The first book in a new series by Jennifer Haymore has a well-worn plot idea. The hero is nobility(in this case a duke) and the heroine is a servant(although she grew up and was educated with the Duke's siblings). However I was pleasantly surprised. What could have been a trite story was made unique by the strong friendship between the H&h, the unusual family dynamics, and a mystery that I became engrossed in. There was also a blackmail subplot. I really like the way the blackmail problem was resolved, and I am looking forward to the continuation of the mystery in the next book. There are 5 more siblings in the Hawkins family and they all seem pretty interesting.
