Cloaked in Danger
by Jeannie Ruesch
- File Size: 534 KB
- Print Length: 280 pages
- Publisher: Carina Press (January 27, 2014)
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00F93X7ZI
4.5 of 5.0.
Book Description
Publication Date: January 27, 2014
Aria Whitney has little in common with the delicate ladies of London society. Her famous father made his fortune hunting archaeological treasures, and her rustic upbringing has left her ill prepared for a life of parties and frippery. But when Gideon Whitney goes missing in Egypt, Aria must embrace the unknown. Armed with only the short list of highborn men who'd backed her father's venture, she poses as a woman looking for a husband. She doesn't intend to find one.
Adam Willoughby, Earl of Merewood, finds London's strangest new debutante fascinating, but when he catches her investigating his family's secrets, he threatens to ruin her reputation. He doesn't intend to enjoy it so much.
When their lustful indiscretion is discovered, Adam finds that he regrets nothing. But now, as Aria's father's enemy draws near, Adam must convince his betrothed that she can trust him with her own secrets...before it's too late.
Review:
Aria is a strong independent young woman who would rather be traveling with her archeologist father than pretending to enjoy the ton balls. The last trip her father, Gideon, made he refused to allow her to accompany him and made her stay in London with her new, pregnant step-mother. After a successful discovery, Gideon’s team was attacked, he went missing and his partner returned to London gravely injured. Aria is attending balls with the pretense of finding a husband as she tries to investigate the investors on his list who might know something about the last attack.
Adam Willoughby discovers Aria in his future brother-in-law's bedroom where she doesn’t belong. Adam has already had to rescue his sister from a disastrous marriage and scandal. He will do whatever it takes to protect her from further hurt, even if it means protecting her from her new fiancé. Adam decides to follow Aria until he can figure out why she seems to be investigating his family.
Aria and Adam dance around each other and their secrets. They finally share their secrets and Adam insists on helping her in her search asking her to be patient which is truly difficult for her. It isn’t long before their association creates complications in the form of a forced engagement. Adam discovers he is pleased with the idea but Aria is still resistant.
Meanwhile, a proper family friend and local merchant presses his suit on Aria even though she has expressed her disinterest in marriage, particularly to him. When Aria disappears her stepmother claims it is just her usual running off. But Adam suspects there is more involved. Either that or he has been fooled into falling for a woman who doesn’t really exist.
Aria and Adam are very warm, likeable characters, even though they both have their share of bullheadedness and there was a point where I rolled my eyes at Aria’s headlong foolishness. The mystery is wrapped in danger and intrigue and the details are well crafted. I was a little confused why law authorities were never brought in even when they went to rescue Aria. Even with these few questionable issues I really enjoyed the story.
The romance is sweet and sensual. The reading moved along at a good pace and I enjoyed some interesting phrasing like the samples shared below. This has a good combination of regency elements - settings, characters and story with danger. I recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good historical romance
[Editing note: there are a couple of minor errors but two glaring errors in reversed names which I hope are corrected for the released version.]
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Aria goes to check on her father’s injured business partner:She didn’t need light to know what she’d find, and she steeled her shaky limbs against the visage that lived in her mind like a violent crime witnessed and never forgotten. Location 507.Aria’s thoughts about Adam:
...He was a good man. He cared.
About her. His family. He was gentlemanly toward everyone, in fact. That, in her mind, was a finer quality than his title and yet, by nature of this world, those attributes paled in comparison to the value of being an earl.
She far preferred the attributes that made him a man. Location 1833.
I selected and received this from the publisher for review through NetGalley.
