Affair (original 1997; edition 1998)

Charlotte Arkendale supporting herself and her sister after their step-father was killed. Charlotte investigating men who want to marry wealthy women. Baxter St.Ives is a gifted scientist who's half-brother is the earl of Esherton. Charlotte and Baxter team up to bring Drusilla Heskett killer to justice. It is a good read. ( )

Charlotte Arkendale has been supporting herself and her sister since her father was killed, supposedly by a footpad in London, by investigating men who want to marry women with some means. She's quite cynical about men at this stage but there's something about Baxter St. Ives. He's supposed to be her new man-of-affairs. However he's investigating her.

Baxter is a gifted scientist, who is quite dependent on his glasses, which becomes a humourous plot point more than once.

It loses points for not being well grounded in whatever historic era it was supposed to be in (I think Victorian, but it didn't really lodge with me). The two main characters were quite a lot of fun and I enjoyed the read. ( )

A cute and light hearted book, much the same as Amanda Quick's other books ( )

"Charlotte Arkendale knew all there was to know about men. After all, she'd made a career out of steering marriage-minded women away from untrustworthy members of the opposite sex. Yet nothing could have prepared her for Baxter St. Ives--an arresting stranger too daring, too determined, too dangerous to be her new man-of-affairs. Still, perhaps he was too perfect person to help Charlotte investigate the recent murder of one of her clients. So she gave him a chance, never realizing that Baxter, a gifted scientist would soon conduct a risky exploration into the alchemy of desire, with Charlotte as his subject. But as he sets out to seduce Charlotte, a twisted killer lies in wait, ready to part the lovers ... or see them joined together forever--in death.

" ( )

"Affair" lays groundwork for Amanda Quick's later series, the Arcane Society. Here, Baxter St. Ives, an illegitimate son of Society, rejects his parents' reputation for passion and recklessness by taking refuge in science, logic and chemistry. He encounters Charlotte Arkendale when investigating the death of his aunt's friend. Charlotte investigates the suitability of suitors, her most recent client being the deceased friend.

Baxter persuades Charlotte to hire him as her man-of-affairs. But soon he becomes her man of their affair. They also agree to form a partnership to investigate a murder.

The background is Society's fascination with mesmerism and alchemy. The villian enhances his senses and alters others' through an incense he developed. Charlotte also is extraordinarily intuitive, but not enough to know that she is in danger. Fortunately, St. Ives does. ( )