WINTER FIRE

Author: Jo Beverly ISBN:0451210654 11/2003 HISTORICAL Publisher: SIGNET
Time Period: Georgian

Through no fault of her own, Genova Smith is in the precarious position of accompanying the Marquess of Ashart to the home of Lord Rothgar, his cousin and mortal enemy. Even more distressing, she and the infuriating rake have been caught in a passionate kiss, forcing her into the dangerous situation of pretending to be in love with the one man capable of stealing her heart… Caught in an unwanted betrothal, Lord Ashart plays the game to protect a lady’s virtue while pursuing darker purposes of his own. To survive, he must confront his cousin and his past, but the passion that ignites between him and Genova threatens everything. With her, he realizes he’s finally met his match—and if he isn’t careful, their staged engagement may turn into something deliciously real…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Everyone loves a Malloren novel and this one is no exception. Our hero in this one, though, is on the opposite side of the beloved Mallorens, and that makes for interesting reading.

As a hero, Ashart is beyond sexy, down to his pirate-style earring. He finds his old aunt's companion, Genova Smith, quite to his liking though she may be in league with the very people he believes are trying to dupe him. Enter the infamous Dark Marquess, Lord Rothgart, and a host of other Mallorens and you get a game of cat and mouse as well as a false betrothal to Miss Smith.

Reading something that has an honest hero in it, right down to the "I love you but I have to marry for money" and the "I only have two bastards but I take care of them" always makes for a good read. In this case a great one, despite the use of a zillion metaphors pertaining to greek mythology and Shakespeare, of course. All that speaking in code did grate on my nerves a bit but the sparks from Ashart and Genova kept me reading. What else is there to say, but thanks for another Malloren hit.

Shannon Johnson