MY RECKLESS SURRENDER

Author: Anna Campbell ISBN: 9780061684319 6/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: 1827 London

Headlong into sin . . . A well-practiced rake, weary of easy conquests and empty pleasures, Tarquin Vale, Earl of Ashcroft, knows women—and his every instinct warns him to beware of this one. Diana Carrick's brazen overtures have thrown the haunted, sinfully handsome lord completely off his guard. Why, the exquisite temptress stated outright that she wishes to be his lover. But it is neither Diana's boldness nor her beauty that intrigues him so—it is the innocence he senses behind her worldly mask. Intent upon the seduction that will finally free her, Diana has set her sights on the notorious Ashcroft—never dreaming that there is much more to the enigmatic rogue than sin and deviltry. His kiss is bewitching, his caress intoxicating—and even the dangerous secret Diana must protect cannot shield her from Ashcroft's dark allure. Unwittingly yet most willingly, they are playing with fire. Now the fuse has been lit and there is no escape . . . except surrender.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Wow! MY RECKLESS SURRENDER is a hot one! Brash and bold, featuring seduction at its finest, this Campbell offering is amazing. Made up of unforgettable characters and a plot unlike any other I have read, I don't regret one single moment of time spent reading it! No, it isn't perfect, but it sure is good.

While I really enjoy this book for its dramatic characters and truly unique plot and setting, I have to point out something that is probably not a huge hang up for most, but it is for me. Toward the end, when "all" is revealed, it becomes creepy. Not creepy as in a paranormal way, but rather in a sick, twisted, borderline Jerry Springer sort of way. How Campbell could have gotten around this aspect of the book and still kept it as good as it is I cannot say, but I honestly got a bit nauseous when listening to the villain explain himself. Truly, I may have been chanting, "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!".

With its deception and lust, intriguing characters, and a plot that is just shy of crazy, MY RECKLESS SURRENDER is a read I won't soon forget.

Shannon Johnson