Bryony Russell is determined to find out who framed her father for embezzlement and subsequently murdered him, leaving her sisters and her without a home and with a shadow over their name. First on her list of suspects is Lord Kilmartyn, a rake and her father’s business partner, a man who seems to have escaped the scandal unscathed. So Bryony infiltrates his household as the new housekeeper, one in a succession of unsuccessful women who have been driven out by the Lord’s virago of a wife.

Adrian Bruton is an Irishman living in England, a lord by virtue of his wealth rather than birth. His ties to Ireland leave him in a precarious position, one which his spiteful wife holds over his head as blackmail. To pique her, he hires the new housekeeper in spite of his wife’s objections that Bryony “Greaves” is too ugly to bear the sight of.

What happens after that is fairly predictable. Adrian finds himself drawn to Bryony, a woman he assumes is a spy, but he doesn’t realize until further on what she's after. Bryony knows her employer is a rake and although she intends to avoid him, she kisses him when she believes him to be in a drunken stupor. I have to say that didn’t quite ring true for me. HOWEVER, that did not detract from the read for me. I did enjoy this well-written story. Gothic romances are among my favorites and I would likely read this again. On the downside, stories that start with an intention of adultery, no matter what the circumstances, generally detract from the experience. I’m not going to tell the author how to write her story or what might have made it easier for me to countenance (here I go being prudish!). To the author’s defense, she did an excellent job making Adrian a man of questionable character, so it fits with his personality. Unfortunately, that didn’t make it "all right." And I’m dwelling on a minor flaw in the tale. Bryony’s character shines through. She’s hard-working, determined, industrious and loyal. These are the virtues that redeem her, and her weakness for Adrian makes her human. I enjoyed the story overall, but the personal issues I had with it force me to grade it a little less than a five (issues another reader might not stumble over). ( )

I'm into the mystery! ( )

Interesting, like able characters, mystery and intrigue, steamy love scenes, a small dose of angst - what’s not to like? (3.5 stars) ( )

3 ½ Stars
Review to come. ( )

Bryony's father has died and she is responsible for her younger sisters. Her father has been accused of embezzlement but Bryony doesn't believe this especially since he left a note telling not to trust anyone. She gets a job as housekeeper for her father's partner to find evidence of his guilt or innocence. Instead, she falls in love with him, finds the truth and gets married. Predictable ending and you can guess who the villain when he's first introduced. ( )