Ross Cannon is the head of Bow Street and is looking for a new assistant. Sophia Sydney interviews for the position and even though Ross knows it is a bad idea he hires her anyway. He senses that she has some ulterior motive and wants to find out what it is... and he is of course very attracted to her. Sophia does indeed have another reason for being there. She is out for revenge and she will do anything to achieve it. She is determined to prove that Ross is dirty and expose him. To cap it off she wants to make him fall in love with her so she can spurn him and crush him completely.
I am a big fan of Lisa Kleypas and usually read her books in one sitting. Unfortunately this one was just kind of meh for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It was just sort of... average. I found myself easily putting the book down to do other things. There was nothing horribly wrong with it; it was pleasant but rather bland.
Ross was a very nice man. I admired the fact that he held his wife's memory close and preferred to wait for a relationship with substance rather than sleep with just anyone. I respected the fact that he could admit it to himself that he missed the companionship of being married. What lowered his character in my eyes was the slow reveal of his relationship with his wife. The comment about his protector aspect just made me shake my head. I would have preferred that he loved his wife completely and was able to fall in love again anyway.
I went back and forth on my opinion of Sophia. I respected her reasons for revenge and wasn't bothered at all by her past indiscretion. I rather liked the fact that she was a little older and seemed more mature. I was a little bothered by how quickly her revenge was forgotten. I guess I was looking for more character tension as she had to struggle to reconcile her attraction to Ross while still hating him for what happened to her brother. I didn't want a book full of nonstop fighting, but I didn't expect her to just suddenly decide he's a great guy and give up any conflict. I guess I got the wrong impression from the book description.
Although I found Sophia and Ross (and their romance) rather tame, my attention was caught by the additional character reveal toward the end. I found the duality of his character very catching. I wanted to know more about him and be able to see from his point of view.
As I said before, there was nothing wrong with the book. It was just not what I was expecting and not really anything I wanted. I would still most emphatically recommend other works by this author.

Hanna M. (
HannaM) wrote on 7/14/2009...
this book was hard to put down! sophia was such a strong smart character, no damsel in distress act for her, but it is lovely to see her end up with a even stronger man who can take care of her, which is how every good romance novel should end. in my opinion. if you liked other lisa kleypas books i would definately recomend this one as it is one of her better works. but warning to the wise i read the bow street runner series out of order and wish that i hadnt because you will get much more out of them if they are read in order so read someone to watch over me first.

Lenore D. (
Lenore) wrote on 3/16/2009...
A little manufactured but not bad. Lately this author had started to slip a bit for me...and this one was a bit more developed...even though the plot was heavy handed with devices to create conflict between the characters - I liked it because you could see why these two would like one another, and understand how they might come to forgive each another for past mistakes. Some setup for a future book.

Julie L. (
ktleyed) wrote on 1/3/2009...
This was a great book - my favorite Lisa Kleypas that I've read so far!
For me, this book is a keeper. Excellent, believable story line and romance.
Highly recommended. Finished it in 2 days.

Kathleen K. (
kathyk) - Amsterdam, NY wrote on 10/12/2007...
VERY good love story - this is sequel to "Someone To Watch Over Me". Loved it. Quiet but sexy hero.

Debra M. (
dreamer) wrote on 5/29/2007...
Lady Sophia Sydney would do anything to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon. Her goal, to run his reputation and cause a scandal that would be the talk of all London. So she insinuates herself into his life by gaining his trust and living in his house. Every mornign her lush presence tempts him beyond all reason...the way she bends ober the table to serve him the meals she has prepared...the way her hands os so gently yet sensuously brush against him. Every night , she promises with her eyes and her body that the hours before dawn could be spent in unbridled passion instead of restless sleep. She knows he is falling in love with her but what she never counted on was falling in love with him.
My very least favorite Kleypas book so far.
This was my first Kleypas book. I loved the sex scene on the file cabinet.