Series: Scottish Treasures, #2
Traits & Tropes: barrister hero; illegitimate heroine; lots of sexual tension; Scottish heroine; slow burn
Publication Date: 04.26.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Jacobean; London, England, 1753
Heat Level: 1.5
Rating: 4/5
Ambitious barrister Alexander Sloane is incredibly close to attaining the coveted government post he’s been working toward for years. All that stands in his way now is the small job of monitoring Bow Street’s funds for the Crown, but of course this assignment becomes infinitely more complicated when it leads him to the most enchanting woman he’s ever met.
Cecelia MacDonald has only one task left to complete her league’s mission: recovering the ceremonial sgian duhb stolen from her clan by British soldiers during the Rising of 1745. She’s never had any issues convincing men to do her bidding and she enjoys the game she’s engaged in with Alexander Sloane just as well. But all too soon, she finds herself relying on him for more than just a mild flirtation or the hope of regaining the dagger.
Alexander and Cecelia become an unlikely team, with the desire building between them undeniable. As they reveal the secrets of others around them, Alexander soon realizes that loving a woman who must be all wrong for him, is the only right thing he can possibly do.
I enjoyed this book so much more than its predecessor. Cecelia’s hesitance to trust Alexander was a bit annoying at times, but ultimately, even then she had given him much more of herself than she’d ever come close to giving anyone else. There were some really lovely comments made about love in general and a very nice appreciation of quiet moments between loved ones that are sometimes overlooked, both in romance and in life, but which are some of the most precious of all. Alexander knew almost immediately what he wanted with and from Cecelia and he made no effort to hide his intentions, though he did ease a skittish Cecelia into it slowly. The poor guy certainly suffered for his association with her, but he was impossible not to like and cheer for. He made Cecelia see sense when needed and supported her as well and I found the development of their relationship lovely. This story was a bit low on steam, with several potential scenes interrupted before they could go very far, but the tension, connection, and sensuality were so strong here that I didn’t really mind. Alexander and Cecelia had an undeniable connection, even if Cecelia did want to resist it at first, and I enjoyed that inevitability between them. It’s rare to find that sort of well-crafted, visceral connection that just leaps off the pages, but I think it exists here. Despite the mystery and suspense elements here, I was happy to see those not taken so far that the book became stressful for me. We definitely have a clearly evil villain established, but Cecelia and Alexander seem to be a match for her, so I’m looking forward to her demise in a future 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/4580786496
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1514418344
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