Lady Eve Pruitt has never forgotten her childhood friend, the young pickpocket Calum, who she feared had been condemned to the gallows. Now, years later, Eve is the one in danger. Her brother, made desperate by gambling debts, threatens to steal her inheritance, and Eve has no choice but to run.
Under an assumed name, she takes a job as a bookkeeper at the notorious Hell and Sin Club. Nothing in this bawdy den shocks her more than discovering that her employer is none other than Calum. Keeping her identity a secret is one thing—but hiding her feelings for him is another.
As Calum becomes increasingly taken with the strangely haunting beauty, he looks forward to exposing her mysteries. But when her masquerade is revealed, it’s left to Eve to prove that her desire for him is no deception.
Release Date: Dec 12, 2017
Series: Sinful Brides
Book: 4
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Imprint: Montlake
Price: $4.99
The fourth book in the Sinful Brides series, follows the story of Calum Dabney, the second-in-command of the gaming hell that he and his family own.
Calum Dabney was forced out onto the streets of London as a young boy when he lost both of his parents suddenly, there is no indication as to how this actually occurred or much back story on how he met his “family” on the streets. However we are given a glimpse into some memories of the past, most notably the year he spends visiting Lady Evelina Pruitt in her family’s stable. Calum was one of the best pickpockets in London and would hide out in the Duke of Bedford’s stables every now and then – this is how he met Eve when he was 14 and she 9, and they became fast friends. This relationship ended when Calum got hurt and Eve went to her brother for help who called the police on Calum instead.
Fast forward a number of years and Calum now owns a gaming hell with his street family, and Eve is trying to find a way to escape from her brother until her 26th birthday when she gains control of her dowry. Eve manages to find work in the gaming hell as a bookkeeper and works with Calum to manage the finances while trying to keep her identity hidden.
Overall, this book was very good – it was an enjoyable addition to the Sinful Brides series, I did not like it as much as I enjoyed the previous three but it was a solid read. I enjoyed the chemistry and word-play between Calum and Eve, the slow development of attraction seemed very natural and was believable. Too many historical romances have instant-love which is just not realistic. All of the scenes with Calum and Eve together were very fun to read, especially since Eve knew about their past and could share little insights with the reader about what things meant. Calum did not recognize Eve from the start, but knew that he was attracted to her as a person and that she reminded him of his old friend.
I think the ending was a little bit too rushed and convenient for my liking, I don’t want to give anything away but the problems that were at the forefront throughout the book just seemed to disappear without any real explanation. Also, Eve’s brother was a terrible person and he did not get what he deserved in the end, in fact there was no real mention of him at the very end at all.
Another minor issue I have with this book and this series in general, is that Caldwell mentions that the street gang member are all “family” and “brothers/sisters” a little bit too much. It is like she is trying to convince the reader that although they aren’t blood relations they are all family. Which is fine – but she never elaborates on how exactly they became so close and why they consider each other family still.
All in all, I highly recommend this book. It was a great read and once I got started I finished it in less than two days. The storyline keeps you drawn in the whole time.
~ Harshita