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As a relatively newer author, Anne Mallory is making her mark in taking a well used plot and putting her own spin to it by making it a delightfully original, suspense filled and delicious romance. Kate Simon is running from a despicable half brother who intends to marry her off to an equally despicable cohort with the intention of splitting with him the modest dowry her deceased father had left her. She is disguised as a young man, posing as a tailor and taking a room at the Dragon’s Tale Inn at a reduced rate by helping out with the inn’s mending. Because she is somewhat of an employee, the inn keeper convinces her to share his/her room with another gentleman for one night, only the gentleman is no ‘gentleman’. Christian Black, the Earl of Canley is traveling incognito on an errand to save his best and only friend Anthony from ruin by retrieving a lost journal. He is more than willing to share a room, especially when he sees right through Kate’s disguise to the very lovely and delectable bit of muslin he plans to seduce. His plans go awry when they are both trapped by a blizzard and thrust into a murder investigation. Taking advantage of the situation, Christian poses as a Bow Street runner in order to search the inn for the missing journal, discover the guilty party, and learn all of his lovely roommate’s secrets. *** This was a delightfully robust romance that comes complete with a plethora of interesting and colorful characters, a bounty of likely suspects, and two sensitive and wounded protagonists just made for one another. The chemistry sizzles between Kate and Christian right from the start though neither are ready to admit to the attraction, especially as Christian has spent years building a wall around his heart as protection from the mental anguish received from a frigid and contemptuously abusive father. In very telling examples, Mallory did an exceptional job of showing how wretched Christian’s father was simply by a line or two in the beginning of several chapters. By the time you finally get to meet his father the reader knows exactly how controlling and miserable the man would be. In an equal fashion you will be able to gauge the depth of love Kate had received from her father -- a complete loving polar opposite to Christians’. The mystery of the murder as they unraveled clues and each others secrets completed the story making for a very entertaining and a very sensual read. The subtlety the author inserted in allowing Kate to slip through the defensive wall of bravado Christian had erected to ward off any chances of becoming vulnerable to hurt was superb! I suspect and hope now the Canley Investigation Detective agency has put out their shingle for business that perhaps the readers will be able revisit them in future books! Brava Ms. Mallory - very cleverly done!
Marilyn Rondeau – Reviewers International Organization (RIO)
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The Earl of Her Dreams
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