This is NOT a good book, although Ms. Landon can spin an exciting, if somewhat melodramatic tale. However, our heroine, Josie, just jumps from one mistaken, emotional conclusion to another, making dangerous and irrational moves based on them. Not a rational thought in her head. Lots of anger, but no brains.

But what really got me, is that the suspense plot involves poor Josie having gotten involved with smugglers to be able to provide funds to an orphanage. She thinks it's just a bit of duty free booze and cloth, but OH NO! she's being used as a cover for the smuggling of illegal drugs! Opium! (Not a spoiler. This is revealed very early.)

This book is set in Victorian England, immediately after the Crimean war. So that puts it in the 1850s or thereabouts. I could be wrong, but I don't believe the opium trade was illegal in Britain at that time. The only smuggling going on was the British bringing cheap Indian opium into China, sparking the Opium Wars earlier in the century. The opium trade in England itself may have been disreputable, but it wasn't illegal. And Queen V would not have been setting up a task force to rid England of the drug trade. Yikes. ( )

First, I'd love to know who wrote this book blurb. I mean, talk about long! This book blurb doesn't just wet your appetite, it basically tells you the story. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. It was well written By reading it, I knew the story had to be either that good or even better. And it was. Much better, that is, so I'm not going to waste your time in explaining the story but tell you why you must get it and read it.

This author is a master at characterization and her characters are three-dimensional, flawed and deep. Her plots are well thought out and the pace is just perfect because it gives one to enjoy the slow-building, slow burning relationship and romance between the leads.

If you've read the first book, you're probably going to read this one as well. But if you've never read this author, this is an excellent story to start with. Don't worry about not reading the first book. All three stories can be read as stand-alones.

I really loved it and highly recommend it!

Melanie for b2b
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