Never judge a man by his cover… parade of fickle suitors, Maureen’s hopes are fading. Worse, she suspects Henry is to blame.
Never trust a man with too many secrets…
Years spent hunting his father’s murderer through London’s dark underworld have honed Henry Thorpe into a deadly blade with one purpose—catching a killer of fathomless evil. Nothing mattered more until Maureen Huxley came along. To keep her safe, he must keep her at arm’s length. Yet he can’t resist drawing her close, making her laugh, dreaming of doing wicked things to her lush body. Very well, perhaps he also dissuaded some of her suitors. But what’s a little deception between friends?
Never provoke a man as dangerous as this one…
With his enemy growing bolder and Maureen contemplating marriage to another man, Henry is caught in the crossfire between his mission and his heart. Any move could exact a devastating cost. But losing the woman he loves is one price he refuses to pay.
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Of all the books in this series, this book is my favorite (to date) and I would give it 10 stars if I could!
Lady Maureen Huxley has been in love with Henry Thorpe, the Earl of Dunston for years and considers him her dearest friend, there was a time when she thought that he might be more than a friend, but Henry made it clear that friendship was all he would offer.
Henry Thorpe has been in love with Maureen for years and would love nothing more than to marry her, he has been dissuading her suitors for years and keeping his true feelings for her hidden. Because Henry love Maureen, he cannot bring her into his life right now, he has spent years hunting the ruthless villain that murdered his father and he fears that Maureen would become a target if he married her.
Maureen makes a final attempt to declare herself to Henry, but when he tells her he can not be the man she wants, she says goodbye and tells him she must move on with her life.
Henry is beside himself at the prospect of losing his love and frantically tries to find a way to keep her in his life. When Maureen is courted by the Earl of Holstoke, Henry seethes, when Holstoke asks her to marry him, Henry makes a decision and chooses love over his quest for vengeance. Now all he has to do is convince Maureen to forget everything he said before and agree to marry him.
Henry turns over all his information about the villain to Reaver, assures Maureen’s father that he is done with his quest, makes plans to marry Maureen and then hunts down his bride to be. Maureen has decided that she will marry Henry, but wants to turn down Holstoke’s proposal in person before she accepts Henry, she feels that that is the right thing to do, because even though she doesn’t love him, she does like him and would like to continue being friends. Unfortunately, Henry shows up and that plan is shot – he reacts badly to seeing Maureen with Holstoke and it takes a bit of doing to calm him down.
Henry and Maureen marry and on their wedding night all hell breaks loose and Henry becomes a man that Maureen doesn’t recognize. He whisks them away from town and barely speaks to her. It isn’t until they reach Colin and Sarah’s house that Maureen learns the truth of why Henry kept her at arms length for years. When she finds out the entire truth, she is shocked, hurt and very angry.
Henry and Maureen have a long road to reach their HEA, but thankfully, the argument between them regarding Henry’s deception does not drag on and on. They talk and Maureen is very forgiving and Henry is very sincere. But the villain is not done with our lovers and when Henry must return to London to hopefully end this once and for all – an unexpected twist puts Maureen in danger and threatens to destroy their dreams of a life together.
This book is well written, has very likable characters, some laugh out loud moments, some heartbreaking moments, some suspense, steamy love scenes, cameos from Harrison, Jane, Colin and Sarah and a very hard won HEA.
This is the seventh book in the series and it would probably be helpful to the reader to have read at least the second and third books, but the author does give enough backstory to make this enjoyable as a stand alone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by the author.*
Highly recommend. Every book by the author is a treasure!
A wonderful character driven book. The hero is witty and the dialogue between the H and h is original. I often look to learn something while reading, but this book not only seemed true to the period, but was entertaining. The setup between the characters was original and unpredictable. I enjoy it when it’s shown how couples evolve in their relationship rather than start with intense feeling and suffer a misunderstanding that keeps them apart. This was more unique than most regency stories.
Loved this book!
Elisa Braeden is a go to author of unmatched talent. I wouldn’t miss any of her books and this was no exception.
Fun period read. I always enjoy Elisa Braden’s books. It was fun to see the relationship between Henry and Maureen develop. I especially appreciate that it wasn’t “love at first sight” but a relationship that developed with time.
I confess to loving this book!
I get it. The dashing lord who happens to be a gorgeous agent working on all of that spy stuff to cure him of the banality of life in the aristocracy. Friends-to-lovers? A mysterious plot afoot? Uh-huh. But hold on – this one is different, and you shouldn’t underestimate the power of simple themes to come to life in the hands of a gifted artist.
The hero and heroine (Henry and Maureen) are positively adorable. Being a person with a somewhat healthy disdain for the cute and cuddly, I nonetheless found them incredibly charming. I challenge even the most jaded readers not to like them! Additionally, I aspire to be as witty and observant as the Dowager Marchioness.
The dialogue is smart and funny; the scenes are richly detailed and inviting. The author succeeds in weaving a fun and compelling tapestry to cloak their world and time. While the story explores some very dark themes, it can’t be further away from a brooding, Gothic tale.
As an aside, I have the Kindle edition of this book. When I came back to Amazon because I felt strongly enough about it to want to praise it, I noticed the delightful cover. It was so much fun to see the couple illustrated with very appropriate models, complete with what might be an insipid waistcoat.
Well-done, all the way around, Ms. Braden! It was a great pleasure reading.
Intriguing plot line with intermixed bits of witty, steamy, action and mystery. Loved the book and this series! (The books in the series can be read as stand alone books; though in order may make more sense for sticklers of order)
I liked the way this author tells a story so I bought the whole series. There is always something happening to the characters that is life threatening then they get rescued and finally at the end everyone comes to their senses and they have a happily ever after ending. I love how the men get completely consumed with their quest to win their heart
This book was one of the best books I have ever read. Really,really enjoyed it .
Very suspenseful! I was really worried about the danger that the characters were in.
Nice mix of actions and romance. Wonderful characters. A very enjoyable read.