It takes a very talented author to take an immensely unlikable and spoiled heroine and transform her into someone caring, likable, and deserving of her HEA. Lorraine Heath has always been a favorite of mine and with this second installment in her Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series she shows just such a talent by transforming the extremely nasty and spoiled Ophelia into Phee who's good to both people and animals and works hard when tasked with living a life foreign to her.
Ophelia has been taught not to associate with those of the lower class by a cold and commanding father. She carries an air of superiority and doesn't hesitate to lord her status over others, particularly made man Drake Darling. Her comments are cutting and hurtful and make her immensely unlikable as the story starts until a dramatic event changes her life, her attitude and continues to put her in jeopardy from demons from her past. Ophelia is a strong-willed woman who knows what she wants and what she wants is freedom and her promised inheritance to acheive that. With the family coffers dwindling though desperate times call for desperate measures and a near-drowning in the river with a bout of amnesia courtesy of a mysterious figure along with brief, painful glimpses from the past don't bode well for her future. Being rescued by Drake leads to an eye-opening experience as he convinces her that she's his maid. She learns that the lower class aren't what she was taught and neither is Drake. She becomes a more caring and appreciative person, learns to love and find freedom in acceptance of herself and ultimately Drake. Throughout this journey Drake's there keeping her safe from her past and those seeking to harm her future which allows for a friendship to morph into a love that will be put in jeopardy once she discovers that he's been lying to her ever since he rescued her.
Drake started out a boy on the streets who witnessed his father killing his mother and believes his father's darkness taints his soul. He was rescued by a man of wealth and is grateful for all he's been given in life though he doesn't feel worthy. He longs for a deep connection with someone but the darkness in him has him keeping his distance. Though their relationship started out bitterly he finds himself drawn to Ophelia. At first he just wants to bring her down a notch through his lie but discovering her deeper layers while she's in his home has him finding a soul similar to his. Theirs is an unlikely connection but a deep one of complete acceptance. I liked Drake immensely as he was charming and loyal to his friends and family. He worked hard to rise above his circumstances. He knew his lie to Phee was wrong but keeping her safe was worth the ramifications. He knows he's not a good man but he is a man worthy of a HEA and he finds it with the most unlikely of women.
Ms. Heath surprised me by making me like the new Ophelia. She made her into a real person who was easy to relate to. Discovering what made her the shrew she was at the start of the story, through foreboding references at first and then the discovery of how she was trained as a child by her father, lead to great sympathy for her. Though I couldn't completely forgive her as she was a bit hypocritical in her thoughts regarding Drake early on. I adored Drake in the previous book and his protectiveness of his adopted sister Grace, Ophelia's friend. He might be rough around the edges but I found him charming and could forgive his lie as I too wanted Ophelia to learn a lesson. These two bruised souls formed a surprisingly satisfying connection and their romance was both sweet and sensual and progressed at a believable pace. The secondary characters were again delightful and showed support towards one another that only people who've been through hardships could understand. I look forward to more stories from this band of brothers. The mystery surrounding Ophelia was another intriguing part of the story and Ms. Heath juggled its issues both past and present perfectly to add surprising layers to her character. I was doubtful at the start of the story but Ms. Heath's talent shown through and took me on a delightful and satisfying journey to HEA between two very different people joined in their inner pain. This was another entertaing installment in the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series that can be read on its own but with such a strong cast of characters you won't want to miss any of their stories.
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2014
- Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2017
