Short and Sweet Book Reviews #15 Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt, Colton Cowboy Hideout by Carla Cassidy, Cowboy After Dark by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane #10) by Elizabeth Hoyt

Historical Romance

The Maiden Lane series is filled with great characters and I never miss a book.  The Duke of Sin does have great characters and a lot of tension but I just did not like Valentine Napier.  Bridget was not one of my favorite characters either.  Valentine’s one redeeming feature has been his protection of the sister so I was interested in hearing his story and it did explain his behavior.  Even so by the end of the book I still did not like him.  Fans of the series will want to read Duke of Sin.  While it can stand alone I would not start the series here.  After reading this book I am not sure you would be a fan.

Colton Cowboy Hideout (The Coltons of Texas #7) by Carla Cassidy

Contemporary Western Romance

It was nice to see Josie Colton make another appearance in the Coltons of Texas series.  This time she is trying to find something that her father burried years ago.  What should have been a one day thing turns into days as the owner of Colton Valley Ranch disappears and someone tries to kill Josie.    Josie really has not plan for her life out of hiding until she meets Tanner Grange and his adorable daughters.  I loved both Tanner and Josie.  They are perfect as the two main characters that find a HEA.  A good addition to the series with some great hooks for future stories.

Cowboy After Dark (Thunder Mountain Brotherhood) by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Contemporary Western Romance

We have a new graduate from Thunder Mountain and of course when he comes back to visit he meets woman who is perfect for him.  Liam and Hope strike sparks immediately but all is not well between them.  She does not want anything but a one week fling.  Getting her to change her mind is a huge job.  This series has a lot of sex and sometimes not that much character interaction outside the bedroom.  I like the fact that the two main characters had more interaction that did not involve sex.  A fun story with two interesting main characters and a nice visit with characters from the previous books.

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Historical Fiction

Elizabeth Hoyt has done it again.  Another great Maiden Lane story with another Ghost of St. Giles. 

Godric St. John has been a ghost of a man since his wife took years to die.  He is also one of the Ghosts of St. Giles. Two years ago he was blackmailed into marring Lady Margaret Reading.  She was pregnant with another man's child (a man who had just been murdered) at the time but miscarried shortly after.  She has been living the the country and Godric in the city but as the book starts that is changing.  Margaret has come to town with two goals.  Get pregnant and find her lovers murderer. 

Margaret or Megs as she prefers and Godric are both wonderful characters.  Both have lost people they love and both think they cannot love again.  It is really fun to see how they both begin to live and love again. 

Margaret also wants to find the person who killed her first love.  That brings the story of the Ghost and a reappearance of the lassie snatchers from the last book into the story.  The Ghost is in danger again.  He wants to keep his identity from Margaret but things happen that make it harder and harder to do. 

There is a set up for the next book woven into the story.  The characters for this story appear but really do not play a part in Lord of Darkness.  They did not add to this story.  They only appeared as a set up for the third Ghost of St Giles book.

Grand Central Publishing released Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt in 2013.

     

Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane # 4) by Elizabeth Hoyt

Historical Romance

Thief of Shadows is a very good addition to the Maiden Lane series.  Here is what Goodreads says about the book:

A MASKED MAN . . .
Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles-protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A DANGEROUS WOMAN . . .
Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society-flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons-Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar-and his lips so tempting.

A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY
During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed . . . But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything-the Home, Isabel . . . and his life.

Characters:  Winter Makepeace is a new virgin hero.  His life is devoted to the foundling home and his nighttime identity as the Ghost of St. Giles.  He does not have time for a wife or a family so he has decided to live a celibate life.  Lady Isabel Beckinhall has a face she shows to society.  Winter is the only one who realizes that she had a very different private face.  Elizabeth Hoyt loves to write two main characters from different parts of society, characters who should not even mix but who are drawn together.  Winter and Isabel meet those criteria.  They should be oil and water but are not.  Both Winter and Isabel are full developed characters.  There are secondary characters but not much time is spent on their development.

Plot:  The book starts with danger and that danger continues to run throughout the story.  There is a villain.  Hoyt put in several red herrings before the real villain is unmasked.  She also set the scene for the next book.

Backstory:  This is book four.  Many of the characters for the first three books are present and there are hints about what happened in the previous books.  Those hints do not interfere with the story.  Thief of Shadows will stand-alone.   I just think it is more fun if you have read the previous books.

Writing:  The writing is very smooth.  The story moves at a steady pace with scenes and sequels that allow the reader and the characters to rest between the action.  It also gives the reader time to set to know more about the  main characters.

Tension:  Tension makes or breaks a story like this and tension makes Thief of Shadows.  There is more that one type of external tension and each of the main characters have secrets that generate a lot of internal tension.  Both together add up to a great story.

Pick this one up if you want a good historical romance.  If you have not read the rest of the series you need to pick up Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane #l), Notorious Pleasures (Maiden Lane, #2), and Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3).

Grand Central Publishing published Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt in 2012.

I received a eARC of Thief of Shadows from NetGalley.  Thief of Shadows is scheduled for release on June 26, 2012.