Bronwyn Scott

Good book with an exciting beginning that keeps the tension all the way through. Nolan has joined three friends on a "Grand Tour" of Europe. He is also escaping from a miserable family life. A few months later, Nolan is in Venice, doing what he does best - gambling. The game he is playing takes a strange twist when his opponent gambles away the virginity of his daughter. Though skeptical of the claim, he can't see leaving her to the mercies of the other men at the table. Knowing he can't show more leave her unprotected, he immediately takes her with him and leaves.

Gianna has been at the mercy of her stepfather for five years, ever since the death of her mother. She will gain her inheritance in a few weeks, an inheritance he is desperate to get his hands on. She knows his actions were another way of threatening her and was determined that he wouldn't see her fear. All she needs is to be able to stay with the Englishman for a few days while she gets her plans together. She doesn't expect the flare of attraction that threatens her plans to walk away from him.

I really liked Nolan. Although he thinks of himself as selfish, he is actually a really honorable man. He is suspicious of Gianna and her motives and worries that the attraction between them is an attempt to distract him. He quickly realizes that she is in serious trouble and is determined to help her, but first he has to get her to tell him the whole truth. I loved his intelligence and resourcefulness as he helps Gianna achieve her goal.

Gianna was also a strong and resourceful young woman. She is determined to lead a different life than her mother had, but to do so she has to get away from her stepfather. His threats against her grow worse the closer she comes to gaining her inheritance and being able to escape. Making sure that she can stay with Nolan is crucial to her plan, and she will do whatever she has to for it to happen. She's reluctant to trust him with the entire truth, and has some interesting ways of trying to distract him.

I liked the growing relationship between them. The chemistry between them is strong and draws them closer together, even though neither plans a long acquaintance. As they learn to trust each other, details of their pasts are shared. They find that their motivations are very similar, creating even more of a connection. Their feelings for each other deepen, but Gianna doesn't want to put Nolan at risk because of her troubles and tries to put distance between them. Nolan discovers a deepening sense of protectiveness, and a reluctance to part ways with her. I loved seeing them come together at the end.

The issue of Gianna's inheritance and her stepfather's pursuit of her was well done. Each layer that Gianna revealed ramped up the intensity of what they needed to do. From the retrieval of her mother's jewel case to the rescue of her brother, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. The final confrontation was great, with a twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

I loved the setting of Venice during Carnevale. The descriptions of the canals and the scenery were vivid, making me feel as though I was there. I could almost hear the music of the concert and see the ball as it was happening. show less

A good book that touches on an unusual subject for a Regency romance - the issues faced by those who don't quite fit into Society's narrow view of who belongs and who doesn't.

Gwen is the granddaughter of an earl and the widow of the second son of an earl. She and her husband Christophe were artists who spent most of their short marriage in Italy, where they pursued their art. When Christophe died, grief-stricken Gwen returned to England. However, once she recovered from the worst grief, she show more lived independently and continued pursuing her art instead of staying with her family and looking for a new husband. She has earned an excellent reputation for her portraits, which is at odds with her position as a lady, leaving most people wondering how to treat her.

Devlin Bythesea is the new heir to the Duke of Creighton, thanks to a series of unfortunate deaths. The son of an English father and an Indian mother, Dev spent all his life in India. Called to England because of the impending death of his uncle, Dev faces an uphill climb to gain acceptance. His aunt insists that having a traditional portrait done is the first step, followed by finding a proper English wife. But Devlin has no intention of letting his aunt pick his bride, so he hatches a plan for some insurance. One of his friends told him about the other portraits that Gwen paints, which are not for public viewing.

From the moment she and Dev met, Gwen felt the sparks that flowed between them. But she'd already lost one man whose death nearly destroyed her, and she refuses to marry again. Dev feels the attraction just as strongly and wants to have her in his bed, but he understands the fear that controls her. I loved their time together, as their ability to see past their public facades to the person underneath brought them closer together. I loved how Gwen listened to Dev when he talked about his life in India and understood how the two worlds made up the whole man. The descriptions of both portraits showed that she could capture that melding.

As the attraction between them grew stronger, Gwen fought her feelings. The idea of loving someone else after Christophe made her feel guilty and filled her with fear of losing again. She convinced herself that she and Dev could give in to their passion without muddying the waters with feelings, knowing there was an end date for their relationship. Dev realized the truth of his feelings before she did but had no idea how to convince Gwen they could have it all.

Matters are complicated by Dev's cousin, Bish, who is green with jealousy over Dev gaining the dukedom. He starts an insidious campaign of impugning Devlin's fitness to inherit the title. He is a sneaky little twit, taking it a step further by also turning his sights on Gwen. His actions are despicable and create some unwelcome stress for Dev. I loved how Dev found a way to spike Bish's guns, and the scene before the Heralds was fantastic.

Unfortunately, Bish's actions did throw a wrench into Dev and Gwen's relationship, and harsh words were exchanged between them. Luckily for Dev, he received timely and helpful advice that enabled him to return to Gwen's good graces. She had had time to think and realize that having two great loves in one lifetime was possible. Dev's big scene at the end was fantastic, and the epilogue was a great look at their lives a year later.

One of my favorite parts of the book was Dev's relationship with his uncle. Dev's love and respect for the old duke are undeniable. I loved how Gwen got involved by visiting with Dev and sketching the older man for Dev to remember him by. He won my heart with his advice for Gwen and his belief that she and Dev belonged together. The wedding scene is intensely emotional, and the description of the portrait in the epilogue emphasizes Gwen's talent.

I enjoyed seeing the mention of characters from previous books and will have to go back and read the ones I missed.

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Good book. Thea is a nurse who joined Florence Nightingale in caring for the wounded in Crimea. She saved one soldier from being left for dead. She calls him Edward because he can't remember who he is. When she returns to England, she takes him with her, hoping her doctor father can help him further in his recovery. Falling in love with Edward was never her plan.

I loved Thea. She received the same education as her twin brother, William, who became a doctor like their father. But because she show more is a woman, that path isn't open to her. Events from her past convinced her that marriage is not an option, so she devotes her time to her medicine. She is independent, fierce in her advocacy for her patients, and outspoken in her opinions.

I loved Edward also. His determination to get well and then discover who he is was undeniable. It is evident from the start that he is a gentleman, but he remembers nothing of his life before the battle that injured him. He is handsome, charming, kind, and just as fierce as Thea when it involves something he believes in.

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Thea and Edward. They became friends as she cared for him in the hospital. It was easy to see that something about him made her want him to get better. Edward thought of her as his angel, who quieted his fears and made the pain go away. Once they arrive back in England and Edward's health improves, things change. Sparks start to fly between them, but they try to resist them. Thea believes that Edward will return to his old life and leave her behind once his memories return. Edward won't make any advances while he lives in her family's home and doesn't know the truth about who he is.

There are some sweet and emotional scenes between them as Edward continues to improve. I loved Edward's protectiveness when he stood up for Thea against another dinner guest. His respect for her and her profession is undeniable, and I loved his vocal support. The nightmare scene broke my heart as it showed Edward's fear and despair. There was also good that came out of it, as they used some of the information to ask for help figuring out who he is. But by this time, Edward isn't sure he wants to know because it could take him away from Thea. I could feel their desperation as they reached for what happiness they could grab before their questions were answered.

The arrival of Thea's sister and brother-in-law brought that wait to an end. I was glued to the pages as Edward learned of his past and its meaning for his future. I ached for Thea, who tried to push him away, sure that there was no way for her to fit in his world. There are obstacles to face, from skeptical family members to cruel-hearted society members, not to mention Thea's insecurities. I loved Edward's big moment and his way of showing her his love. The epilogue was terrific, and I hope to see more of them in the rest of the series. show less

Good book with an excellent romance that takes place with a background of several social issues. Along with the romance between two people driven to help others, we also see the effects of disease and poverty in Victorian London, women's fight to have a say in their own healthcare, and society's limits on those same women.

Ferris, an Edinburgh-trained doctor, devotes all of his time to the care of London's poorest residents. After losing his fiancée to a fever, he put aside any dreams of a show more family of his own. As the story opens, he's returned home from a confrontation with the local hospital's board to find his older brother waiting. As usual, Ferris forgot that he promised to attend the family's charity ball that night, and Frederick is there to make sure he shows up.

One of four daughters of a country doctor, Anne came to London to help people with her herbal remedies. By involving women, she empowered them to keep their families healthy without the expense of London's doctors and medicines. After making arrangements to meet with some local women, she hurries home to join her sister; both committed to attending the hospital's charity ball.

When Ferris's mother sets him dancing with Anne, he expects the usual vapid chit-chat. Instead, Anne shows interest in his work. I loved seeing them connect over medicine and their feelings about the disparity between society and the poor. Ferris also found himself strongly attracted to Anne, both her beauty and understanding, going so far as to resurrect his dream of home and family. Anne, equally drawn to him, resists the attraction. Burned by her ex-fiancé, who pretended to support her dreams, she no longer trusts men's honesty. An unexpected and passionate kiss sent Anne running from the feelings he aroused.

Ferris and Anne meet again under more difficult circumstances. While trying out his new mobile treatment wagon, he discovers that his expected patients have deserted him for a healer woman and her herbs. Filled with righteous fury, Ferris hurries to confront what he's sure is a charlatan of the worst kind, only to find it is Anne. Feeling betrayed, he lashes out, saying terrible things to and about her. I loved that Anne stood up to him. I especially enjoyed her rebuttal to his statement that there were reasons not everyone can be a doctor. They did not part on good terms.

When Ferris comes up with the idea of asking Anne to join him for the sole reason of keeping an eye on her, he doesn't realize what it means. An emergency allowed them to work together, and each saw a different side to the other. Within a couple of weeks, Ferris realized that far from resenting her presence in his clinic, he liked having her there. Plus, having her along on his wagon trips increased the number of patients he/they helped. He feels guilty about using her to pad the numbers for his wagon but reassures himself that it's justified if he gets the funding he needs.

I liked watching the relationship between Ferris and Anne develop. They bond over caring for their patients, each coming to understand more about what makes the other tick. The sparks between them continue to grow, as do their feelings for each other. But both have been hurt in the past, and trusting their feelings doesn't come easy. Just when it looks like a future between them is possible, Anne finds out the truth about her presence by Ferris's side. I ached for her feelings of hurt and betrayal and understood her fury at his deception. Ferris kicked himself quite thoroughly for his idiocy upon discovering her departure. I loved his big moment as he confessed all but was interrupted by another emergency. I loved how this one went, as Ferris took the opportunity to show her his support for her work in a most effective way.

I loved the attention to detail in the descriptions of the various medical issues. I especially enjoyed Anne's explanations of her herbal remedies and their uses. I also felt for Ferris and his frustration at the lack of interest and care exhibited by the hospital board members - until something affected them personally. The whooping cough scenes were heartrending and made me happy that we have protections against it in modern times.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

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