I am so tired of the conventions of current historical romances, and the studmuffin cover with the ahistoric costuming, not to mention the chest waxing, was such a turnoff -- that I almost passed this book up, but I liked Hunter's first historical regencies so much that I gave it a shot. I still like her earlier books better, but this one did hold my interest enough to finish it, and not even skim it.

Madeline Hunter writes excellent prose and she knows her history, though she seldom makes much use of it in her tales lately. The sex is, of course, fantastic, with a hero who is of course an incredibly good looking master of the erotic arts, but it's to the author's credit that after a while I saw him as an individual as well. Still it is hard for me to get past the heroine's eagerness for an affair in an age when disease and pregnancy would have meant total, utter ruin, and a woman might be left with no friends, no money and no alternative eventually but a (short) life as a street whore. Yet the possibility of pregnancy is not even mentioned until p. 397 - by the hero's mother!

However, if you like fairy tales, this is a lot better written than most. Have a glass of wine at hand and settle in.

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Excellent all around. This is the best book Hunter has written in years, imho. The character development, especially of the hero, is excellent and full of subtle touches.
Plot synopsis: Gareth Fitzallen is the illegitimate son of a Duke, but his mother was the Duke's longtime and well-beloved mistress, so his father has left him an estate. Unfortunately, his nasty oldest half-brother, who then became Duke, was challenging this legacy in Chancery Court, and in the meantime has left the property abandoned and derelict. As this book opens, this brother has just died, and Gareth is hopeful that he will be able to have a better relationship with his two other half-brothers(who appear to be sequel bait). Gareth has been supplementing his income as an art broker. He is a genuine art lover, as well as a sensualist and lover of women, but not actually a rake or libertine. The heroine, Eva, lives very near his new estate, which he is able to move into since the other brothers have no objection to the will. She is an artist whose family was gentry, but was left impoverished after her father and brother died. She has been supporting herself and her sister with her artwork, as well as selling off bits and pieces of their household goods, growing their own vegetables, and anything else she can think of to make ends meet.
Things I loved about this book: Both the hero and heroine had to make their own way in the world. The heroine's sister is younger and thought of as prettier, while the heroine is considered to be "on the shelf", but contrary to stereotype, the younger one is not a brainless twit or selfish. She is actually very brainy, and the sisters have a loving and generous relationship. And after some initial awkwardness, the hero appears to be developing good relations with his siblings too. Also, the hero loves and respects his mother, does not resent her choice to be a mistress, and they have a close relationship; in fact he takes the heroine to visit his mother before asking her to marry him. That was so sweet! I was happy that the hero was not an over-domineering chauvinist, as has been the case in several previous books by this author.
The writing is excellent and even the minor characters were well-developed and three dimensional. Besides all that, there was a clever mystery plot involving a major art theft. It became such a page turner that I actually skimmed through the book quickly the first time just to see what would happen. Then I went back and reread more slowly and found out I had missed some great love scenes! And there are a couple of other side plots I haven't even mentioned. Gareth and Eva generate a lot of heat, but the book also showed them becoming good friends, in a very believable way.
If you are looking for some complex, intelligent writing, I highly recommend this book. It's not dark and angsty, but it's not the totally silly fluff that seems to be popular now either. It's just the right mix, and totally captured my interest.

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