Series: Devil You Know, #2
Traits & Tropes: enemies to lovers; suspense/danger; damaged, uptight hero; damaged heroine; grumpy hero; sunshine heroine; age-gap (older hero)
Genre/Setting: Historical, Victorian; London, England/Scottish Lowlands, 1891
Publication Date: 09.29.20
Heat Level: 4/5
Rating: 3/5
Cassius Ramsey, Lord Chief Justice of the High Court of England, didn’t get where he is by showing mercy. He’s had to make his own way in a ruthless world with his strength and cunning, so he’s very much used to having his way in all things. His latest mission is to investigate the happenings at a notorious London gaming den which he suspects is connected to the disappearances of several young girls. It also happens to be owned by the woman he can’t stop thinking about and who is, even more inconveniently, his sister-in-law’s best friend.
Cecelia Teague has lived the majority of her life under the support of an unknown benefactor, enabling her to attend a prestigious boarding school and then university. Now, in the course of one afternoon, she learns her benefactor was in fact her late mother’s sister, who has been murdered, and has left Cecelia her gambling den as an inheritance. Cecelia is caught between her regular life in which she is a mathematician increasingly attracted to the stern Lord Ramsey, and the people who now depend on her and her business, which is under attack from the very man who is the source of her infatuation. Cecelia would dearly like to keep her two roles separate, but with her aunt’s enemies now setting their sights on her, that is unlikely.
I had such high expectations for this book, and it left me with such mixed feelings. I really enjoyed parts of it, but others were a slog to get through, like it was taking on a bit too much. Given that there was so much going on here, it was sometimes difficult to stay invested with the story taking several abrupt turns. Ramsey was a rather tragic character for me, but oftentimes his treatment of Cecelia and his mistrust, though understandable, made him difficult to like. That said, I did appreciate his protectiveness and the huge amount of character development he showed, especially given the amount of emotional upheaval he faced. Cecelia was the perfect combination of sweetness and strength that made her an excellent match for Ramsey, though at times her behavior was totally nonsensical and annoying. Also, the male nicknames were heavily in use here and just seemed rather silly to me although I can’t put my finger on why. So much strife could’ve been avoided if Cecelia and Ramsey had been more honest with each other sooner, which I know would’ve shortened the book considerably, but it also would’ve lessened my frustration with its characters. At times, it almost seemed like these weren’t the same Cecelia and Ramsey we met in the previous book and that was a little jarring. Overall, I did like this couple together and I enjoyed much of the story, it just wasn’t quite up to my expectations given my love of the first book in this series. Nonetheless, I look forward to Francesca’s book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2934367896
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2344872467
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