A Waltz in the Park - Deb Marlowe (Deb Marlowe - Feb 2015)

Series: Half Moon House (Book 1.3)

James Vickers once believed honor and family duty to be his life's work. Now he knows better--and he's appointed himself as silent witness to his father's sins. His greatest goal is to act as the continuously pricking thorn in his lordship's side--and scandal is his greatest weapon. He has no use for an innocent young miss.
 
Propriety is Miss Adelaide Stockton's most important asset. She must be all that is prim and proper if she's to live down her parent's misdeeds and have any hope of catching a husband. She must avoid scoundrels like Vickers at all costs.
 
Yet fate has thrown them together--and given each a key to the other's ambition. A bargain is struck...but together they find that gaining what one desires most is far more difficult than a waltz in the park.
 
Very good story. I liked this one much better than An Unexpected Encounter. The characters were more interesting and the story more complex. Addy is a young woman whose life has been upended by the death of her mother. Her father leaves her and her baby sister with relatives and goes off on a journey alone. Addy's great-aunt believes the best thing to do is marry Addy off as soon as possible, while Addy isn't so sure. She tries to be everything her aunt requires while wanting to be true to herself. It isn't an easy process, especially after she catches sight of James Vickers across a crowded ballroom.
 
James cultivated a scandalous reputation intentionally. Once proud of his family name, everything changed after he learned something horrifying about his father. Now he uses scandal to remind his father of what he knows. James appeared in the previous book, An Unexpected Encounter, as the friend who let Lisbeth down and rejected his guardianship of Aurelia. A conversation with his friend Hestia at the end of that book turned his efforts in a slightly different direction, still against his father but with a changed intent. While his scandalous reputation remains, his pursuit of it diminished, and a more honorable man begins to emerge.
 
I liked the first meeting between Addy and James. He is determined to speak with Addy's chaperone, her cousin Rosemond, who was one of his father's mistresses. Rosemond put those wild days behind her to help with Addy's season and wants nothing to do with him. Addy promises James that she will help him with Rosemond if he introduces her to Hestia. James hesitates because he can't see how an innocent can help him but decides to give her a chance. The attraction that flares between them complicates matters.
 
I loved the complex and complicated steps that James and Addy had to take to carry out their plans. Addy has quite the inventive mind, while James has plenty of experience in sneaking around. As their search for the proof James needs against his father throws them together frequently, James and Addy learn more about each other. The more they know, the greater the feelings that develop between them, but the obstacles in front of them grow too. The tension mounted as they came closer to finding what was needed. I ached for them both when using that information could destroy Addy's family. Both James and Addy had decisions to make after harsh words flew between them. James received some excellent advice and used it effectively to solve part of his problem. Meanwhile, Addy faced her role in their argument and realized she had a choice to make. I loved her big moment as she showed James how important he was to her. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up to the story. 

 

*part of Encounters with a Rogue

An Unexpected Encounter - Deb Marlowe (Deb Marlowe - Sept 2013)

Series: Half Moon House (Book 1.1)

Tall, practical girls might not be worth much in a man's world, but Miss Lisbeth Moreton knows she's worth more than the squire's prized heifer. To change her fate she's run off to a date with destiny at the British Museum. Her would-be suitor never shows, but an unexpected encounter with Lord Cotwell and his lonely ward might lead to altogether new prospects . . . and perhaps to love.
 
Good book. Lisbeth fled her home when her stepfather attempted to arrange a marriage for her in exchange for a prize bull. She arranged to meet a friend at the British Museum, but he never showed up, leaving her stranded with nowhere to go. Hestia Wright, a former courtesan who now helps other women, asked her to keep an eye on an unattended young girl until she can return to assist her. Lisbeth and the little girl, Aurelia, connect quickly. When Aurelia's guardian, Lord Cotwell, tracks her down, Aurelia is quick to engineer a way to keep Lisbeth as her governess.
 
Edmund, Lord Cotwell, is a big bear of a man, gruff and reclusive, who has no clue how to deal with his ward. She ended up with him when her original guardian refused to even see the girl. Aurelia's father was Edmund's best friend, and he wants to do the right thing. Hiring Lisbeth relieves his worries over her care.
 
I enjoyed the development of Edmund and Lisbeth's relationship. Tired of how Society treats him because of his size and social awkwardness, Edmund spends his time shut away in his laboratory working on his inventions. Lisbeth suffered years of her stepfather's constant denigration of her looks and abilities. They first become friends as they share their concern for Aurelia and her grief over her parents' deaths. Lisbeth also takes over as housekeeper, bringing order to Edmund's home and life. Edmund, who locked away his emotions years earlier, finds those feelings stirring back to life around the two females. Lisbeth also feels a growing connection to Edmund though neither feels that they are good enough for the other. A crisis with Aurelia creates the opportunity for some soul-searching, but it's a different encounter that opens Edmund's eyes to the truth. I loved his big moment at the end.

*read as part of Encounters with a Rogue.