From Publishers Weekly
This lively Restoration romance is the third in Royal's Chase family Jewel Trilogy (after Emerald). Lady Kendra Chase is long overdue to be married, according to her protective older brothers, but she'll have none of the many titled lords who have asked for her hand. When Kendra is found unchaperoned with the Black Highwayman, Patrick Caldwell, aka Trick, her brothers seize the opportunity. Kendra can't deny the immediate passion she feels for Trick, but she's perplexed as to why her brothers are so willing to wed her to a coach-robber. Before long, Kendra discovers that Trick is not all that he seems he's actually the Duke of Amberley. So why is he holding up Puritans at gunpoint? The answer to this question is tangled up in the mystery of Trick's own childhood, a mystery solved when he visits his estranged, ailing mother in Scotland. This energetic tale is filled with likeable characters, particularly Kendra, who takes the refreshing step of talking to her husband about his confusing behavior rather than generating conflict by jumping to conclusions. Trick is a bit on the broody side, but his interactions with his family are drawn with charm and warmth. Although Royal is a new romance author, this winning debut will earn her critical kudos. (July 10)Forecast: Royal is an impressive new talent, and it's no surprise that she has already signed a deal to write three more books featuring the Chase family. This novel should sell well boosted by the March release of In Praise of Younger Men, a story collection that features Royal along with Jo Beverley, Jaclyn Reding and Cathy Maxwell.
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Booklist
After she rejects all of their choices for a prospective husband, Kendra Chase's two brothers give Kendra an ultimatum: find someone to marry or they will select someone for her. Fate lends a hand when Kendra is found in a seemingly compromising situation with Patrick "Trick" Caldwell, a friend of her brothers and the notorious Black Highwayman. Forced into marriage with Trick, Kendra quickly discovers she has not married an impoverished aristocrat posing as a mysterious highwayman but instead is now wed to the wealthy Duke of Amberley. Can true love flourish between two people who don't even know each other? The glitter of Restoration England is expertly evoked in Royal's latest romance, the third to feature a member of the Chase family. Liberally laced with intrigue and danger, the book's quicksilver plot is nicely counterbalanced by the passionately detailed romance that slowly develops between Trick and Kendra. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
