Review of Angela Campbell's Cry Wolf

Title: Cry Wolf

Author: Angela Campbell

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 31, 2011

Rating: 4 out 5

I meant to review this book yesterday, but the really long World Series game 6 got in the way. I am now EXHAUSTED after watching the game, so I hope this review is coherent. Cry Wolf is Angela Campbell’s debut novel, and it’s a cute, sweet contemporary romance with a little werewolf tossed in to mix things up. I was hoping that this was the beginning to a series, given the ending (more on that later), but after checking out her webpage, I think it’s a stand-alone novel. Either way, you’ll definitely enjoy this book out just in time for Halloween.

Andrea Lockheart is a reporter for the tabloid The Naked Truth, and her editor has sent her to investigate rumors of werewolf sightings in Woodbine, South Carolina. She certainly isn’t expecting to run into Sean Hunter, former senior editor of her university paper. He’s the Woodbine paper’s editor now, and Andrea isn’t thrilled that she has to work with him, since he said some cruel remarks to her when they parted ways in college. She’d always hoped that their next meeting would involve some sort of acknowledgement of her stellar career, rather than his discovering her hanging upside down from a makeshift “werewolf trap.”

Sean doesn’t immediately recognize Andi Lockheart from college. This new Andi is stunning and clearly not interested in his help, but he owes her an apology after being such a jerk in college. Sean’s move to Woodbine to be with his sister and her kids is a far cry from writing for the New York Times, but he’s definitely enjoying the slower pace of his new life, especially since it allows him to spend time helping Andrea with her investigation. When Andrea experiences her own werewolf sighting, she and Sean begin to take the rumors more seriously and the two find themselves spending more and more time together. Can the two find a future together searching for the truth about the local werewolf?

I really enjoyed the romance in this novel. The majority of the book focuses on the relationship between Sean and Andrea, rather than the werewolf of the title, and that’s part of its appeal.  Andrea is a compelling heroine with a difficult past. She’s a very talented and hardworking writer, despite writing about celebrities for a tabloid, and her shared past with Sean is an awkward one that threatens to undermine her hard won self-confidence when the two meet again. Sean is one sexy editor, and he manages to redeem himself from his being a total jerk in college. His focus on his family and concern for Andrea demonstrate that his changes are sincere.

The werewolf aspect of the novel was interesting as well. I like that Andrea starts out doubting the veracity of the claims and gradually begins to believe in the sightings as her investigation continues. I think making the romance the central focus of the novel was particularly effective, and the werewolf mystery starts to pick up about halfway into the book, which causes the pace to pick up.

Unfortunately, the werewolf mystery wasn’t completely resolved to my satisfaction, leaving us with a bit of a cliffhanger. I liked that the romance between Andrea and Sean was tied up nicely, but I wanted more explanation about the actual werewolf. Initially I assumed that this was the first book in a series, and we would learn more in subsequent books, but as I mentioned earlier, Ms. Campbell’s webpage indicates that this is a stand-alone novel, and her next book will be in a series set in a different world. Cry Wolf is only 87,000 words long, so there’s definitely room for more background about the werewolf, and the open ending definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, however, this was a really sweet romance, and I very much enjoyed it. I liked Ms. Campbell’s insights into the world of journalism, and her experience writing in that world has translated well into fiction writing. I’ll definitely be looking for more of her work in the future!

Review of Victoria Dahl's Real Men Will

Title: Real Men Will (Donovan Brothers Brewery #3)
Author: Victoria Dahl
Publisher: HQN Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: October 25, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5



Real Men Will is the third book in Victoria Dahl’s Donovan Brothers Brewery series, and while you can read it on its own, I highly recommend that you read the first two books in the series before reading this one. After reading all three, I think Bad Boys Do, the second in the series and Jaime’s story, is my favorite, but Real Men Will is by far the sexiest! (fans self) Whoa, mama! You’ll definitely want to have a glass of ice water close by while reading this one.


Eric Donovan is the oldest of the three Donovan siblings, and he’s been managing the family brewery ever since their parents died in a car crash. During a business convention, he decides to shed his staid demeanor and has a one night stand with Beth Cantrell, manager of a high end erotic boutique, The White Orchid. But because of a misunderstanding when they met, she thinks he’s his younger brother Jaime, and since Jaime has a reputation as a womanizer, Eric allows her to believe he’s Jaime.


You can imagine Beth’s shock when she goes online and realizes that Eric is NOT Jaime, and when she confronts Eric, Jaime finds out, to the detriment of the brothers’ improving relationship. But circumstances bring Beth and Eric back together, and they decide to have a no-strings fling. Eric assumes at first that their chemistry is off the charts because of Beth’s job as manager of an erotic boutique, but he soon learns that appearances can be deceiving. Can the two find a way to trust each other when they’re both hiding secrets about their pasts?


I absolutely loved the chemistry between Eric and Beth! When I first picked up the book, I read about a chapter, then put it down, because I wasn’t immediately drawn into the story, but once Beth and Eric get together, everything gets a LOT steamier! You might assume that the book is full-o-the-smexy because of Beth’s job, but the truth is that she’s a lot less experienced than you would assume. I think one of the reasons Beth is such an appealing character is because she’s willing to try new experiences with Eric, recognizing that the reason she hasn’t before is a lack of chemistry with and trust for her partners.


I actually liked Beth’s character more than Eric’s in this book. She’s really engaging and personable, and frankly her scenes at the boutique show her to be a very open and accepting person, even as she acknowledges that a lot of what they sell at her store is not for her. The traumatic event in her past is really upsetting, and it’s easy to see why she has so many trust issues. She’s an intriguing mix of vulnerability and strength, and I really like that she recognizes her weaknesses and takes charge of her sexuality with Eric in a way she hasn’t before.


The continuing family drama at the brewery could be a selling point or a problem, depending on the reader. I find it extremely believable that the three siblings would fall into patterns of behavior that prevent them from improving their communication. There’s never any doubt that they love each other, but clearly the deaths of their parents established roles for each sibling that have continued into adulthood. Jaime and Eric in particular seem to punch each other’s buttons, and while I found this believable, it also really frustrated me. I’m not sure that a reader who hadn’t read the other books in the series would have this reaction, but I thought that after Jaime’s book, his relationship with Eric would improve, which was not the case. The constant tension between the siblings, while realistic, grew distracting, and I think detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. Seriously, at times I just wanted to scream at them, “Haven’t you people ever heard of therapy?!!?!”


In spite of a few throw-my-book-at-the-wall moments thanks to all the family drama, I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I love Ms. Dahl’s voice in this trilogy, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. Definitely a keeper!

Review of Coleen Kwan's When Harriet Came Home

Title: When Harriet Came Home

Author: Coleen Kwan

Publisher: Carina Press

Format: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 24, 2011

Rating: 3 out of 5

One of the reasons I’m enjoying the eBooks published by Carina Press these days is that I get to read authors from other English-speaking countries. When Harriet Came Home author Coleen Kwan is from Australia, and every now and then a lovely phrase or reference will draw your attention to her small-town setting of Wilmot, Australia. It’s not that different than most small town contemporary romances I’ve read, but I like the variety. This book is short at only 50,000 words, but it’s a quick and engaging read.

Harriet Brown finds herself returning to her small town of Wilmot after a decade of self-exile when her father is injured in a car accident. Ten years ago she unwittingly caught the town’s mayor on film taking a bribe and meeting women for sordid affairs. He’s killed in a car accident shortly thereafter, and the town turns on the overweight, shy teen they consider responsible. The situation was all the more upsetting for Harriet because the teenager had a crush on the mayor’s son, Adam Blackstone. When years later she’s forced to return to Wilmot after her father’s accident, the first person she sees at the hospital is hunky carpenter Adam, and he is not pleased that she’s back in town.

But Harriet’s father wants the two to reconcile, and his accident provides the perfect excuse for his matchmaking. He was supposed to cater the town’s charity Harvest Ball that Adam’s organizing, but his injury has made that impossible, so he volunteers Harriet’s catering services. Harriet reluctantly agrees, because it’s obviously important to her father, but she’s not thrilled that she’ll have to spend more time with Adam. He’s not happy about it either, because the shy teen he remembers is now a beautiful, curvaceous woman who’s proving irresistible to the handyman. Sparks fly between the two, but will Adam’s love be enough to keep Harriet in Wilmot?

This is a cute small town romance with one sexy carpenter hero, complete with “mean girls” who never grew up after high school and a lot of nasty gossip. Ms. Kwan’s writing flows smoothly and the premise of the heroine returning home after making good in the big city is an appealing one. Plus, Adam is a really great hero material. He confesses to Harriet that he was really self-absorbed in his teens and that he enjoys working with his hands (nice!!). He’s clearly turned his life around, despite the painful events of ten years ago. And let’s face it, sexy carpenters who are good with their hands and have sexy Aussie accents are a win-win in the hero category!

So why didn’t I like it more? I actually remembered most of the details of the plot from when I read the novel well over a month ago, but I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt indifferent about it, so I re-read the book. As I said, the writing is good, and the pacing of the romance and the nature of the conflict were all good. And truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with the story; it just didn’t capture my interest.

I think part of why I feel “meh” towards this book is that Harriet is not as enjoyable a character as Adam. She begins strongly, since she’s lost weight, had eye surgery, and founded a successful catering company in Sydney in the last ten years, setting her up for a triumphant return to the town that cruelly rejected her in her teens. When Adam meets up with her again he’s surprised by how sassy she is compared to the awkward teenager he knew. But she’s not actually all that sassy. In fact, she’s a bit of a wimp and really insecure. She constantly questions herself and Adam’s motives towards her, allows her sister to use her for free babysitting services, and nearly has a breakdown during the Harvest Ball. That struck me as odd, given that she’s been catering for years and owned her own company for three. Harriet is a likeable character, but her insecurities left me wondering what Adam saw in her.

Despite the flaws, I liked Ms. Kwan’s writing, and on her website it mentions that she just sold her second novel, a steampunk romance, to Carina Press. Given the sexy hero and solid writing in When Harriet Came Home, I’m looking forward to seeing what she does with in the steampunk genre.

Early Review of Kristan Higgins' Until There Was You

Title: Until There Was You

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: HQN Books

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

This contemporary romance made me laugh and cry, and I absolutely loved it! I highlighted so many different sections of the book and have re-read them so often that if I were reading a physical book instead of my Kindle the pages would be falling out. Scrawny 5’2” Posey is charmer, and you’ll fall for hottie bad boy Liam. Who wouldn’t? He rides a motorcycle, wears black leather, and only shaves every few days. Reformed bad boys make for great romance heroes, and you’ll definitely swoon for this one!

Until There Was You is a reunion romance of sorts – Posey Osterhagen was madly in love with bad boy Liam Murphy when she was sixteen, but he barely noticed her. In fact, he was indirectly responsible for her disastrous prom experience, so when he moves back to Bellsford, New Hampshire, with his 15 year old daughter, Posey tries to play it cool around her former crush. Posey runs a successful architectural salvage company in town, and she tries to keep busy to avoid him, but her adopted parents’ attempts to play matchmaker with the good-looking widower and their niece Gretchen ensure that Liam and Posey are thrown together. But Liam’s not looking for romance, and some well-meaning family members seem determined to keep the two apart. Can the bad boy and the quirky runt from high school find a way to be together?

Kristan Higgins always manages to crack me up with her humor, and despite several teary moments, this book was no exception. The secondary characters will keep you rolling in the aisles, especially Posey’s adopted parents, who are large, boisterous owners of a German restaurant in town. Posey herself has a dry wit that provides some great one-liners, and Liam’s protective instincts towards his daughter Nicole make for some hilarious moments as well. When her prom date shows up and Liam threatens him, I was crying with laughter. And Ms. Higgins clearly has teenagers of her own, as Posey uses “Oh, Bieber” as an interjection, and Liam tells his daughter, “Whatevs.” Of course, in my experience, if your Mom’s using slang in a book, it’s probably not cool anymore, but it makes for a fun read.

There’s also plenty of angst to go around, as we witness several flashbacks to Posey’s disastrous prom experience and Liam reflects on his marriage with the town’s golden girl. The relationships between parents and children are a constant theme in the book, whether those children are adults or teens, and you’ll definitely find yourself tearing up at times.

The biggest problem with the book and the reason I only gave it a four when I clearly love it is the lackluster romance between Liam and Posey. It’s clear from the beginning that Posey has feelings for Liam, but Liam’s feelings for Posey are never quite as obvious. In fact, at times I felt that he spent more time thinking about his dead wife and their marriage than he did thinking about Posey. He clearly cares for her and the ending feels like a scene from a John Hughes movie (set at prom, no less!), but afterwards when I was thinking about the book, I had the distinct impression that his wife had been the love of his life and Posey was merely second best. This is a pretty serious failing in a romance novel, so I think it speaks volumes about the book that I loved it in spite of this.

If you’re looking for a fun contemporary romance with a little angst and lots of humor, I highly recommend this one. It’s definitely going on my keeper shelf, and I suspect I’ll be re-reading it for years to come.

Early Review of Sandy Williams' The Shadow Reader

Title: The Shadow Reader

Author: Sandy Williams

Publisher: Ace

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Won through Goodreads FirstReads Program

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

This week I’ve read some really excellent books, and this debut Urban Fantasy by Sandy Williams drew me in from the beginning. The heroine is an appealing mix of strength and vulnerability, and according to Ms. Williams’ webpage there is a sequel in the works, so I’m really looking forward to reading more of this world. If you’re a fan of UF, I think you’ll really enjoy The Shadow Reader.

McKenzie Lewis is in her early twenties, but since her teens she’s been working for the king of the fae as a shadow reader. When the fae travel, or fissure, between realms, she can look into the shadows left behind and pinpoint their locations. This has been a handy trick, since fae King Atroth is currently fighting a rebellion among the fae, and McKenzie has helped him hunt down rebels. She’s also in love with Atroth’s Swordmaster, Kyol, who protects her when she’s reading the shadows. Unfortunately, the rebels have caught up with her, and she’s kidnapped by Aren, one of the rebel leaders. Instead of having her killed, he teaches her the fae language and tries to convince her that Atroth and Kyol have been lying to her for years. When the fighting ventures into the human realm, McKenzie has to make difficult decisions about which of the fae to trust.

There’s a lot to like about this book. McKenzie is an appealing heroine who has found herself cut off from human relationships because of her abilities to read the shadows. The fae don’t concern themselves with her life in the human realm, and they simply pop in and out of her life, expecting her to drop whatever she’s doing to serve the fae king. This naturally makes her seem crazy to everyone else, because they can’t see who she’s speaking to or understand why she can’t keep a steady job. But after years of believing that the fae king is protecting her, McKenzie doesn’t know what to believe when the rebels kidnap her and begin telling her their version of what’s happening. She’s also confused by her attraction to the rebel leader, Aren, because she’s very much in love with Kyol. Watching her develop into a woman who finally acts on her own behalf instead of merely following the orders of others is really rewarding. It would have been easy to portray McKenzie as a victim, but Ms. Williams makes her a complex woman who learns to trust herself after years of disappointment at the hands of others.

While the characters are appealing, the world-building is stellar, and it will completely draw you in. The conflict between the fae factions is much more than nuanced than it would initially appear. It is clear fairly early on that McKenzie’s perceptions of who is good versus who is evil have been heavily influenced in the King’s favor, but I like that we can see how he came to make certain decisions. His swordmaster Kyol is portrayed as an honorable man faced with difficult choices, and while he has served the King faithfully for years, he, too, experiences doubt about the King’s current path. But the rebels aren’t necessarily sympathetic characters either, since some want to kill McKenzie immediately, only holding off because Aren convinces them to wait and try to bring her over to their side. This complexity makes the outcome uncertain and will keep you turning the pages to see how it all works out.

I do have two criticisms of the novel, one more serious than the other. The first is that I wasn’t completely sold on the Aren-McKenzie part of the love triangle. I was never in doubt that they were attracted to one another, but I was uncertain about his feelings for her. Does he truly love her or are his actions motivated by jealousy of her relationship with Kyol? He accuses Kyol of using McKenzie, but he also needs her help as a shadow reader. I’m still not completely convinced of the depth of his feelings, and while McKenzie does decide between Aren and Kyol in the end, the resolution leaves room for the love triangle to continue in future books.

My other criticism is stylistic. Ms. Williams writes the book in the first person present tense, and frankly that is my least favorite form of narration. It's not that I prefer third person narration over the first, because a lot of Urban Fantasy novels are written in the first person, and UF is one of my favorite genres. But when everything is narrated in the present tense, it strikes me as unsophisticated. It makes it feel as though McKenzie describes everything in real time, a la Jack Bauer in 24. It’s to Ms. Williams’ credit that the world-building, plot, and characters are so engrossing that for the most part the writing takes a backseat to the action, but at times the constant use of the present tense was jarring and drew me out of the book. I really don’t want to notice the writing over the story while I’m reading the book, and this is a serious flaw. I’m hoping that this will improve in subsequent books, as The Shadow Reader was easily one of my favorite Urban Fantasy reads in a while.

Despite its flaws, The Shadow Reader is an exciting debut and an engrossing read. I’m really looking forward to reading more about these characters and this world in the future, and Ms. Williams can’t write that sequel fast enough for me. Definitely check this one out!

Review of Lia Habel's Dearly, Departed

Title: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel

Publisher: Del Rey

Format: Hardcover & eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lia Habel’s Dearly, Departed is the first Young Adult novel I’ve reviewed for the blog, and it is OUTSTANDING. I’m so glad I requested this book for review, because it is extremely well-written and will appeal to readers of all ages. I have to warn you that at times the zombies in this novel totally squicked me out, but HELLO, they’re ZOMBIES, so consider yourself warned. But even with the zombie gross out factor, this hardcover YA release is well worth the price, and I’m eagerly awaiting more from this author.

Set in 2195 after a new ice age has forced humans to migrate to Central and South America, the novel takes place in New Victoria. The survivors of the numerous wars and plagues decided that the Victorian Age was the golden period of humanity and have recreated that period’s class structure, dress and mores, while using technology more familiar to readers in the 21st century, such as digital cameras, an “aethernet,” cell phones, and flat screen televisions.  

As the novel begins, 16 year old Nora Dearly and her best friend Pamela Roe are preparing to leave boarding school for the Christmas holidays. As Nora faces a dreary holiday placing insipid calls with her social-climbing aunt, she’s unable to shake off the sadness she feels after her father’s death a year earlier. Little does Nora realize that she’ll soon be facing down horrifying creatures intent on taking her captive.

Fortunately for Nora, 18 year old Captain Bram Griswold rescues her from the zombies, only to reveal to her that he himself is the walking undead. Bram and his company form part of a special army unit created to fight vicious zombies and prevent the spread of the Lazarus virus. Their existence depends upon her not-so-dead father’s creating a vaccine for the virus, but Dr. Dearly is missing. Bram does not plan on falling for a snooty New Victorian Neoaristocrat, but they must work together to find the missing doctor and prevent the spread of the Lazarus virus. But can there be a future for the two of them when Bram is already dead?

Dearly, Departed is narrated in the first person by several characters, although the principal narrators are Nora, Pamela, and Bram. The strength of these voices is only one of the many reasons I enjoyed this novel. First and foremost, the female characters are outstanding. Nora and Pam are constrained by society to seek husbands and thus support their families’ social ambitions, yet they prove their strength of character under extremely adverse conditions, and that strength of character is clearly evident in the narration. Each chapter clearly identifies who is speaking, but I’m not sure that’s necessary, as the characters have strong individual voices.

The zombies themselves make for charming and irrepressible secondary characters you won’t be able to forget. While their bodies won’t recover from injury and will eventually decay, they clearly retain their humanity and deserve to be treated as more than expendable weapons. Bram in particular is charming in his attempts to maintain his humanity, and you’ll easily see why Nora falls for him.

One of the reasons I find this book so refreshing is that it avoids many of the tropes we see repeatedly in Young Adult fiction. There isn’t a love triangle per se, although one of human teenage aristocrats acts as though there were. Also, the parents are not missing in action in this book. Pamela’s parents are very active in her life, even if we don’t approve of how they treat her. They attempt to constrain her actions, but when the family is threatened, they show themselves willing to listen to her. I also like how Nora’s reunion with her father is explored, since he discusses his decisions with her and is capable of admitting when he’s wrong.

I do have a few criticisms of the novel, however. My first is that I’m not really certain why Nora’s aunt appears in the book. At first she acts as Nora’s guardian, but she quickly disappears once Nora is kidnapped, and she’s only mentioned in passing once more. While her actions and relationship to Nora demonstrate what Nora can expect as a woman of her social class, it seems odd that she would play so prominent a role in the beginning, only to disappear so quickly.

My second concern is also minor. We learn through Nora that the survivors of the ice age and numerous civil wars considered the Victorian Age to be man’s Golden Age, but I had a hard time understanding why the original female survivors would allow themselves to return to a period that severely restricts their movement and limits their worth.

Despite my misgivings about the New Victorians, the world building is compelling and the writing exceptional, making this a delightful read for both the young and the not-so-young.

Early Review of Karen Hawkins' A Most Dangerous Profession

Title: A Most Dangerous Profession (Hurst Amulet #3)

Author: Karen Hawkins

Publisher: Pocket Books

Format: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Rating: 4 out of 5

Karen Hawkins is one of my favorite historical romance authors, and I love to recommend her books, because they’re always funny and appealing. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I discovered an early copy of A Most Dangerous Profession at the Barnes & Noble this weekend. This is the third book in the Hurst Amulet series if you don’t count the prequel, Much Ado About Marriage, and even if you haven’t read any of the other novels in the series, you’ll be able to enjoy this lighthearted romance without difficulty.

Moira MacAllister has a long-standing history with Robert Hurst: she tricked him into marriage more than five years ago when he was investigating her at the behest of the Home Office. She’s joined the search for the three onyx boxes that will lead Robert’s family to the Hurst Amulet, but her interest in the boxes is fueled by desperation rather than avarice. Blackmailer George Aniston is forcing her to recover the boxes by holding captive her five year old daughter, Rowena. What Robert doesn’t realize is that Rowena is his daughter and the reason Moira tricked him into marriage all those years ago. Since Robert’s brother Michael’s safety depends on his recovering the onyx box, Robert can’t allow Moira to abscond with the relic, but he also finds it harder and harder to resist her charms. When the two decide to work together, sparks fly, giving Moira hope that the two can reunite, but as time progresses she begins to wonder if Robert will ever be able to forgive her original deception.

One of the reasons I enjoy Ms. Hawkins’ books so much is that she writes characters who aren’t aristocrats, and A Most Dangerous Profession is no exception. Her female characters are interesting and complex rather than insipid debutantes sipping tea and making social calls. Moira was born into the working class, but was raised by a gypsy, which makes it easy to understand Robert’s fascination with her. He, too, is not from the aristocracy, since he’s a son of a vicar, but he makes a living selling the artifacts that his explorer brother Michael unearths during his travels. Robert’s work as a spy also gives his character a dangerous edge, an aspect that appeals to Moira’s sense of adventure. The sexual tension between them smolders and adds some sizzle to the already fraught situation with their daughter.

While the first half of the book seemed to drag a little, the action and chemistry definitely picked up in the second half. Once they arrive at Balnagown castle to retrieve the third onyx box, Moira and Robert work together, and the book is irresistible from that point. The two work together effortlessly, and you’ll enjoy watching Robert learn to appreciate Moira’s abilities as a spy, while they grow closer together as a couple emotionally and physically.

I do have a few criticisms of the book. My first is that initially the book shares a few similarities with the second book in the series, Scandal in Scotland. Both Moira and Marcail betrayed the Hurst brothers, were quite improper, and are reunited with the brothers because of secrets in their pasts. Once I read farther into the third novel, however, the books differed enough that it didn’t bother me as much as it had at first. Another minor complaint has to do with Rowena, Moira and Robert's daughter. She barely appears in the book, which is fine, but in the epilogue she addresses her mother in a manner that seemed completely unlike a five year old, which had me checking back to see if she was actually older than I originally thought.

My most serious complaint, however, is that I want MORE!!! And I don’t mean more novels (although I definitely want more of those as well); I mean the font is so large that the book seems really, really short. I think Ms. Hawkins could have easily extended the book by including flashbacks to Moira and Robert’s time together, plus the final confrontation with George Aniston went by far too quickly, ending the book abruptly.  I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that A Most Dangerous Profession is not a complete book, because it is (and it’s completely enchanting), but I’m bothered that publishers seem to be making historical romances shorter by enlarging the font while keeping the page count the same.

That said, Ms. Hawkins is always an auto-buy for me, and this is another keeper. I really enjoy the excerpts from letters and diaries at the beginning of each chapter, since they advance the overarching story of the series. If you enjoy engaging historical romances that focus on characters not from the aristocracy, I definitely recommend A Most Dangerous Profession.