In the spirit of looking out for new authors especially in the historical fiction/romance genre, I came across Tessa Dare and based on the reviews I have read on her books, I decided to try her out. I chose to start with the shorter stories/books to give me a feel of her writing and I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised.
Within a time interval of four years, Eliza and the notorious Mr. Wright cross paths and in every occasion, it is evident to both parties that they have the hots for each other. Eliza is not going to have her season in London until all her elder sisters are well married off even if she is already 18 years of age and ready to explore life and all the excitement it promises. Mr. Wright has a reputation as an infamous rake but can’t help to be captivated by the young Eliza. Eliza knows that Harry Wright is dangerous grounds but she can’t resist his charm and seems to want him more every year they meet.
This was a quick and enjoyable read which I devoured in almost one sitting. Although it contains some “Adult” content, it still carried all the essential elements of good historical romance novels as I usually like them. In this story however, I found that Eliza was mostly unaccompanied unlike many girls her age in that time and I wonder if her parents were too preoccupied with marrying off her elder sisters or it was just the author trying to portray Eliza’s character in a certain light. I really liked Mr. Wright’s character despite his notorious reputation, I found him quite interesting especially when his motives were revealed at the end of the story. Eliza was a bit too much for me but then again, It must have been tough to be locked up for so long when you knew your peers were attending balls, entertaining suitors and you were missing out on all of that.
If you are looking for a quick and exciting romance story, then this may be your book. I recommend.
Rating: 3.8 Stars
Published: December 11, 2012 by Avon Impulse
Pages: 144 (e-book)
Genre: Historical Romance
Purchase @ www.amazon.com/TSDNMW
The Author: Tessa Dare is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourteen historical romance novels and five novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award (twice!) and the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence. Booklist magazine named her one of the “new stars of historical romance,” and her books have been contracted for translation in more than a dozen languages. A librarian by training and a booklover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, their two children, and a trio of cosmic kitties
