Anais de Rohan has been destined from birth to live an unfit life for a lady, but her destiny or fate has made her who she is. At a young age, Anais learned what her fate would entail from her grandmother Sofia, who had the gift of reading the tarot. Now, years later, at a St. James Society meeting of the Guardians of Fraternitas, Anais surprises the men’s only group with her intention to join. The Fraternitas, who are the pledged guardians of individuals with “gifts", initially reject Anais because she is a woman. However, when a mission arises in which they need a woman in order to save a child bestowed with the gift, Anais is given a chance to prove herself. It is a chance she is determined to be successful at. After all, this is her destiny.

Lord Bessett is appalled that Anais's grandmother would foolishly set her granddaughter on a course that would only lead to rejection, danger and utter ruin. However, he needs Anais to save a little girl with a frightening gift and this mission strikes a little too close to home for him to fail. Under the disguise of a married couple, Lord Bessett and Anais head to France in order to save the child and her mother. Their physical attraction is far too tempting to ignore, but can they ever truly be together?

This romance is set in Victorian London and the back drop of the French Revolution. I enjoyed discovering this era through Ms. Carlyle’s carefully woven story. I loved reading a romance that takes place mostly in Brussels. I enjoyed the change of scenery between London and Brussels as well as the French influence in the novel. The novel depicts the era beautifully, weaving the cultures of England, Belgium and France into one story. I was easily able to paint a vivid picture, in my mind, of the city of Brussels as well as the townhome Anais and Lord Bessett live in. Ms. Carlyle did a wonderful job giving just enough description without taking away my ability to imagine the story myself.

The characters are wonderful! Anais is a strong, confident and sensual woman. Though she can take care of herself, she desires to have someone who wants to take care of her. I loved the attitude and confidence Anais displayed throughout the story. Lord Bessett is a proud, charming, and sexy gentleman. He knows how to take care of a lady and once he sets his sights on Anais, she is destined to be his. Lord Bessett was a wonderful hero to the heroine of this story. He displays the qualities many women look for making it easy to understand Anais’s infatuation for him.

One of the best parts about this book is the intriguing storyline. Apart from the romance in this novel is a suspenseful mission. Though some of it was predictable, I couldn't wait to find out how they would save the young child and her mother. I was also unsure of what would happen to get the two main characters to "happily ever after." In addition, I appreciated reading the quotes at the start of each new chapter! The quotes are from "The Art of War" and relate perfectly to the part of the story at hand.

I would definitely recommend reading this book. Aside from a few slow sections and a little predictability it was a wonderful read. It is unique and a great change of pace from the historical romances I have read recently. I enjoyed it very much.

~ Taylor