Lady of Desire (2003)

Gaelen Foley always writes books that touch my heart. Don't miss this one. ( )

Growing up under the ‘protection’ of five older brothers, the thought of marriage to another man that felt like a brother was out of the question for Lady Jacinda Knight. Running away to France was the only solution that she could come up with, until she ran into trouble, got her money pouch stolen and witnessed a brutal beating and death of a man in the back alleys of London. Finding her hiding in a garbage pile and scared to death, Billy Blade soon realized she was not a normal ‘Jane Smith’ but a lady who didn’t belong in the shadowed alleys with the thieves. Shocked to find out who she was, Billy had no choice but to take her home and admit to her intimidating brothers that he had kissed her, before realizing who she was. Big brother that he was, Lucien informed Billy never to see her again unless he was willing to admit and accept his past and himself as Lord Rackford, William Spencer Albright, the future Marques of Truro.

Book 4 ….. London 1816, is a very different time, and yet Gaelen Foley has the ability to write these brash, unusual characters that keep with the era, the dignity and the stringent rules of decorum is amazing. I liked Billy Blade from the start (having actually first met him in ‘Lord of Ice’) and was happy that Lady Jacinda had a spunky side to match him. While there are a few fighting scenes and some harsh memories, the bulk of the story revolves around the tough street kid (Billy Blade) dealing with his own self doubt because of his abusive father. Makes for a great character - to show such strength as leader of the street gang and then to show how each of his decisions has effected him since he was a young man. Great to also see Robert (who has the best line in the book - “Ahem. How shall I say?” …..) and a little bit of Lucien and their ladies. I will be looking for the next of the Knight Miscellany (Devil Takes a Bride). ( )

Lady Jacinda Knight is the daughter of a woman who earned her noteriety. Georgiana, Duchess of Hawkscliffe had several affairs, children by many of her lovers, but her husband acknowledged them all. Her brothers are convinced that if they don't marry her well she may succom to the same temptations as her mother. So they organise a marriage and she runs away.

There she finds a notorious leader of a band of thieves, Billy Blade, who rescues her. She finds herself attracted but she doesn't know of a way for them to have a future. He knows a way, but going back to live with his father who beat him is not a path he wants to go on, not until it's the only path left open.

I love the two characters, they're great fun, the story does follow some well-trod paths but does it well. It is also interesting to read the history of the Countess of Oxford, upon whom the author based the Duchess of Hawkscliffe. I also love the way the characters work together to form an alliance, overcoming reluctance along the way. This one held my interest and I enjoyed the ride immensley, regreting distractions. ( )

I swear I'm not really a romance fan. But I am really enjoying this series. The characters are so vivid even if the plot sometimes wanders as it does a bit in this one. ( )

With Lady of Desire, Gaelen Foley has racked up another solid story in the Knight Miscellany series. From what I can tell so far, Ms. Foley seems to be an author who is consistently good. Her attention to history and details really help to bring her stories vividly to life. I really enjoy her exploration of topics outside the social aspects of the ton, which deftly bring to life the more realistic side of life in that era. Her descriptions of life in the rookery and some of the social and political issues of the time give voice to a different segment of the population, as well as a stark reminder that unfortunately some things never really change. However, in spite of my appreciation for the author's strong writing style, I found the storytelling in Lady of Desire was not quite as much to my liking as its predecessors in the series. The story got off to an explosive start, but then seemed to loose some steam especially through the middle, and while the ending satisfactorily wrapped everything up, I felt that it was a little too simplistic. I realize that when a person believes that death is imminent, they can do some rather unusual and extraordinary things, but ultimately, Billy's ready forgiveness of his father for a lifetime of hurt and abuse, just didn't quite ring true to me. Billy had felt thoroughly unloved and unlovable all his life, and to have just a few words be able erase all that, was a bit too easy in my opinion. I did like Billy's realization that even the bad things in life can bring about good if we let them, but again, I felt like his revelation came about a bit too quickly with no real introspection to show how he came to that conclusion. I was also a little disappointed that Lady of Desire, like it's predecessor, Lord of Ice, was somewhat light on the actual romance. There were just so many things going on in the story that I thought the plot itself in many ways overshadowed the relationship development. At times it felt like a historical novel with romance in it rather than just a romance, but readers who have a preference for that sort of thing should really enjoy this book.

I had been extremely intrigued by Billy when he made his first appearance in Lord of Ice. For a thief lord, he was very charming with an air of danger about him that was very appealing. I was immediately certain that he would play a significant role in a future book(s), and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that he would be the hero of this story. I loved Billy's early scenes with Jacinda in the rookery. I was instantly mesmerized by his scrumptious bad boy looks and persona as well as his Robin Hood style of robbing the rich to give to the poor, but when he took up his rightful title as Lord Rackford, I felt like he changed a little too much, loosing that aura of mystery and danger. At one point, Jacinda muses about how she has truly made a gentleman out of Billy, but it was a pity because she “rather liked him as a heathen,” which is exactly how I felt. I did enjoy the scenes where he sneaks back to the rookery though. His sly, cunning scheme to exact revenge on his former gang rivals had me grinning from ear to ear. Typically I would feel a great deal of sympathy for a hero with a past as tortured as Billy's, and although I did to some degree, it wasn't as strong as with some other characters of this type that I've read. I think this was because Billy was an extremely intense alpha who rarely allowed himself to be vulnerable. Even in those infrequent moments when he let his guard down a little, I couldn't help but feel that he was still holding something back. I suppose this was understandable given his past abuse and harsh life in the rookery, but in the end, not wholly satisfying to me. All in all, Billy was a very interesting hero, just not my favorite kind, but again readers who enjoy this type of character should really like Billy.

Jacinda was a strong heroine who was a cross between a sweetheart and a spitfire, but many times I felt like her character was rather uneven. I really liked the gentleness and intuitiveness that she exhibited with Billy in various ways throughout the book, and I was also impressed that, unlike her brothers, she never seemed to be overly bothered by her mother's scandalous exploits in life. In fact, although Jacinda was determined not to cheat on her future husband, she otherwise embraced her mother's legacy, but often her own desire for love and passion made her afraid of becoming like her mother. Being the youngest and only daughter in the Knight clan, with all of society including her brothers watching her every move and expecting her to make the same mistakes that her mother did, I could understand Jacinda feeling trapped and wanting her freedom. What bothered me though, was the way she tried to go about getting it. She had blown off a potential marriage to Ian Prescott, a very nice family friend, because she knew there would be no real affection between them besides brotherly love. Yet she was eager to gain a marriage proposal from another man she didn't love and who was more than three times her age. This was all in the hopes that he would die quickly, giving her the freedom she craved, which all seemed a little callous and a bit contradictory to other parts of her personality, especially when she continued this reckless pursuit even after her feelings for Billy had become readily apparent. Luckily she came to her senses before it was too late, but all the pulling away that was going on from both character's perspectives made it a little difficult for me to get a good grasp on their relationship and feelings for one another.

One thing that I have really enjoyed about Gaelen Foley's writing so far is that she pulls together a full complement of secondary characters with heroes and heroines from both previous and future books in the series appearing in nearly every one, and oftentimes their role is more significant than a simple cameo. Robert and Bel, Lucien and Alice, and Damien and Miranda from the first three books all played a part in Lady of Desire, with Lucien in particular being fairly important since Billy had been one of his underworld contacts. Also Lizzie and Alec had pretty substantial roles, and although I was a bit saddened to see their affections for one another dashed, I already knew they were not going to be a couple since each has their own future story. In fact, the bookish Lizzie becomes the heroine of the next book in the series, Devil Takes a Bride. The only Knight sibling who doesn't show up is Jack, who is still “missing in action.” Lady of Desire is preceded in the Knight Miscellany series by The Duke, Lord of Fire, and Lord of Ice and is followed by Devil Takes a Bride, One Night of Sin and His Wicked Kiss. Even though I had a few issues with Lady of Desire, it will not stop me from continuing the series. Gaelen Foley just seems to be one of those authors that even when her work isn't quite spot-on for me, it is still infinitely readable and better than some other authors on their very best days. ( )