ASIN: B003JTHXZ4
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (July 17, 2010)
Publication Date: August 1, 2010
Blurb:
From the New York Times bestselling author of To Desire a Devil comes this thrilling tale of danger, desire, and dark passions.
A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES . . .
Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London’s most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she’s spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .
A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST . . .
Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance’s help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London’s high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.
A BARGAIN NEITHER COULD REFUSE
Review:
Lord Caire is a uniquely fascinating character- from his look to his behavior, he’s intriguing. I was entralled from the beginning. Temperance has a heart of gold, and she’s not afraid to put herself out there for the less fortunate, and those she loves – which most of the time are the same. Despite her brothers’ protective natures, she does what she has to to help them survive and to keep her father’s dream and legacy alive.
Although he didn’t love her, Caire wants to bring justice to the one who killed his mistress. He has no idea where to start looking, but he believes St. Giles holds the information he’s looking for. With her family in desperate need of funds, Caire offers her financial relief in exchange for her knowledge of St. Giles and it’s inhabitants. Danger lurks behind every corner- and sometimes out in the open- and no one is in a hurry to become a target for opening their mouth.
Lord Caire is known for his unconventional sexual preferences, and Tempereance becomes intrigued. Not just by the rumors, but by the man himself. Not only does he provide for her finacially, but he offers his protection. Caire doesn’t trust many people, nor does he liked to be touched. It literally causes him pain – physically. I found this quite interesting, and it made me eager to find out how the relationship would unfold – especially their first sexual encounter, which also explains his unconventional sexual preferences (at least they’re unconventional for the time period).
Of course with the investigation of the murdered mistress, there’s a mystery to solve. I’ll admit, I never figured out who the killer was, so I was happily surprised when the identity was revealed. There’s the right amount of action, and enough secrets to keep readers turning the pages. There’s one question left unanswered, but I believe I figured it out. But you never know, maybe Hoyt will surprise me in the next book. I’m always up for that. The writing is really good, the flow is really smooth. There were no hiccups or roll-my-eyes-moments. I plan to continue on with the series.
Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 1/2 cup of coffee