We’ve been enjoying Linden’s books for a long time. (Here’s my review of this one.)

In this serviceable Regency romance, the heroine Lady Francesca Gordon needs a good lawyer. She’s convinced her young orphaned niece, Georgina, is being held against the child’s will by her stepmother for financial gain. Francesca has been turned down by solicitor after solicitor — her case is iffy and she’s a woman — but she finally convinces the best lawyer in London, a Mr. Wittiers, to take her case. However, minutes after he agrees to help her, one of his flunkies tells her he’s changed his mind. Wittiers has been called to work on what might be “the case of the decade” for a titled client and her case no longer interests him.

The titled client is Edward de Lacey, the second son of the recently dead Duke of Durham. Edward has a big problem. Moments after his father passed away, the family solicitor informed Edward and his younger brother Gerard that they, and their dissolute elder brother Charlie, may all be illegitimate with no claim to their family’s wealth and property. The departed Duke married someone other than their mother in his youth, neglected to get divorced, and the fate of the first wife is unknown. If she was living when the Duke married their mother, the second marriage would be invalid and his three sons would be, legally, bastards.

Edward is his family’s rock, the son who manages both the Durham money and the Durham name. He’s a calm, smart, proper man who cherishes order. When he discovers his possible paucity of proper parentage, he’s flummoxed and fearful. After his family’s secret hits the nastiest of London’s tabloids, his fears are realized in the worst way: The woman he loves breaks off their engagement, his older brother sinks further into debauchery, and his younger brother, a military hero, begins muttering about murder. So when the tempestuous, flame-haired Francesca arrives at his house and upbraids him for stealing her counsel, he makes a pact with her. She’ll use her influence with the publisher of the news rag to have the story pulled and Edward will help her find a decent lawyer.

You can purchase it at Amazon for 1.99 here.

We miss Ashe’s very smart historical romances. We didn’t review this one, but Amazon readers give it a 4.5 rating. Here’s the blurb:

The Rules of Being a Proper Lady

1) Never take steps greater than six inches apart.

2) Never look boldly at a gentleman.

3) And never, ever, kiss a man who is not your fiancé.

But beautiful, bold Viola Carlyle doesn’t care about the rules. And she desperately wants to kiss the notoriously tempting Captain Jin Seton, the man who brought her kicking and fighting back to English society. Kidnapped as a child, now she longs to return to that life of freedom where she was able to live—and love—as she wished.

Having hunted Viola for two years, Jin Seton has finally found his good luck—for, by finding Viola, his oldest, deepest debt will at last be paid. And although he has vowed not to let her win his heart, this very improper lady might finally be the one who tames him.

It’s at Amazon for 1.99 here.

Romantic suspense readers love Robard’s work. We gave this one a B+.

Bianca St. Ives has never been like other girls. Growing up, she learned martial arts from the masters and spent her free time attempting to dismantle explosives with the help of ex-security services operatives. It might not be the life other girls her age live, but it’s all Bianca knows. Plus, it’s the life her beloved, if very distant father, wants for her, and that’s enough for Bianca.

Now an attractive and highly competent woman of twenty-six, Bianca has taken her place as one of her father’s elite team of thieves and con artists. Some say she’s surpassed Richard St. Ives in skill, but Bianca is not fully convinced of that. He’s taught her everything she knows, and she’s determined to make him proud, even if doing so puts her on the wrong side of the law.

The team’s current mission is to steal two-hundred-million dollars and some top-secret government documents from a Middle Eastern prince. Bianca has infiltrated the lavish ball the Prince is throwing, and is slowly, strategically working her way toward the hidden vault where the treasure is stored. But when she gets there, she is stunned to find someone has beaten her to it. The vault is empty! Is this a trap set by the Prince, or is someone else playing a very dangerous game with Bianca and her father?

The escape from the palace is quite harrowing, leaving Richard St. Ives presumed dead by his daughter. The trouble is, various covert government agencies are not convinced he really died, and they plan to use Bianca as bait to trap him.

As Bianca races to stay one step ahead of a group of ruthless men she’s sure mean her harm, she is faced with a number of questions related to her past. What really happened to her mother, and why can’t she remember much about her early childhood years? Then Richard’s enemies raise the stakes, and Bianca is pushed into a life or death game that will tax her many skills to their limits.

It’s on sale at Amazon for 1.99 here.

AAR readers love Harlequin Historicals. This one is a good one. (Here’s our review.)

Sophie Trevelyan is in London to visit her Aunt Minnie, a wealthy recluse.  Despite the complete lack of attention she receives from her aunt and the absence of anything much to do, Sophie is happy to be there and away from her large and busy family.  She’s also determined to outlast her awful cousin Arthur who managed to stay for two weeks before being sent packing – the longest visit with Aunt Minnie yet.

On the afternoon we meet her, Sophie has decided the key to beating her cousin’s two-week-record is Aunt Minnie’s beloved and spoiled pug, Marmaduke – or  Duke’.  But her attempts at getting the hefty hound to take a bit of exercise for end badly when his new-found love of chasing birds sees him colliding with a well-to-do couple in his path.

As Sophie breathlessly explains the circumstances of the dog’s escape, who she is and why she’s running about unchaperoned in the garden, Max, Duke of Harcourt is amused by the story but dismayed by her behavior.  Though her speech is amusing and she’s charming, they’re strangers, and her inappropriate oversharing strikes him as a bit peculiar.  When she finally turns to go, he returns his attention to his sister and a discussion about his marriage prospects.

Over the course of the next few days, Max and Sophie continue to randomly find themselves in the same place at the same time, and when they aren’t running into one another, they’re thinking about each other.  When Max spots her alone once again and then Sophie asks him if she’s heading in the right direction to reach the Royal Academy, Max can barely contain himself.  He noticed her artistic talent whilst watching her sketch on one of their impromptu rendezvous, but although he understands her desire to attend the Summer Exhibition, he can’t help admonishing her for thinking to go there alone without a chaperone or a maid – and with her dog!  It just isn’t done.  Before he quite knows what he’s doing (this happens a lot when he’s with Sophie), Max offers to escort her to the Academy.  Sophie demurs but Max won’t be gainsaid.

The afternoon at the Royal Academy is the first-time Max and Sophie spend any extended time together, and we also meet secondary characters who play pivotal parts in the evolution of their relationship from mere acquaintances (who secretly daydream about each other) to romantic couple. Their conversation goes from slightly awkward (Max isn’t sure how to introduce her), to mutually entertaining, and it’s interesting to watch their relationship make the same progression. Sophie, despite her impulsive behavior and often inappropriate conversation, surprises Max with her intelligence.  As the visit progresses, Sophie discovers her Mr. Harcourt is actually a duke, and that he has a good eye for art.  But the afternoon ends on a bit on a bitter note after Sophie slips away and Max discovers her in conversation with an artist, Lord Wivenhoe.  When Max interrupts them, it’s quickly apparent the men have a history and that they don’t like each other.  Lord Wivenhoe shamelessly flirts with Sophie, Max warns him to watch his behavior and Sophie is increasingly uncomfortable. After a final sharp exchange, Max and Sophie finally depart – but not before Wivenhoe promises to stop by Aunt Minnie’s for a visit and Max acknowledges he not only doesn’t like the idea, but that he’s jealous.

It’s on sale at Amazon for 1. 99 here.

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