Genre: Historical
Heat Level: Hot
Rating:

When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin . . . time is not on their side.

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland.

Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be . . . anywhere but Spindle Cove.

These unlikely partners have one week:

to fake an elopement
to convince family and friends they're "in love"
to outrun armed robbers
to survive their worst nightmares
to travel four hundred miles without killing each other

All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.

Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe . . . just maybe . . . everlasting love.

Review

A rake and a spinster destined to make each other miserable or… drive each other wild with desire?

Minerva just wants Colin to stay away from her sister. A rake like him would ruin her sister’s life through marriage, and not to mention it’s a disastrous to be connected to such a devil. So Minerva offers her own solution. She’ll pay Colin to steer clear of her sister if he agrees to escort her to a rock symposium in Scotland. A few days later and the pair of are off on a trip that will likely be the death of them both.

Minerva is strait laced, and has been verbally abused by her mother since she was a little girl. What she lacks in physical looks she makes up for in wit, and a finely wielded purse filled with rocks. Who says the nerd can’t win the hot and handsome hero?  She doesn’t really want Colin, at first. She despises his rakish ways and arrogance. But she truly hates his inability to remember her name.

Colin see’s something in Melissa… no, Minerva that sets her apart from other women—she’s too smart for her own good. Add a little prude to those brains and Millie… no, Minerva never has any fun. Colin’s determined to cut the rope that’s holding Minerva back; anything to make the travel to Scotland more bearable. The journey to the official cutting ceremony is hilarious. Between fanciful imaginary adventures overseas to Minerva’s acting debut as a mistress, the antics never stop.  Did I mention you also get robbers, flooded carriages, and more? Well, it’s true.

Along the way I got to experience Colin’s deep seated issues, and Minerva’s own insecurities. Both characters are a product of different, yet devastating, situations involving their own parents. These experiences shape Colin and Minerva into people who don’t believe in long lasting love or a peaceful existence. The lovely part is that they find peace and love with each other. You could almost say they drive each other crazy, but they’re both supplying the gas.

Back in Spindle Cove there’s a huge mix up over whether Minerva’s been abducted or has successfully snagged Colin. These enjoyable snippets set the pace for the next book in the Spindle Cove series, and add a good bit of humor. I will say the ending surprised me, and was a bit abrupt. I expected things to be different, but not everything works out perfectly. Honestly, with Colin involved, how can you expect anything less?

Overall, a good sequel to A Night To Surrender. The dialogue is by far some of the most enjoyable I’ve read in a while, and I love Colin’s creative mind. If you’re looking for a nice read that will have you on the edge of your seat, this hilarious ride of a romance is not one you want to bypass.

For those who like Julia Quinn or Eloisa James.

Reviewed by Landra

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