****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
*copied from my goodreads review:WOW! I'm speechless with how great this followup was! I really took my time with this so I could fully appreciate every word because this is the kind of writing you just want to savor! I also was sick for most of the time, lol, but trust me, there was no other book I'd rather curl up in bed with.First off, the investigation as a whole wasn't my favorite, but that doesn't mean it was badly written. I always admire mystery writers for how hard they must work to sort everything out and make a solid, believable investigation and Ms. LH does it seamlessly. Definitely kept me intrigued from the start!But lets face it.. the main reason I read these novels is for the amazing romance between Lady Darby and Sebastian Gage. I knew when I saw this one was over 400 pages that we'd be in for a treat and again, she didn't disappoint! There are some ups and downs between these two that will frustrate you, but its always a thrilling ride. I admit I wanted to smack Gage a couple times for being vague and holding some things back, but I really feel like they are both learning what to do and what NOT to do and need to make these mistakes. The important thing is that they DO learn and strive to do better in the future.That's another thing I was happy to see.. character growth. Gage is growing and trying to be more open, but Kiera is growing too. I was soooo happy to see her come into her own more and use her little gun with the rest of the fellas! This was a far cry from the meek, scared, quiet mouse of a girl from book one. She is really finding out who she is and who she wants to be and realizes that may lay in the inquiries route, not because of Gage, but because she is GOOD at it. No, it may not be completely acceptable or proper, but if it means she can be her own person and make her own damn decisions, than more power to her! So I love the direction she's going and the fact that her family and Gage is supportive. He has tried to stop her before and it didn't work, so it makes better sense to work together.I can't believe we have another long wait for the next one, but this one left me totally satisfied and I will definitely be re-reading it in the future!
