TAKE ME

Author: Lucy Monroe ISBN: 0425212211 10/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: 1825 London

Jared, Viscount Ravenswood, has no choice but to honor the deathbed wish of his ailing servant. All she asks is that Jared introduce her soon-to-be orphaned daughter to the notorious and reclusive Calantha, Duchess of Clairborne. No ordinary request, for this is no ordinary child. She is, in fact, the key to the Duchess's most private secrets, and to Jared's own past—one that has branded him Lord Beast among the ton. But when the Viscount meets the Duchess, he finds not the pitiless dowager he expected, but a lovely and wary angel—survivor of a brutal marriage left now with only her roses and the breathtaking mystery that is her life. For Jared, to solve it is to fall in love, to make her believe in the impossible, and to follow the promise that comes with the most intimate whisper of all... Take me...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The last book in Lucy Monroe's Langley family trilogy is called TAKE ME. If you have read and loved TOUCH ME and TEMPT ME, you are most definitely going to fall in love with TAKE ME. It is just a beautiful and deeply romantic story that will leave you begging for more of the Langley saga.

Jared, Viscount of Ravenswood (or Lord Beast as known by the ton), is the tortured hero of this story. Underneath his rugged façade is a sensitive and caring man. He was so easy to fall in love with, and is now one of my favorite heroes. He has taken into his heart the life of a little girl named Hannah. Through her, he has learned what it is to care for someone so deeply.

Calantha, Duchess of Clairborne, is slowly recovering emotionally from an abusive husband. As beautiful as an angel, she has an inner strength that slowly emerges through the progression of the story. When she finally meets Jared face-to-face, she sees not the scar that has marred his face, but the courage and bravery that is inside of him. She can't but become curious of him. After a passionate kiss during a party, their lives are going to be entwined with each other, forever.

Jared has made a promise to bring Hannah into Calantha's keeping. He doesn't realize that by doing so, he will be offering up himself for the taking as well. Jared, Calantha and Hannah soon form a tight bond, but there is danger about and it is aimed right at Hannah. Now it's up to Jared to find out who is behind this danger; however, all the signs point to Calantha.

Can Jared and Calantha's love be stronger than the powers that are bound to tear them apart?

I just loved this story and I didn't want it to end. Monroe penned an emotionally stunning novel that will have you crying and falling in love at the same time. If you have read her previous two books, then TAKE ME has to be on your TBBL, and even if you haven't read them, run to the nearest bookstore and pick up your copy as soon as you can!

Julie Kornhausl