Sapphires Are an Earl's Best Friend

January 20, 2014
Galen’s third and final Jewels of the Ton Regency romance (after 2013’s If You Give a Rake a Ruby) will mostly appeal to series fans. Lily Dawson is the Countess of Charm, a notorious courtesan. She’s also a spy for the Foreign Office, assigned to seduce the Duke of Ravenscroft and find out whether he’s a traitor. Lily has secretly been in love with Andrew Booth-Payne, the Earl of Darlington, for years, but he only notices her when she begins flirting with his father, the duke. Andrew’s interference quickly changes to welcome kisses, leaving Lily to walk a careful line between two amorous men while she races an unscrupulous spy-killer to the evidence she needs. The plot moves along and there are a few interesting turns, but despite some solid chemistry, the unsympathetic characters and thin veneer of menace make this story the weakest of the set. Agent: Joanna MacKenzie, Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

February 15, 2014
Lily Dawson's reputation as the Countess of Charm, a renowned courtesan, is secretly a cover for her intelligence gathering, and her current mission is compromised when the only man she's ever loved finally notices her--just as she is trying to seduce his father. Lily is determined to discover who is targeting covert operatives in the service of the Crown. Known for her bright personality and charming manner, she has gained access to the highest tiers of Regency society, and she is using her influence to catch the attention of a recently widowed duke, even though what she really wants to know is if he is behind the plot to undermine the kingdom's intelligence network. Unfortunately, the duke's son is Andrew Booth-Payne, the only man Lily has ever truly loved, who is now convinced she is not only beyond the pale, but also a fortune hunter. Lily has known Andrew for ages, and even while she's playing the role of seductress, she is disappointed that he doesn't see through her pretense and instead views her with disgust and suspicion. Yet the more they face off, the more he realizes things aren't quite as they seem; as an unwelcome passion flares between them, he understands that neither Lily nor his father are anything close to what he's always believed them to be. At first determined to protect his family from Lily, soon he'll be working to protect Lily from a host of dangers, including the real possibility that his father is a traitor and that information stored on the property could endanger everything they hold dear. The third installment in the Jewels of the Ton trilogy, the novel finishes off a series that nods to the demimonde, international intrigue, and various secrets and lies, which keeps the plots afloat and the relationships steamy and emotionally satisfying. The courtesans are never as wicked as they pretend, but the road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun.

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