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Bold, passionate and possessive, the Cynster men let nothing stand in their way when it comes to claiming the women of their hearts. Gerrard Debbington, Vane Cynster's brother-in-law, is one of London's most eligible gentlemen. Uninterested in marriage, his driving passion is to paint the fabled gardens of Lord Tregonning's Hellebore Hall -- an opportunity that is now at hand...if Gerrard agrees to create an honest portrait of Tregonning's daughter as well. Gerrard chafes at wasting his talents on some simpering miss, only to discover that Jacqueline Tregonning stirs him as no other. Certainly, she is beautiful, but it is her passionate nature that strikes sparks with Gerrard's own, igniting desire and sweeping them into each other's arms, convincing Gerrard that he has found his ideal soul mate -- the lady he must have as his wife. But something is horribly wrong at Hellebore Hall. Evil and lies are reaching out to ensnare Jacqueline -- and Gerrard will have to move Heaven and Earth to protect the remarkable woman who, for him, personifies the truth about love...… (more)
User reviews
It's a fun read, light and fluffy but fun. Gerrard and Jacqueline are great characters and their love for each other is obvious and touching. I guessed most of the plot moments from quite early on but the path is good, a little slow occasionally but good.
3 Stars
Series note: This is book #12 in numerical order but book #15 in chronological order. However, the reading order is flexible as each book is stand-alone unless otherwise stated.
This installment returns once again to the stories of the Cynster brothers-in-law and focuses
As is always the case with SL's books, the characters and plots are engaging if one is able to suffer through her overly repetitive and verbose writing style. It seems that after reading over a dozen of her works, I have become mostly inured.
Even though Gerrard and Jacqueline's relationship is virtually identical to the other romance in the series with a reluctant hero finding his perfect mate, they are a sweet couple and their HEA is satisfying.
The most compelling aspect of the book is the mystery, which is one of the darkest in the series. The nefarious plot against Jacqueline and the violence it spurns is spine-chilling, and the culprits are truly evil and perverted.
All in all, I am enjoying my read of SL's backlist, but I wish she could find a good editor.
Back to this book…
I can’t wrap my head around
Despite my skepticism, it’s still a good story. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling of incredulity as I read through it.
Overall it was a fun.. exasperating read.