Growing up knowing that he was a gentleman, but yet not, Oliver Le Beau Blackthorn thought that he could have the best of both worlds. Why shouldn't he, as an upstanding young man, have everything his heart desired? That was simply not to be the case. You see it was alright for the ladies to flirt with him, but to take his advances seriously and mix with a man of his breeding was simply beneath them; as young Beau was to find out for himself, unfortunately the hard way. Spurned by the upper crust woman that he desired for being a bastard, beaten by her brother and his footman, Beau fled London to find himself and make a man out of the boy he once was. Then his revenge would know no bounds and his life would begin anew.

Lady Chelsea Mills-Beckman knew that she had to escape the life her brother had planned for her. Her brother, Thomas, had a minister that had all but warped his mind into believing that Thomas would be saved only if he were to marry his sister off to said minster. The audacity of the man! A vile cur scheming off the lives of others for his own gain. Oh, and he had gained much in the pockets of her brother; a virtual fortune in gold to forgive Thomas' sins. It was all the work of one man. Chelsea knew it, but getting Beau Blackthorn to help her would be quite the challenge. Once scorned by her brother and beaten for courting her sister, Beau was exactly the sort of man who would cherish the little revenge Chelsea had planned. Unfortunately, she never imagined that she would lose her heart in her little game. Nor that she would lose her heart to the one man she couldn't trust. In a world of deceit, lies, and scheming can two people truly find love?

This book was charmingly enchanting. The plot was speedy, never pausing for a breath as Beau and Chelsea were forever plotting, running, and finding each other again and again. I thought that the storyline moved along smoothly, author Kasey Michaels left nothing out and didn't include any little extras that simply didn't belong in the book. Everything went along wonderfully. I found myself enchanted by Beau and his strength. He was quick to tease and never shied away from a fight, both physical and verbal. Chelsea was written to be the lady of legends. Standing up for herself in an era when women didn't have choices. I simply loved her retorts, snide comments, and her continuous inner struggles. She was able to grow greatly in the story and I thought that it made her all the more real. Michaels has set up the characters for the next two stories quite well, and what really makes her a great writer is that this story was not hurt by them. In fact, I thought that the brothers and their behind the scenes plots only added to the allure of this story. I look forward, with great relish, to reading more Blackthorn brothers in the books to come!

Book Summary

Charming, wealthy and wickedly handsome, Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn has it all…except revenge on the enemy he can’t forget. Now the opportunity for retribution has fallen into his hands. But his success hinges on Lady Chelsea Mills-Beckman—the one woman with the power to distract him from his quest.

Desperate to escape her family’s control, Lady Chelsea seizes the chance to run off with the notorious eldest Blackthorn brother, knowing she’s only a pawn in his game. But as Beau draws her deep into a world of intrigue, danger and explosive passion, does she dare hope he’ll choose love over vengeance?

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