"Daphne might not have all the typical feminine graces of an aristocratic wife, but if trouble came knocking, she'd tuck herself behind her husband's coattails. Jess would climb out the window in order to circle around and stab it in the back. No man wanted that in a wife, not really."
Description:
In early 1800s England, Jess Beauchene has spent most of her life in hiding and always on the move in an effort to leave her past far behind her. But when she learns the family she thought had died just might be alive and in danger, she knows her secrets can only stay buried for so long.
Derek Thornbury loves the past, which has led him to become an expert in history and artifacts. He knows Jess has never liked him, but when she requests his help deciphering the clues laid out in an old family diary, he can't resist the urge to solve the puzzle.
As Jess and Derek race to find the hidden artifact before her family's enemies, they learn as much about each other as they do about the past. But can their search to uncover the truth and set history right lead to a future together?
Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is a RITA Award and a Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for Excellence winner. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.
My Thoughts:
Kristi Ann Hunter is one of my very favorite historical fiction authors so, of course, I was super excited for this book! Add in the fact that this is Jess’ story and you would find me stalking the mailbox for days, awaiting its arrival. I’ve been looking forward to her book since discovering she would be more than simply a quirky character in “A Noble Masquerade” and was most definitely not disappointed with what I found between the beautiful covers.
Along with being a favorite author, Ms. Hunter is also one of the only authors of Regency novels whose works I will excitedly read again and again. I have nothing against stories set in that time period, they just aren’t typically to my liking. But apparently, if you add in some especially quirky characters (one of them being a valet with a couple missing fingers), sarcasm, intrigue, a treasure hunt, and some knife throwing, I’ll stay up quite late trying to read “just one more chapter.” I found all of those things and much more in this story.
I absolutely loved the new characters I got to meet, but also I had to grin at being reunited with some old friends. While you don’t have to read the books in order (though I would highly recommend all of Ms. Hunter’s books!), as the author does an excellent job of allowing each story to stand alone, I do think keeping up with the number of characters/titles/names may be slightly confusing if you haven’t read the others. If you have read the previous books in the series, then you’ll already be acquainted with Derek Thornbury and Jess Beauchene. Jess with her sharp tongue and equally sharp knives; Derek with his quirkiness, affinity for all things art and history related, and penchant for spouting random facts. Though I knew them a bit from the other books, I couldn’t resist falling in love with them in this one. Who can resist a hero that maybe isn’t the most dashing man in the room, but who is loyal, stubborn, somewhat socially awkward, kind, and determined to do the right thing, regardless of the cost? And Jess was something of a surprise for me. I already knew her as this very blunt, somewhat hardened spy-turned-cook, but learning her history and background brought her to vivid life. She is loyal, determined to protect those she loves, and is searching for a light in the shadows that she’s lived in for so long.
Two more things I greatly enjoyed: The dialogue, sarcasm, and just the interesting way the characters viewed things had me cracking up more than once (and my husband looking at me, awaiting an explanation) ! And the way the author chose to define more so what real love looks and acts like. Faith isn’t a deep, long, theological discussion here, but rather is woven throughout the story and shown in a myriad of ways.
Overall, I can’t think of a single page of this book that I didn’t enjoy. I would indubitably recommend it!
Random question:
Are there any genres or time periods that you don't typically read, but make will an exception for certain authors?
As always, thank you so much for stopping by! If you'd like to learn more about this book, or any of the others in the series, links are below!
Amazon
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Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
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