Meet the Blackthorn Brothers—three unrepentant scoundrels infamous for being mad, bad and perilous to love.

Who is the darkly handsome Don John "Black Jack" Blackthorn? With his air of mystery and menace, the whispers about him hint of highwayman or government agent or even dark prince. But no one knows what it is Black Jack does…or how dangerous he can truly be. Now Jack's mentor has disappeared, and Jack must track him down before it's too late. His unlikely help: the man's daughter—the very woman Jack had once wooed and betrayed.

Lady Tess Fonteneau knows more about the fine art of clandestine activities—and about the mysterious Mr. Blackthorn—than he realizes. As their journey leads them on the adventure of a lifetime, their reunion is fraught with passion, high-stakes danger and the one twist of fate Jack never saw coming…

Review

Equal parts of justice and a spy weaved web…

Black Jack, Don John Blackthorn, is exactly the opposite of his blond haired brothers. Since the reveal of his less than stellar lineage Black Jack has kept to the shadows. He chooses to work for The Crown as a spy, gathering intelligence and capturing those who need to be punished for various reasons. Jack’s no innocent, and his next assignment puts him on the trail of his previous mentor. This isn’t just about retrieval, no… Jack’s been sent with permission to kill.

Lady Thessaly Fonteneau has been trained since childhood to be a spy, although her father never believed she could outsmart him or any other man. Tess knows her father’s disappearance will bring someone from the government to seek him out, but she doesn’t expect Jack. With her once-lover back in her life it’s only a matter of time before damage is done or worse—she loses her heart all over again.

Michael’s certainly knows a thing or two about weaving a web, and Much Ado About Rogues weaves multiple ones. This story is a never-ending battle of wits, clues, and gambles as Jack and Tess attempt to find Sinjon Fonteneau, and uncover the reasons for his disappearance. The highlights are the reveals about the Blackthorns, and meeting the woman who tames Black Jack’s heart. At first glance I didn’t think Tess would fit the bill, but as the story continued I realized she was the right woman for him. She’s equally intelligent, but has enough passion to keep Jack entranced.

The villains of this piece are priceless, and horrendous.  I really enjoy how Michael’s can create such dark characters, and equally fantastic heroes and heroines to thwart them. For those believing that Black Jack is the dark character of the piece, you’ll be disappointed. I was a bit disappointed until I realized this story was more about Black Jack’s redemption and change. He’s not really a rakehell or a super alpha male. He’s more the lost sheep desperately searching for where he truly belongs; with a hot body and sharp mind—can’t discount those two things.

My only issue with the story was periodic confusion while reading. I enjoy a read with a bit of mystery, dark characters don’t bother me either, but there were points when Michael’s spun the web too tight. When I couldn’t make heads or tails of what Tess or Black Jack was really thinking. This caused a bit of re-reading for me, and gave me the impression that the intrigue story line was taking a bit of precedence over the romance.

Overall, I thought the end was fitting. While this story is not my favorite of the series it ranks 2nd in my heart, and if you loved the Blackthorns thus far then I recommend you finish the tale.  Michael’s definitely has some loveable bastards and I’ll miss them!

Reviewed by Landra

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