Series: Royal Rewards, #4
Tropes & Traits: law enforcement heroine; titled hero
Publication Date: 02.26.19
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency, England, 1819
Rating: 4 stars
Cassandra Benton has honed her investigative skills working as a Bow Street Runner alongside her brother, Charles. The twins are hired by George Godwin, Marquess of Northbrook to investigate what he believes to be a plot to kill his father, the Duke of Ardmore, and his godfather, Lord Deverell, both members a 40 year old tontine, of which one member apparently doesn't want to wait for his fellows to die of natural causes. When Cass' brother is injured, Northbrook asks her to stay on the investigation, delighted that she also believes something sinister is at work. They decide the best way for her to gain information is to listen to gossip in disguise as Northbrook's scandalous cousin. This entails Cass moving into Ardmore house with George to pretend to be a lady of the ton, leading to lots of close-quarters time with George.
George has pretty much steered clear of any serious relationships with women since the death of his fiance several years prior and though Cassandra has taken several lovers, she has never become serious with any of them. But in this situation it's unclear who can be trusted, lives are at stake, and Cass and George begin relying on each other more and more. The two struggle to ignore their mutual attraction, knowing that nothing can come of it, yet each opens the other's eyes to another world and mindset they find hard to give up.
George was delightfully charming with his simultaneously arrogant, yet self-deprecating humor. Cass was that rare strong heroine who isn't annoying. She still showed human weakness and an inner struggle with her feelings for George and her own place in the world that I found endearing and relatable. The female investigator concept was original and made believable due to Cass' working at Bow Street with her twin brother. I found myself rooting for these two, George who realizes he's never really been loved and Cass who has always taken on responsibility for others and is beginning to notice the crushing weight of it. There was good mystery here and those elements of uncertainty helped drive our hero and heroine together as both learned what it is to be able to rely on another person. I enjoyed the changes these two wrought on each other and this was a good read. Just when it was in danger of dragging or becoming tedious, the author added in something to move the plot along and kept the pacing up.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
George has pretty much steered clear of any serious relationships with women since the death of his fiance several years prior and though Cassandra has taken several lovers, she has never become serious with any of them. But in this situation it's unclear who can be trusted, lives are at stake, and Cass and George begin relying on each other more and more. The two struggle to ignore their mutual attraction, knowing that nothing can come of it, yet each opens the other's eyes to another world and mindset they find hard to give up.
George was delightfully charming with his simultaneously arrogant, yet self-deprecating humor. Cass was that rare strong heroine who isn't annoying. She still showed human weakness and an inner struggle with her feelings for George and her own place in the world that I found endearing and relatable. The female investigator concept was original and made believable due to Cass' working at Bow Street with her twin brother. I found myself rooting for these two, George who realizes he's never really been loved and Cass who has always taken on responsibility for others and is beginning to notice the crushing weight of it. There was good mystery here and those elements of uncertainty helped drive our hero and heroine together as both learned what it is to be able to rely on another person. I enjoyed the changes these two wrought on each other and this was a good read. Just when it was in danger of dragging or becoming tedious, the author added in something to move the plot along and kept the pacing up.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2607851418?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
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