Review

Ben Doree, is now a Marquess. He is a third son and half Indian to boot, but with the death of both brothers he is thrust into a position of power. Doree views himself as impregnable, until the one weakness he has arrives in England.

Octavia Pierce is clever—enough to know that she must maintain the image of the perfect, well-bred English woman destined for a fine match. Yet, her heart still yearns for someone who infected her mind, body, and soul years ago in India.  Doree would prefer to ignore the presence of Octavia, but she arrives on his doorstep with a plea for help. Both believe themselves able to withstand their desire, yet solving the mystery that Octavia presents will put temptation within an arm’s reach.

This is my first Katherine Ashe novel, and I will admit that I did not even realize this was part of a series until I finished. Ashe does a phenomenal job of writing something that can stand alone, though I will say that the story was a little hard to follow. I really enjoyed the characters, but there were many times that the tale got lost in translation. Also several scenes where the descriptions and actions misled and I found myself re-reading certain parts multiple times to make sure I understand what was happening. 

The other downside to this story was the fact that Octavia is depicted as an extremely clever and intelligent woman, but everyone knew she was in love with Doree. By everyone, I mean every single female character in the book knew, though Octavia was oblivious to it all. There were constant hints dropped by the characters in conversation, but not pickups. For an extremely intelligent woman, I found this odd and it annoyed me through the entire book. Interactions and dialogue outside of Doree and Octavia were also a little skittish, with many inferences that I did not always catch or follow.

Bright points were snappy dialogue and the close encounters the hero and heroine share. Plus the villain was truly horrendous, and I love a wicked a villain. Unfortunately, this book leaves me wondering if the previous novels are written in a similar fashion. For those who are fans of Ashe’s other books in the Rogues of the Seas series, I still recommend giving this one a shot, but I will say that it was not the easiest romance to follow.

Reviewed by Landra