PLOT SUMMARY: With the passing of her father and no other family left, Meg and her maid are traveling to Scotland to live with a distant aunt when a two wk (!) snow storm traps them at Cade's country estate. Cade - a former spy for the British army who was tortured and forced to watch his lover raped and murdered along with her family in the line of duty - is physically disabled and mentally haunted; he does not want his unexpected house guests. As such, he initially treats them rudely, but eventually Meg's kindness and keen chess skills forge a friendship that blooms to romance for Meg, lust for Cade mostly fueled by scotch or laudanum. As the snow recedes and Meg gets ready to leave, a gossipy neighbor stops by and Cade is forced to play that Meg is his finance. After the neighbor leaves, he flushes out his proposed rouse - which is that she pretend to be his fiance through the upcoming Season all the while secretly looking for a husband of her own. She begrudgingly agrees, knowing her heart is at risk. They move to London for the Season, attend all the balls, she and an officer hit it off, he proposes but recognizing she's in love with Cade, refuses. Meanwhile at one of their balls, Cade recognizes his torturer - known to him as Le Renaud - who is being toted as a British war hero, a favorite of Prinny, etc. Cade publicly accuses him, hell bent on murdering him right there, but Renaud publicly forgives and pities Cade, stating the war must have driven him crazy. Cade's brothers forbid him from pursuing the issue further but Meg believes she can. She begins secretly meeting w/ Everett (Le Renaud) although the meetings reveal nothing, and when Cade learns he forbids her from add'l mtgs. At a later party, Meg trails him to a mtg when unbeknownst to her, a fake note is planted for her to find. When she gives the note to Cade late that night, he acts on it and sets out to recon the meeting. Alas, it was all a trap: Le Renaud beat Cade's man (his back up) to unconsciousness and plans to shoot both Meg and Cade, making it look like a murder-suicide. Cade is able to free himself in the last minute, attack Le Renaud, while Meg captures the gun and shoots Le Renaud's servant. But during the conversations that Cade used to delay Le Renaud so he could escape, he disavowed any feeling for Meg in hope of making her less attractive for rape/torture. Meg believes him and leaves for Scotland the next morning (Cade's brother arrive in time to clean up and cart LR to the gallows). Cade misses Meg's departure b/c he's out buying her a ring and returns home to find her gone. He races north to catch her mail coach, forcibly extracts her and lamely confesses his love. HEA.Could have been a 5 if: 1) we figured out who the other traitor was - my bet is Mallory's (Cade's younger sis') beau: Major Hargreaves; 2) Meg didn't TSTL-leave without talking with Cade after their violent altercation with Le Renaud; 3) Cade's confession of love wasn't so gaggerific. (Like comparing current feelings against those from the previously murdered finance? Yuck). And 4) Meg wasn't made out to be such an incompetent spy at the end - seemed overly sexist. I really liked this one. Had the right pace for the love story, a bit of adventure, and issues the hero and heroine worked out together. The hero's past fiance was a large reason he held back and I liked that, he was trying to be loyal to her but also finding himself drawn to another. The heroine was brave and passionate, gave the hero too much slack at time but still held her ground. Very light and fun. Read it in an evening.
What do You think about Tempted By His Kiss (2009)?
If you look hot steamy romance then you might like this book.
—shuynh
DNF. I really don't care about your dead fiancee.
—fredfuchs
