When Elizabeth Moore's bartender unexpectedly quit on her, she was left in a lurch. As chef and owner of her own restaurant in beautiful Leonia, she had little enough time to handle the bar demands as well as doing everything else. So, despite her misgivings, she decided to hire the devilish handsome newcomer Aidan Rawlings to help her out. Little did she suspect that he was the reason her previous bartender quit. For he was really Aidan Spaulding of the Lazlo Group and deadly determined to capture her - alive, if possible. He not only suspected she was "Sparrow", the code name for an professional assassin who murdered Prince Reginald, but also the cold blooded killer of his best friend, Mitchell Lama.

Yet, the more he watched Elizabeth, he could not quite jibe this gentle, friendly, sexy woman that many people loved and admired to the killer he knew her to be. As he sought to gain more evidence, he still couldn't put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Wouldn't her extensive knowledge of herbs and flowers, wonderfully blended in the restaurant meals she served, also be the source of the poison that killed the prince? Even with the help of the most modern of technological gadgets and the smartness and quick wit of Lucia, a fellow Lazlo team member, his carefully build theories kept crashing on him as hard as the knock-out he received while checking out the secret tunnels beneath the restaurant. His objectivity was even in danger of melting as their eyes and lips burned with passion on their remote seaside picnic. But, could he find out the truth in time to stop the next killing or would it be him?

Caridad Pineiro has crafted another hot and spicy romance with two well-matched characters that totally pull you into their world. The plot is strong with lots of intriguing twists and great repartee from the supporting characters. I was especially taken with Lucia and her interactions with Aidan as they sought to figure out the mysterious Elizabeth. Warning: You will have trouble putting this book down. Not only will you love this book, but, if this is year first read by Ms. Pineiro, you'll definitely want to seek out the rest of the "Capturing the Crown" series. A real gem!

Book Summary

She'd murdered the heir to the throne, and now the assassin was firmly in undercover agent Aidan Spaulding's sights. With her regal looks, Elizabeth Moore looked more like a princess than a prince killer. But for Aidan, it was personal. Though he had no idea how personal it would get.

The leather-clad stranger didn't look like any job-seeker Elizabeth had ever seen. But the restaurant owner needed a bartender, and the bad boy fit the bill. Until she discovered what Aidan was really after. As a peaceful kingdom exploded in scandal, Elizabeth faced another kind of threat: the sensual danger to one woman's heart.