January 9, 2012
In this 1790s quartet opener, Hunter weaves a suspenseful and romantic but improbable tale. Darius Alfreton, earl of Southwaite, is the secret partner in a successful auction house. When the owner dies suddenly, Darius assumes the business will close; Fairbourne’s son was lost at sea two years before, and his plain and forthright daughter, Miss Emma Fairbourne cannot legally inherit. Emma, however, plans to run it from behind the scenes until her brother returns. As Darius and Emma engage in a battle of wills, sizzling chemistry draws them together despite a number of amusing miscommunications, their difference in stations, and the mutual threat of betrayal. Unbridled passion, tender affection, and escalating intrigue balance the unlikely resurfacing of Emma’s brother and the unthinkable union of a tradesman’s daughter and a peer of the realm. Agent: Pamela Hopkins, Hopkins Literary Associates.
February 15, 2012
With her brother lost at sea and her art expert father recently dead in a tragic fall, Emma Fairbourne has one aim: to see that the family art auction house stays afloat. Unfortunately, Darius, the arrogant Earl of Southwaite and her late father's partner, has no desire to manage the business--and he certainly isn't about to let a woman flout convention and do it herself, despite Emma's clever plan. Naturally, the earl reckons without the determination of our intrepid heroine in this intriguing, lushly seductive, mystery-infused tale. VERDICT Clever plotting, delicious sensuality, excellent art history elements, and strong, magnetic characters will attract readers to this engaging and beautifully executed romance, the first in a projected series. Hunter (Dangerous in Diamonds) lives in Pennsylvania.
Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from February 1, 2012
When Maurice Fairbourne walks off a cliff in Kent, everyone in London assumes his daughter, Emma, will close down the family auction house. After all, there is no way a woman could successfully run the place. But Emma has no intention of shutting down Fairbourne's, and she surreptitiously comes up with a scheme of her own for keeping it open. Everything seems to be proceeding according to Emma's new plan until Darius Alverton, Earl of Southwaite, shows up. He had been content to remain a silent partner in the business while Maurice was alive, but now Darius is damned if he will let Emma foolishly run the business into the ground. Much to Darius' surprise, Emma refuses to kowtow to his demands, which means Darius will have to adopt a totally different strategy if he wishes to get the delectably annoying Miss Fairbourne to surrender. Richly imbued with a deliciously dry sense of humor and graced with a striking cast of characters, the latest impeccably researched Regency romance by RITA Award winner Hunter is a masterpiece of wit and passion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)