Max Brandon is receiving bills for services he never ordered and goods he did not buy. For reasons he can’t begin to guess, someone is ‘borrowing’ his identity to cause him maximum annoyance.When the games move closer to home, almost forcing him to fight a duel … more particularly, when they draw in Frances Pendleton, a lady he never expected to see again … Max vows to catch the man behind them, … them, no matter what the cost.
The result is a haphazard chase involving ruined abbeys, a hunt for hermits, a grotesque portrait … and a love story which, but for this odd trick of fate, might never have been given a second chance.
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When I read Cadenza, I noticed how wonderful Max Brandon was (Arabella’s brother), and I hoped that Stella Riley would write his story one day. This book is Max’s story. It starts with a mystery, and in the process of solving it, we meet Frances (his long lost love), and accompany them on a romantic adventure that melted my heart. He is the perfect hero, loving, caring, sexy, strong, and yet a responsible family man, imbued with honesty and integrity. I liked Frances too and felt she was worthy of him. There were no games–no miscommunications, just heart wrenching honesty between two people who through sheer luck got their second chance.
I always enjoy the dialogue in Stella Riley’s books. Her characters’ are often witty and clever. For example when France is discussing her family, she says to Max, that her mother “could have turned the Garden of Eden into a desert.”
I loved how the mystery evolved. I started off disliking the person who was responsible for Max’s problems, but as I learned more, I saw him as a multi-dimensional character–not a villain. Ms. Riley has a gift for fleshing out characters and allows us to see them as people–people who have been suffered and are a product of their circumstances. Sometimes they are redeemed, as in the case of Ralph. I hated him in Hazard, but since his marriage in Cadenza, I like him very much.
I loved the references to Ms. Riley’s book, Garland of Straw. She even referred to a certain jeweler from that book. It was so nice to be reminded of the family’s past (and even if I hadn’t read that series, it wouldn’t have mattered–it’s just nostalgic for those who have.)
I love the world Ms. Riley has created in her books. I love her writing style, and I LOVE hearing Alex Wyndham read them. He has an incredibly seductive voice that I adore. His narration lends a sexy gravitas to anything he reads. I can’t wait to read and listen to the next book in this new series. I just wish Max had more brothers.
A Trick of Fate is a wonderful book connecting in small ways with the Rockliffe series. I didn’t think anyone could replace Rockliffe, or Amberley for that matter. Max Brandon may be the one who does. We met Max in Cadenza and Ms. Riley has developed his character in delightful ways. His familial relationships and interchanges with his staff are superb, especially with Frances. His mother Louisa is the way all storybook mothers should be.
Ralph and Lizzie, Julian and Bella, the children were all a welcome connection to Cadenza that I enjoyed thoroughly. Then the tantalizing glimpses of Leo, and even less of Adam, create a certain anticipation for the next Brandon Brothers books. I hope there will be books for Gregory Brandon and Duncan Balfour. They show promise.
The humor caught me off guard and in more then one place I laughed outloud. How can you not love a man who makes you laugh? And with Max’s looks?
I recommend this book wholeheartedly. It is not necessary to read the Rockliffe series before A Trick of Fate, but it is a great series and I recommend it to.