it abundantly clear that he despises women who whore themselves - she will never have a Carte Blanche from him.

To lure Dolph out the pair have to face the fury of the unforgiving ton, and also fight an ever growing attraction.

At the close of the contract they go some way to finding out the truth, but by that time Robert and Bel are in love.  She agrees to carry on as his mistress, but is heart broken some time later to find out that to secure his line and advance his political career he is becoming engaged to the deaf daughter of the Earl of Coldfell.

The only principle Bel has been able to maintain all along is the fact that she would only ever accept the protection of an unmarried man ..... so what does she do?  How does Robert react?..............well, sorry to say you will have to read it to find out, but I am fairly certain you will enjoy this lovely tale.

A 3.5 **** Star read, the only reason it isn't higher is that I fell Ms Foley could have written slightly more of a roller-coaster ending ......it could have been enhanced by a few breath stopping/will he...won't he moments.

I've also just finished the Lady of Desire, which is the story of the only sister in the Knight Family, Jacinda.

Happy reading.

Kay

#83 (#19) - Lord of Ice - Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 0-7499-0769-X

Another in the Knight family series, this time the twin brother of Lord Lucien, Damien the Earl of Winterley.

Damien is a a dangerous and damaged war hero, who gains a young ward following the death of his friend Major Jason Sherbrooke.

Although it turns out that Miranda is not actually that young, she's 19 and in a boarding school in near Birmingham.  She is the illegitimate daughter of Major Sherbrooke' elder brother and his famous actress mistress.  They had both died when Miranda was a small girl in a boating accident.

Jason arrives in  Birmingham too late to go to the school so to kill time he visits a theatre and is knocked sideways by a beautiful young actress, that he must have.  He waits for her outside the threatre, but gets rejected by her after a steamy kiss.  She runs away, but he goes after her just in time to save her from a gang of kidnappers, and she goes on her way leaving him with a heap of dead kidnappers.

Imagine his surprise the next morning when he finds out that beautiful actress is in actual fact his young ward.

Hardly able to take care of himself, how do they go on from there?  Well ......... you'll have to read it too........ a 4 **** star read.

Happy reading.

Kay

#81 (#17) - These Old Shades ~ Georgette Heyer

ISBN: 0-09-946582-5

This is really quick - no need with something this classic to go any further ... I'm not sure how many times I've read it since the age of 12, but lets just say a LOTTTTT!

The Duke of Avon falls in love with his page ..... turns out she's a girl!

A 3.5 **** Star read.  If you haven't read it, please try to .... Miss Heyer is one of our founding Romantic History authors .... classic even.

Happy reading.

Kay

#79 (#15) - To Sir Phillip with Love ~ Julia Quinn

ISBN: 0-7499-3661-4

Another sparkling and funny novel from Julia Quinn - I believe Book 5 in the Bridgerton Series).

The most appealing part of her work I have read so far is the unusual use of list, little bits and pieces of love letters etc. that she uses throughout.  The pace is also generally quick, and more importantly, quick witted.

Following the death of his wife, Sir Phillip Crane enters into a correspondence with her distant cousin, Eloise Bridgerton a spinster the wrong end of 20.

He needs a wife to manage his household, but even more than that somebody to manage his very out of control eight year old twins.  From the letters Eloise seems the kind of unassuming and homely girl that would fit the ticket exactly.  After a year of correspondence he recommends that she come for a visit and see if they would suit in marriage.  She need only let him know and he would arrange a suitable companion.

Obviously, Eloise couldn't marry a man she had never met, so she organised herself the hire of a carriage and hied off during a family ball.  She thought she'd left a note for her Mother on the hall table .... she forgot to advise Sir Phillip she was coming!

Therefore he was a more than a little put out on her arrival ..... and proved moody and ill-mannered - the twins proved unruly and very much in need of a mother.

How can all this conclude happily? I hear you thinking ..... well you will just have to read it too ........ but definitely won't be disappointed along the way.  A 4.5 ***** Star read - I just need to score some more of the Bridgerton Series (not sure if they are all in print though).

Kay

#78 (#14) - Lord Perfect ~ Loretta Chase

ISBN: 0-7499-3728-9

It was so nice to read another Loretta Chase work ........... sheer genius ............ I love her style.

Although I have only read two others before, both of which were stories of this hero's brothers.

This time it was the turn of the "Perfect" (and so different from his brothers) Lord Benedict Carsington, heir to the Earl of Hargate and beautiful widow Bathsheba Wingate.

Bathsheba is determined to provide a worthy upbringing for her daughter, but the hoyden Olivia has other ideas.

Bathsheba's first meeting with Benedict is at the British Museum where Olivia lays about his young Nephew, Lord Lisle, with a sketchbook.  Things go from bad to worse when the young pair then strike up a clandestine correspondence and run away to find the Disgraceful DeLecey family treasure.

It falls to Benedict and Bathsheba to bring them back without falling into the trap of their own utter attraction to one another, and causing a scandal ......... as if!!!

A wroth 5 ***** Star read as always with this author.  I need more of her books, but sadly some of them are out of print and not available at the library, so fingers crossed I can track them down - I especially don't want to miss the stories of the other remaining brothers.

Happy reading - next on my list is a Julia Quinn ....... always a happy event.

Kay

#76 (#12) - Devil Takes a Bride ~ Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 0-7499-0771-1

Another in the Knight Family series, this time about the childhood companion of Jacinda Knight, Lizzie Carlisle.

Lizzie Carlisle escaped to the quiet countryside outside Bath when she finally realised the love of her life, Rakehell Alec Knight, would never marry her.  She became the companion of the Dowager Lady Strathmore.

However, her peaceful existence is again turned upside down when she writes to her Ladyships errant nephew, the "Devil" Strathmore (Devlin Kimball) telling him that she is dangerously ill.  She's appalled that he appears to treat his Aunt to badly, and apparently merely sees her as a pocketbook to draw on for his excesses.  The letter should do the trick and teach him a lesson!

The is, of course, another side to the coin and "Devil" has been using the money to lay a trap for the people that were responsible for killing his mother, father and little sister when he was 17.

A truce is called after the first shock and anger of finding out Lizzie's deceit, and they get along famously for a short while.  Although inevitably Devlin goes back to his old ways.  Lady Stathmore does have a trump up her sleeve upon her death a few weeks later .... and Devlin finds his path to vengeance blocked by Lizzie's passionate and stubborn nature.

Will she also prove oh so tempting enough to bring him to heel and make her his bride?

A 4.5 ***** Star read all around, being so well written.  Lovely complex and multi-dimensional characters .... I highly recommend it.

It's a shame that I've missed out the stories in between of Jacinda and her Billy and Lord Damien Knight, but as always these tales can be read independently.  Although, I have just started on the story of their younger brother Alec Knight, Lizzie's lost love.

#75 (#11) - Lord of Fire ~ Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 0-7499-0768-1

Just finished one of the Gaelen Foley's that has been sitting waiting for me ..... it was a 4.5 ***** Star read and make no mistakes!

I haven't been that much in love with a Hero since Lord Anthony Blake (Stephanie Laurens).

Dark, dangerous and utterly gorgeous Spy Lord Lucien Knight gives the beautiful and virtuous Alice Montague a choice, stay with him and let her Nephew have his Mama, or so and disappoint the poor sick little boy.  What would you do?

Secretly utterly fascinated with him Alice stays, and falls under his spell.  She finds a tormented man with a whole cavern of secrets, but will she find love?

Read it do .... and then go and find the story of his twin, Damien Knight ..... I just read a small excerpt of that and it looks full of the same kind of promise.

#74 (#10) - The Abyss ~ Cynthia Harrod-Eagles NEW AUTHOR

ISBN: 0-7515-1745-3

Book 18 of The Morland Dynasty

It seems a strange place to start at Book 18 I know, but actually this is a book that my Mother picked up on a library run during the snowy period in December .... and she just grabbed it and hurried back to the warmth of the log burner.  In actual fact, she rejected it without reading it ...... I on the other hand, desperate for other authors to read, thought I would give it a go before it went back.  I'm so glad I did actually - and proves a point that you should expand your horizons in the literary field.

It couldn't be described as a love story exactly, but there is love found and love betrayed within its pages.

I am now keen to go back and read the other 17 books.  Don't worry though as it is perfectly possible to read it as an individual body of work.

Set in 1833 in the height of the industrial revolution it's the story of Morland Place in Yorkshire, the story of Nicholas the owner of Morland Place and his younger brother, Benedit.

Nicholas had banished Bendy for ever, but it seems that the railway fever sweeping the country has brought his brother back to York.  Stuck in the past, and hating the railway equally as much as his brother, Nicky in a frenzy of panic (and a certain amount of cunning that goes wrong) marries the sister of a childhood friend to stop any hope that his brother might have of getting his hands on Morland Place.

Since his banishment Bendy has carved out a life, albeit a lonely one, as a Railway Engineer.  He falls in love with the beautiful Rosalind Fleetham, but lack of fortune means that he cannot have her. Luckily for him then an old mistress leaves him a vast fortune and he returns to claim Miss Fleetham for his own and assist in the plans to bring the railway to York.

With conflict aplenty, mental illness, depravity fed by a sinister steward and a certain amount of cruelty it's a brilliantly crafted tale.  I would highly recommend you give it a try.

A 4 **** Star read.

Kay

#72 (#9) - Simply Perfect ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN: 978-0-7499-090-3

Actually, this story was Simply Perfect in every way .... a 5 ***** Star read, and highly recommended.

The final story in the 'Simply Series' of the severe and spinster Claudia Martin, Founder and Headmistress of Miss Martin's School for Girls, and Josepth Fawcitt, Marquess of Attingsborough (heir to a Dukedom).

He is a perfect gentleman in every way, handsome, rich, titled and she a spinster with an aversion to Dukes, or any aristocrat come to that.

Joseph does have a secret though, one that would dishonour his family.  There was a man in her past too that caused her aversion to the elevated title, plus dealings with the Bedwyn family that she finds it difficult to overcome ... can they come together in a simply perfect match.

You will have to read it to find out, but know this .... I cried for a full 5 minutes at the end of this one.

Happy reading.

Kay

#71 (#8) - Simply Unforgettable ~ Mary Balogh

IBSN: 978-0-7499-3688-4

I've just finished wiping away the last of the very happy tears that have been shed culminating with the end of this book. A 5 ***** star read for one of the "Slightly" series.

Miss Frances Allard spent her Christmas leave from Miss Martin's School for Girls with her Great-Aunts, but was caught up on her return journey in very bad, and typically English, snowy weather.

A thoughtless driver passes the old family carriage she is driving in, and then causes it to crash.  The driver, Lucius Marshall (Viscount Sinclair), then goes on to rescue her from the ditch and take her off to safety.  Although safety is a relative term, as it is in fact to a lonely country inn.  The innkeeper and his missus having departed for Christmas, leaving the place in the care of a lazy servant.

When the weather clears he takes Frances back to Bath, and proposes she come to London with her.  She rightly refuses and Lucian goes on his way to fulfill his promise to his Grandfather to marry that year. They both presume that that will be the last of what was a very pleasant interlude.

Unfortunately, forgetting for both of them proves difficult, and Lucius travels back to Bath with his Grandfather so that he can sample the waters for his ill-health.  Meanwhile, Francis is invited to sing at a soiree.

The pair meet again, and Lucius and his Grandfather are enthralled by her voice.  This time Lucius ask her to marry him, but is refused, and they again go their separate ways.  This time it is even more impossible to forget each other though.

Back in London Lucius plots with the Great-Aunts help to bring Frances to London.  This is somewhere she left 3 years earlier and had sworn never to to back.  Without her knowing, she is tricked into singing to a larger audience that she thought, and is offered the coveted help of Lord Heath to launch her singing career.  This chance is turned down, and so is another offer from Lucius, as she still has some dark secrets, which she thinks would not make her an acceptable pride for such a family .... she would only have him if his family gave their blessing.  So back off to Bath she goes.

At the end of the School year a concert is arranged, and the whole of Lucius's family turn out to watch it as a show of their acceptance in the match, and Lucius finally wins the day in a very public proposal.

So, it cannot be denied that fate played a massive part in this tale, for if they had not both travelled that road at the same time, then they would never have met and never have fallen in love.

Read it do, you won't be disappointed - it's a very happy tear jerker of a book.

Happy reading.

Kay

#70 (#7) - Slightly Wicked ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN: 0-7499-3754-8

This shouldn't have been called "Slightly" Wicked, far from it ............. Completely Depraved Wanton might have been a better title to describe what Miss Judith Law got up to early on in the book.

She has had to leave home (probably for good) to live with her wealthy Aunt Effingham due to the excesses of her selfish young Brother, Branwell.  Of the 4 sisters, it was her who volunteered to go.  In actual fact, she knew that in all probability she would be acting as unpaid servant, and treated shabbily, as was so often the cases in those days.

With very little money, and travelling on the stage, there is an accident and it overturns.  A heroic stranger (Ralf Bedard) offers to take her on to the next inn, as help would be many hours away.  She accepts, but somewhere along the way she loses all sense and involves herself in one reckless night of passion, thus also losing her virtue and reputation. At least she will have something to dream about now to carry her through the dreary days as a companion.

He wants her to go away with him for a time, but she comes to her senses whilst he is off looking for a carriage to take them on, and runs away.  Eventually making her way to her Aunt's home, Harewood Grange just in time for a large houseparty.

A big shock, however, is in store for her as one man of the party, Lord Rannulf Bedwyn arrives to woo her cousin.  The very same Ralf Bedard who had bedded her just days before.

He makes honourable and dis-honourable advances to her, so does Aunt Effingham's oily step-son, but she holds firm against them.  But scandal rocks the household when she is accused of stealing a vast quantity of jewels.  The only thing she can think of to do is run .... but Rannulf pursues her to help here clear her name.

Is it possible that love can grow out of a something that started off slightly wicked?

I think as the last one in the Slightly series that needed reading there were marvellously layered examples of a hero and heroine.  It was thoroughly enjoyable, and a highly recommended 4.5 ***** Star read.  As it was some time ago I read the story of Wulfic, Duke of Bewcastle and his Christine, I think I will go back at some point very soon and re-read it.  Actually, I think that I will miss this series a lot.

Happy Reading.

Kay

#69 (#6) - Slightly Married ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN: 0-7499-3753-X

Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn's life was saved to years previously by a young officer, but Percy Morris has never intended to call in that particular debt.

However, having taken a dreadful hit during another battle, Aidan found him just before he lost his fight to survive.  Percy called in the debt, and asked him to take the news to his sister personally, that she should not mourn him, or wear black .... and more importantly he made Colonel Lord Aidan promise to protect her no matter what, he was quite definite about that ..... NO MATTER WHAT.

Therefore a few months later when  Aidan returned home to England's green and pleasant lands on leave he travelled first to Ringwood Manor to carry out Percy's last wish.

Once there he finds that Eve Morris wants not part of his protection.  Eventually he comes to realise that Percy's no matter what meant, when he discovers that she will be left destitute - along with all the various lame ducks by way of children, ex convicts, village idiots and injured ex-solders she has given homes to.

Aidan offers her a straightforward business arrangement - a marriage of convenience .... she will have the protection of his name, and he will go back to his duties as an cavalry commander.  They have, however, failed to recognise that there is an ever growing, and unwilling attraction between them.

Will they ever be more than just slightly married in this poignant tale of two socially diverse people.

It was nice to see that Eve made a tiny chip in the ice exterior of Wulfric, Duke of Bewcastle along they way. A 3.5**** star read, but read it you must to piece together the whole of the mighty Bedwyn dynasty.

Happy reading.

#68 (#5) - My Dangerous Duke ~ Gaelen Foley

ISBN: 978-0-7499-4279-3

Book 2 of Inferno Club

Rohan Kilburn, Duke of Warrington,has a formidable and rugged presence, lives in a brooding and reputedly haunted castle in Cornwall.  Added to that he bears the nickname "The Beast", and is a top assassin for the Order.  Any woman that has ever known him, and there have been legions of them, will also attest to another reason he is called "The Beast".  He is immune to love for all that.

After many years away serving the needs of the Order, he returns to Kilburn Castle to bring his errant tenants back into line.  To appease The Beast they give him a present of a beautiful young woman ..... to warm his bed.

Kate Maden is definitely no harlot, but an innocent victim of a kidnapping plot by the Prometheans.  She's shy and intelligent with a fiery temper and beguiling eyes.

They have to work together to solve the reason behind her kidnap, defeat the evil Promethean scum, find the Alchemist's Tomb and unravel the truth behind the curse of the Dukes of Warrington, all of which could destroy them both.

Before long attraction ignites and there is a rush against time to shatter the curse so that they can be together.

I didn't feel that this second book in the Inferno Club series quite met the delights of the first one, but it came very close nonetheless.  All in all a 4 **** Star read. I'm not certain Book 3 has even been written yet, but fingers crossed it will be Jordan's story.

Happy reading.

Kay