Lena Frost is a force to be reckoned with. A woman who has made her way in society without family or fortune, she’s about to realize her first big success as an artist. . . . Until her business partner makes off with her money, leaving her with little more than her hopes—and a dead body in her studio. Now Lena is at the mercy of a strikingly handsome stranger demanding answers she dare not reveal … reveal . . .
Is it her seductive eyes, or his suspicion that she’s up to no good that have Clive Somerville shadowing Lena’s every move? Either way, his secret investigation for the Home Office has him determined to uncover Lena’s hidden agenda. But the closer he gets to her, the more he longs to be her protector. Is she a victim of circumstance? Or a dark force in a conspiracy that could destroy everything Clive holds dear? Discovering the truth could have dire consequences, not only for Lena, but for his heart . . .
Praise for the Muses’ Salon series
“Rachael Miles’ knowledge of the time period she writes about adds a depth of authenticity that enriches every page.”
—Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author
“Fans of Jo Beverly and Mary Jo Putney as well as all readers who value Regency-set romances that are expertly grounded in the era’s history will be delighted!”
—Booklist
“A delicious, original read.”
—RT Book Reviews
more
An enjoyable story, that satisfies the romantic side of me.
Lena Frost has survived without family or funds and is well on her way to establishing herself as an artist in England after 10 years in France. Her latest exhibition is shaping up to be a great success until her partner absconds with all her money and she finds a dead body in her rooms. Now she has a handsome investigator breathing down her neck and must decide how much she dares entrust him with, if anything at all.
Lord Clive Somerville wears many hats: he moves in high society as a duke’s younger son, is a respected surgeon and teacher, and he moonlights as a secret investigator for the Home Office. It is in this latter capacity that Lena appears on his radar and he’s determined to learn what she’s hiding. But the more time he spends with her, the more protective he becomes of her and the more he begins to think she is just another victim of a larger crime ring. It soon becomes apparent that there is more going on than was first evident and it may all be part of a larger conspiracy that could have dire consequences for them both.
You chance spoilers from here on; though I’ve tried not to add them, it does tend to happen when I rant.
I have some mixed feelings about this one. There was a large cast of characters from previous books that were a bit of a struggle to keep straight, but what really confused me was the simple fact that some things just didn’t make good sense. Some scenes are told from the point of view of the villains, which was interesting, but this just made it difficult to keep track of all the different villainous elements at play here. I kept thinking we were going to get this great mind-blowing twist with the two masterminds and it never came so that was a bit disappointing, though perhaps this is being saved for later books in the series.
I enjoyed the mystery and suspense aspect of the story, but I definitely felt like the romance element took a back seat, especially because much of the time Lena is just being one of the prickly “independent” women that seem to be so popular now and she just came off as hateful to me; even she acknowledged the unfairness of her behavior at times but she didn’t really ever change it. Much of the time Lena is just being awful to Clive while he’s just trying to help and keep her safe which also doing his job as an investigator. I also felt that both Clive and Lena kept making stupid decisions that didn’t mesh with the intelligence their characters previously demonstrated and came off as a sloppy way to keep them engaged with the villains and just had me rolling my eyes and literally yelling out loud at them. It also didn’t make sense that Lena was the daughter of a wealthy baron but her inheritance was just a house and land; this didn’t jive with other mentions of it in the story and leads me to think that perhaps the attempted complexity here got just a bit out of hand with too many twists to keep track of.
Also, I’m all for twists in a plot line when they’re well done, but that last one seemed wholly unfair to Clive and unnecessary for the a story that already felt like it was dragging. Despite the mystery and suspense, the pacing was rather slow, especially when it came to the romance, and their intimate scenes together were a letdown after how long their chemistry and tension was built. This book also hit some pet peeves of mine: the characters are kept apart for a time due to their lack of communication, a plot device I detest; Lena is very hypocritical at times, becoming angry with Clive for being less than forthcoming with her (while he’s in the midst of a murder investigation mind you) and yet she is withholding major parts of herself and her story from him, despite the fact that he has been much more open with her.
Overall, this story was interesting and kept enough loose ends for me to want to continue the series. The writing itself was good and I’ll try something else from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Reckless in Red by Rachael Miles
Muses Salon #4
Complex, complicated and completely captivating…this book had my attention from the first to the last page!
What I liked:
* The time period
* The slow unfolding of the story
* The strength of the main male and female characters
* Learning about Panoramas and how they were created as well as what a big deal they must have been long ago
* Clive’s family…all of them
* The intrigue provided by the spy-factor
* Resurrectionist information shared in the story
* The mystery and quest Lena and Clive were involved in
* The Muses and the strength of the women together
* The path Clive chose to follow as a younger son
* The slow building of trust between Clive and Lena
* The way Lena thought in terms of color, composition and character – it reminded me of taking up watercolor and how I began to see the world in a completely different way
* and more
What I did not like:
* Charters (& Flute)….think he must eventually, in this series, get his comeuppance (at least I hope so!)
* Lena’s father and the woman who ran the school she attended for awhile
* The horrible childhood that Lena endured
* The lack of value some put on a human life
* Having to say goodbye to the characters at the end of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington-Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
This is the first story I have read by this author and I have to say it pulled me in and did not let go until the end! Her detailed descriptions had me feeling I was there with the characters and could also imagine walking in their steps and feeling their thoughts. I was wrapped in the mystery immediately when the heroine Lena found her business partner Horatio gone and the money they had collected to open the exhibition with him. But there was a note with one word on it “RUN.” It was at that time when she was alone that a man, looking like a classical god come to life! She was able to escape acting like she was looking for someone too.
The journey is long, filled with a lot of twist and turns, mystery, suspense, secrets and a slow romance that makes you want to hurry and turn the pages to see what will happen.
I really want to go back and start at the beginning and catch up on the other characters who appear.
If you like a mystery with your history and romance, you cannot miss with this great story. Thank you Netgallery and the Publisher for helping me find this new author! Looking forward to reading more
Reckless in Red by Rachael Miles is book 4 in The Muses’ Salon Series. This is the story of Clive Somerville and Lena Frost. I have read the previous books but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so. Lena has worked hard to get her art out there and to get by on her own accord. But then the unthinkable happens that seems to be taking her dream away. Clive is doing some investigation for the Home Office that brings him to Lena who he is trying to figure out what is going on with her as a victim or something else. Enjoyed their story.
Lena Frost is a force to be reckoned with. A woman who has made her way in society without family or fortune, she’s about to realize her first big success as an artist then her business partner makes off with her money, leaving her with little more than her hopes. Clive Somerville is a doctor working on a secret investigation for the Home Office &has him determined to uncover Lena’s hidden agenda. But the closer he gets to her, the more he longs to be her protector.
An interesting read that was more of a mystery, murder story I felt the romance took second billing. A well written book, which I found a little difficult to get in to but once I’d read a few pages, I was hooked & eagerly read to find the outcome. I liked both Clive & Lena both were strong characters . I liked how Lena’s story was gradually revealed & the more that was revealed the more her actions become more believable. There are still issues to be resolved so I look forward to the next book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This was one of those novels that while well written, was also a bit confusing. It wasn’t confusing because it was the fourth in a series, let me be clear on that, it was confusing because a lot of it just didn’t make sense.
I can get behind the fact that no one recognized Lena despite her name changes. Moving around the way she did makes sense. I didn’t quite understand why her inheritance was merely a house, but even without that, the moment she moved to collect said inheritance, it would have put her right back in the crosshairs of the people she was trying to avoid so doing what she did made the whole thing seem unnecessary. Especially when you factor in what it did to Clive.
Another flaw that I found with this story is that at times, it drags on. Even with the fact that it changes points of view in certain areas, I didn’t feel utterly captivated by this story. I did enjoy Lena’s firey survivalist personality, and I thought it meshed well with Clive’s. Despite the fact that they both harbored some pretty serious secrets and were slow to trust anyone, those qualities made their eventual trust of each other more believable (and more endearing).
All things considered, I know there are people who will enjoy this story more than I did, and I would definitely read more from this author as I have read other works in this particular series and enjoyed them.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Reckless in Red
The Muses’ Salon Series Series #4
Rachael Miles
https://www.facebook.com/rachaelmilesauthor/
Release date 10/29/2019
Publisher Kensington / Zebra
Blurb :
Lena Frost is a force to be reckoned with. A woman who has made her way in society without family or fortune, she’s about to realize her first big success as an artist. . . . Until her business partner makes off with her money, leaving her with little more than her hopes—and a dead body in her studio. Now Lena is at the mercy of a strikingly handsome stranger demanding answers she dare not reveal . . .
Is it her seductive eyes, or his suspicion that she’s up to no good that have Clive Somerville shadowing Lena’s every move? Either way, his secret investigation for the Home Office has him determined to uncover Lena’s hidden agenda. But the closer he gets to her, the more he longs to be her protector. Is she a victim of circumstance? Or a dark force in a conspiracy that could destroy everything Clive holds dear? Discovering the truth could have dire consequences, not only for Lena, but for his heart . . .
My review
Will he be able to win her trust when she is determined to save herself alone…
I confess even if intriguing, this story has a slow beginning then a secondary line in the plot confused me.
The author takes its time introducing her protagonists, setting the plot and giving some pointers about their background.
During a time, I followed with them the leads and clues, eager to learn with them who was after Lena.
Then they lost me, too many protagonists from previous books, and probably the too many mysteries behind Lena’s past and her silence about it.
There were so many secrets, so many different Lena and only few hints were given, some flashbacks to keep me in suspense but the more importants were kept silent, which unbalanced the story.
Clive is no complicated guy, he is kind and caring, so much he was branded and nicknamed for his good deeds. But it does not stop him to keep going and he still help as much as he can.
So when entranced by Lena, he is drawn to her and will do anything to protect and save her, if only she lets him in.
He is an easy soul, he knows his place in society but it did not deter him to make his own on his own schedule, he became a forensic surgeon to give answers and serve his country.
While Lena is a puzzle, who is she truly.
A glimpse of a part of her past is quickly revealed, as it explains her present situation, then some recalls slide to older memories, adding a piece to house of cards her life is. So yes, I was sad for what she went through as a young girl, the abuses she suffered would have destroyed many persons.
She is a chameleon, the most important parts of herself, she kept secret until the very far end.
Because of her different experiences, she appears to trust no one, she seems weary of men and women but at the same time, her path crossed with great peoples who helped her, she learned under the tutelage of a talented woman, she has an associate and she will require the Muses’ help.
Why I was conflicted with her, she refuses to confide in Clive when every day he proves her he is a trustworthy fellow, ready to jump in front of her to protect her, never dismissing her for being a woman, but she at the end goes to others.
The worst is the last twist, I saw it coming for what it was but the pain it caused to Clive was nearly unbearable.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
I was granted an advance copy through Netgalley by the publisher Kensington.
Here is my true and honest opinion.
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