Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book. Eleanor is in a predicament. The man who courted her suddenly proposed to another woman, and the gossip papers gave her the name "Ice Queen". Raised by her father to believe that showing emotion is a sign of weakness, Eleanor must find a way to overcome that training and find a husband. With the family at the end of their financial rope, Eleanor's mother sends her to a courtesan for lessons in flirting and how to show warmth in her interactions.
Charles recently inherited the title. He struggled all his life to earn his father's love and approval, even taking up his father's search for antiquities. Charles returned to England after his father's death, wracked with guilt over his failure to find the Couer de Feu, a legendary ruby. All he needs to do is find the right journal with the information. Unfortunately, some of those journals belong to the Murrays, the family of his father's greatest enemy.
When Charles returned to London, he found that his childhood friend Lottie, a vicar's daughter, had become a courtesan. When she begged for his help so that she could change her life, he couldn't say no. Imagine his surprise when she asked him to assist her in training Eleanor, one of the Murray family members. If he helps her, perhaps he can get his hands on those journals.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between Eleanor and Charles. The attraction sparks between them from the beginning, but both try to resist. Eleanor must marry by the end of the Season to save her family. Charles believes that marriage is not for him, having seen what his father's travels did to his parents' marriage. Their attraction awakened the passion hidden beneath Eleanor's icy shell, and Charles soon found it difficult to resist the woman revealed. I loved seeing the changes in Eleanor as she learned to love the passion she feels. She also realizes that her heart is in trouble, as that passion focuses on a man who refuses to marry. Charles is a harder nut to crack, as his fixation on finding the ruby overrules his growing feelings for Eleanor. It isn't until he nearly loses her to another that he realizes that his priorities have changed, and a hilarious elopement scene follows.
When Eleanor finds out about Charles's quest for the ruby and need for the journals, she makes an interesting bargain with him. I enjoyed seeing them work together to uncover the secret. An unexpected twist brings disturbing revelations about their fathers' methods. Charles and Eleanor also learn that they aren't the only ones looking for the ruby. An intense confrontation with an unexpected enemy puts both of them in danger. I was on the edge of my seat until it was all over. The ending was terrific. I loved the solution Eleanor provided for Charles's dilemma, and the epilogue was fantastic.
Charles recently inherited the title. He struggled all his life to earn his father's love and approval, even taking up his father's search for antiquities. Charles returned to England after his father's death, wracked with guilt over his failure to find the Couer de Feu, a legendary ruby. All he needs to do is find the right journal with the information. Unfortunately, some of those journals belong to the Murrays, the family of his father's greatest enemy.
When Charles returned to London, he found that his childhood friend Lottie, a vicar's daughter, had become a courtesan. When she begged for his help so that she could change her life, he couldn't say no. Imagine his surprise when she asked him to assist her in training Eleanor, one of the Murray family members. If he helps her, perhaps he can get his hands on those journals.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between Eleanor and Charles. The attraction sparks between them from the beginning, but both try to resist. Eleanor must marry by the end of the Season to save her family. Charles believes that marriage is not for him, having seen what his father's travels did to his parents' marriage. Their attraction awakened the passion hidden beneath Eleanor's icy shell, and Charles soon found it difficult to resist the woman revealed. I loved seeing the changes in Eleanor as she learned to love the passion she feels. She also realizes that her heart is in trouble, as that passion focuses on a man who refuses to marry. Charles is a harder nut to crack, as his fixation on finding the ruby overrules his growing feelings for Eleanor. It isn't until he nearly loses her to another that he realizes that his priorities have changed, and a hilarious elopement scene follows.
When Eleanor finds out about Charles's quest for the ruby and need for the journals, she makes an interesting bargain with him. I enjoyed seeing them work together to uncover the secret. An unexpected twist brings disturbing revelations about their fathers' methods. Charles and Eleanor also learn that they aren't the only ones looking for the ruby. An intense confrontation with an unexpected enemy puts both of them in danger. I was on the edge of my seat until it was all over. The ending was terrific. I loved the solution Eleanor provided for Charles's dilemma, and the epilogue was fantastic.
