Secrets, sins and a scandalous affair
Crispin de Feaux, Marquess of Avenmore, has always done his duty and knows the time has come to find a suitable wife. But when the intrepid Tamsyn Perowne saves his life off the Devonshire coast, Cris is unable to tear himself away…
The widow of a notorious smuggler, Tamsyn would never make an appropriate bride. And Cris has secrets that could tear them apart before they've even begun! Yet, for the first time, Cris is tempted to ignore his duty and claim Tamsyn as his own!
Terrific book that snagged my attention from the beginning and didn't let go until I was done. Cris was back in England after completing a diplomatic mission in Denmark. Unfortunately, he lost his heart to a Danish beauty while he was there. Too honorable to cause a scandal with a married woman or create an international incident, he arrived home frustrated, restless, and reckless. A moment of inattention while swimming off the Devonshire coast found Cris fighting for his life before barely making it to shore. There he was rescued by Tamsyn, a smuggler's widow, and taken in by her and her aunts.
I loved that first encounter between Cris and Tamsyn. He saw her as a mermaid coming to his rescue, and she saw him as a sea god. They shared a hot kiss of relief in being alive before Cris slid into unconsciousness. Tamsyn is no pampered society woman, and I loved her take charge attitude. The scene in the bathing room was great - it was fun to see the always-in-control Cris at Tamsyn's mercy. In spite of his discomfort, Cris was quite intrigued by Tamsyn, especially when he overheard her confrontation with the local magistrate. Though he originally intended to leave as soon as possible, when he heard of the troubles they had his protective instincts stirred. I laughed out loud at his scheme to remain there and investigate the troubles. I laughed even harder when Tamsyn called him on his attempt.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Tamsyn and Cris. The banter between them was terrific, as they were well matched in intelligence and humor. I liked their developing friendship. Neither one denied the attraction between them, though each dealt with it differently. Cris initially tried to ignore it, feeling that it was a betrayal of the woman he left in Denmark. Plus, as an honorable man, he did not want to cause a scandal that would affect Tamsyn's reputation. Tamsyn, on the other hand, was determined to take advantage of the sparks that flew between them. Neither one had any illusions of permanence between them. Cris reminded himself often that he has to look for an eligible bride on his return to London, and Tamsyn has her own reasons to believe it impossible. It was also clear that the feelings between them were growing in spite of it. The troubles facing the ladies took a more serious turn, ramping up Cris's protectiveness, and causing him to take a surprising action. The crisis was averted, but reality tore Cris and Tamsyn apart. I admit to wanting to strangle Cris's friend Gabriel for his obnoxious interference in their lives and its effect on them. An unexpected trip to London brought Tamsyn into Cris's world, and also into danger. I loved the encounters between Tamsyn and Cris's friends, and how they all came together to end the threat against her. I loved Cris's realization of his feelings and seeing him open his heart. I ached for both of them as Tamsyn ran from what she wanted most. Help came from an unexpected source and made for a perfect reconciliation between Cris and Tamsyn. There was an unexpected twist in their reunion that I thought was a lovely touch.
I liked the touch of suspense in the book. The accidents were a good reason for Cris to stick around and gave him and Tamsyn the time to get to know each other. The escalation of the attacks made Cris all the more determined to take care of Tamsyn. There was no doubt about who was behind them; it was only a question of figuring out how to stop him. I thoroughly enjoyed the scene at the inquest, especially Cris and Gabe's parts. The final confrontation was well done with some nail-biting moments until it was all over.
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