A thrilling tale of the darkness that resides in and around the London Elite, with betrayal, murder, and romance abound!
Rowena Woolcott doesn’t remember anything about her abduction, except that a madman seeks to destroy her family. Considered dead by those who know her, Rowena seeks the help of an English Lord know for helping women wronged, regardless of rank. Engaging his services seems a Herculean task, but Rowena refuses to yield until this rakish, yet familiar man, agrees to help.
Lord James Rushford never expected to see Rowena Woolcott again. Driven by guilt and inner torment, the idea of aligning himself in a bid to save Rowena’s family is the last thing Rushford wants to do. His denial of her plight does nothing to stave her off, and her brash claim as his new mistress, in a final act to engage him, only leads to a chance to fulfill his lustful thoughts.
The Darkest Sin is absolutely divine! I found the plot, setting, and dialogue engaging. The entire story grabs you from the first pages, and as everything unfolds I found myself unable to put it down. The characters were enthralling. Rushford is a rakish, Sherlock Holmes type that commands attention, and knows just how to hit all the right notes; in the bedroom and out of it. The dialogue and banter between characters is intelligent and methodical.
One of my favorite scenes is when Rowena follows Rushford into a tavern to make a second attempt at convincing Rushford to help her, but things don’t go as planned.
She scraped back her chair to rise, and he immediately followed suit, towering over her and in that one movement asserting his dominance. The three men who had entered the tavern earlier looked up from their tankards of foaming beer, eager to take in some light entertainment. Rowena fastened the toggles of her cloak. “I believe we are finished here,” she said tightly.
“I sincerely hope so, Miss Woolcott.” Rowena’s view was filled with the wall of his chest, mere inches from her nose, the faint scent of vetiver tantalizing. “As I mentioned several times, I’m not the man you’re looking for.”
“I shouldn’t be too sure.” The words sounded feeble, all the more so when she flinched away from him. Raw, potent desire was making her begin to tighten and ache in a way that was both familiar and disturbing.
“What will it take to finally frighten you off, Miss Woolcott? Don’t you already have enough with which to concern yourself?” He leaned down, his breath fanning the smidgen of skin left bare at her throat. She forced herself to look into the flat gray of his eyes. “Mistress? I don’t think so,” he said.
Despite their audience, Rushford pulled her close against him, the pressure of his hands on her arms enough to slip her easily into his embrace. Then he lowered his head slowly and kissed her.
I will say that this book offers more than just romance; including the fact that you never know what action the hero or heroine will take next. This fact doesn’t hurt the story, but enhances it. Playing true to the characters and world that Richards creates. This is the second book in the series, and definitely one to add to the top of the shopping list.
~ Landra |