He is a man with an iron will. He has lived a life of denial and sacrifice to achieve success. All of his focus is on obliterating vice – the more effective he is, the more likely he is to advance in his career.
She was at the mercy of her friends. She had no resources and no hope. And then an unexpected boon lands in her lap that will both change her fortune and throw her in the path of a man she cannot ignore.
Cecelia should not be attracted to the man tasked with shutting down her only means of survival. The Lord Chief Justice has risen from his obscure beginnings to a position of wealth, security and power. And Cassius Gerard Ramsey doesn’t intend to sit on his laurels. He has his eyes on greater glory. Rooting out the evil that plagues London is his own personal mission – and he won’t be swayed by a woman he finds irresistible.
dinner conversation.
Cecelia and Cassius are acquaintances – but all of their meetings have happened in social settings. When Cecelia inherits her aunt’s gaming hell, she must disguise her identity. She walks a perilous road, beguiling Cassius as the demure society maiden and a bold proprietor. Things become even more fraught with danger when Cecelia becomes a target. There is a vigorous trade in the kidnapping of young girls, and Cassius is determined to unveil the villain he suspects it is Cecelia – until her disguise proves useless.
The closer they are drawn together, the greater the fire between them. The Chief Lord Justice may have a cold exterior, but he is nothing but ragged purple flames beneath an impervious surface. And he finds Cecelia the most addicting and troublesome temptation he has ever confronted. They exist on the periphery of each other’s worlds, bound buy the affection of mutual family and friends. The scandalous nature of her inheritance will draw them much closer, until they are embroiled in a game of cat and mouse that will reach its crescendo with an incomparable kiss.
The reckoning from that kiss will come when they let down their guard, acknowledge their weakness, and surrender to each other’s care.
I loved seeing Cassius unravel. Here are some of my favorite glimpses into the steady erosion of his control…
“Mother of all that was good and holy, but her voice did things to him. Hardened his sex and softened his heart.”
“He wasn’t lonely now. He felt hungry. Angry. Needy. Hot. His clothes seemed to scratch and bind. He was tired of talking. Tired of the questions she asked that revealed too much of him to her. —-If only there was a soft place in which to lose himself. His hand reached for her of its own volition. Suddenly she seemed like the answer to everything. At the same time, she was one gigantic question mark.”
“He caught both of her hands above her head. His tongue delved into her mouth, not just gaining a taste, but claiming territory in hot, silken slides.”
This is the magic that all historical romances should contain within their pages.
5 Hallelujah Stars.
