A foray into London’s seedy underworld will unmask their hidden desires…
A gentleman on an illicit lark
Edward, the upstanding Viscount Meriden, is desperate for one reckless adventure. After years of holding his crumbling family together, he finally indulges in one night of abandon at a debauched house party, where he meets a masked mystery woman. He longs to uncover all her secrets. But when he realizes she’s an old friend on a dangerous mission, he insists on becoming her protector.
A lady on a dangerous quest
Miss Lucinda Wagner is the only woman in a family of men rumored to be spies. When her father goes missing, she infiltrates a treacherous world to find him. No one suspects her double life until her childhood friend Edward discovers her secret. Now “Steady Eddie” insists upon watching over her. To gain his silence, she allows him to join her search.
A journey into the belly of the beast
As Luci and Edward delve deeper into the criminal underworld, their lives turn upside down. Danger lurks around every corner. Threats assail them from all sides. The only safe harbor in the city is in each other’s arms. Until the sparks between them threaten to ignite their long-denied passion.
Review:
Overall I liked this one–Edward and Lucinda are sympathetic characters, and it was fun to watch them team up to figure out the mystery of what happened to Luci’s father and just what is going on in the “house of ill repute” where they start the story. And of course, watching them grow closer was entertaining as well. 😉 I especially liked the hidden depths that they both had–Luci had skills that poor Edward never suspected she did (and boy was it fortunate for him that she did!) and it turned out that Edward wasn’t nearly as boring as his reputation suggested (which in turn was fortunate for Luci 😉 )
Their relationship issues mainly stemmed from a lack of conversation about their relationship, which was annoying at times–but they did resolve it nicely, which made it easier to forgive. I almost don’t remember all the times I shouted, “Just ASK him already!” in my head by the time I got the the HEA.
A first from this author for me–but probably not my last! The sneak peeks we get into the lives of the rest of the “Harrow’s Finest Five” (even the absent one, apparently on some kind of scientific mission) was enough to whet my appetite to look for their books in the future. Even though this is the second book in the series, it worked just fine as a standalone.
Rating: 4 stars / B+