First let me say that I liked this book; I gave it a 4 out of 5. It was a good story with likeable characters. Having said this, even though this is a stand alone story, I felt like I was missing out on pertinant background info from the previous book (Mistress by Mistake). The main characters from that book played a significant role in this book. They were not pivotal to the story, necessarily, but there is a strong friendship that exists between the two main male characters. This is relevant because the trustworthiness of the main male character's friendships are called into question. I wanted to know what history of their friendship, if any, existed in the previous book. (I haven't read the first book so maybe this is completely irrelevant).
I had questions about the friend's wife as well because the bloodlines and "worthiness" of being considered as a wife of a titled gentleman was an issue with the female lead in this book. Certain comments call into question the pedigree of the friend's wife, but there's no background info given about her. It mattered to me only because she was well established as the "lady" of the house of the friend who is an earl, if I remember correctly, yet some people refer to her and her family in a derogatory way. If it is ok for her to come from a questionable background and be so seemingly accepted, then why doesn't the same apply to the heroine of this book. Also there are familial relationships referred to that aren't all that clear, even when things are revealed in the end. The author also has some of the characters giving strange and familiar looks to one another which infer a history between characters that is never really addressed. Some of this sets up the next novel to follow, which picks up with a few of the characters and apparently their story happens along the same timeline as this one, but I felt in the dark some of the time because of these comments or "hints" to other happenings. All in all, it was a good book. Maybe I'm just too hung up on trying to understand all the interactions and relationships that are alluded to. I recommend this book to other readers, but I do think that I (and possibly others) will get a better feel for it after reading the first, and possibly third, book that goes along with this one.
I had questions about the friend's wife as well because the bloodlines and "worthiness" of being considered as a wife of a titled gentleman was an issue with the female lead in this book. Certain comments call into question the pedigree of the friend's wife, but there's no background info given about her. It mattered to me only because she was well established as the "lady" of the house of the friend who is an earl, if I remember correctly, yet some people refer to her and her family in a derogatory way. If it is ok for her to come from a questionable background and be so seemingly accepted, then why doesn't the same apply to the heroine of this book. Also there are familial relationships referred to that aren't all that clear, even when things are revealed in the end. The author also has some of the characters giving strange and familiar looks to one another which infer a history between characters that is never really addressed. Some of this sets up the next novel to follow, which picks up with a few of the characters and apparently their story happens along the same timeline as this one, but I felt in the dark some of the time because of these comments or "hints" to other happenings. All in all, it was a good book. Maybe I'm just too hung up on trying to understand all the interactions and relationships that are alluded to. I recommend this book to other readers, but I do think that I (and possibly others) will get a better feel for it after reading the first, and possibly third, book that goes along with this one.
