IF HE'S DARING is Book six in Hannah Howell's
Wherlocke
series. I love this series. Each book I read just gets
better. I adore paranormal historicals, so IF HE'S DARING
is right in my comfort zone. There are no vampires or
werewolves, but the characters featured in this series
have
various psychic gifts that are fascinating. Sir Orion
Wherlocke and his son Giles both have special gifts, as
well as Cat and her son Alwyn. Orion has an uncanny
ability
to find just about anything, Giles is an empath, Cat
senses
when danger is near, and Alwyn can interact with the
spirits of the deceased.
Hannah Howell devises an amazing way for Orion and Lady
Catrin to be introduced. Cat is a woman in crisis at the
beginning of IF HE'S DARING. She just learns that her
nefarious brother-in-law has abducted her son in an
attempt
to gain control of her son's inheritance. In her frantic
pursuit, she makes use of Orion's vehicle -- never
realizing
that his eight year-old son Giles is in the back. Giles is
a
great supporting character. In spite of his young age, he
has street smarts and is extremely precocious. I hope
Hannah Howell creates stories for some of these remarkable
children when they grow up.
A romance develops between Orion and Cat as he helps her
get her son back. However, there is a vast amount of
delicious sexual tension before the relationship is
consummated. I like both characters. Orion is an unusual
hero -- with his special abilities, unique relationship
with
his children, and his Sherlock Holmes-like qualities. Cat
is a woman who has been treated badly by the men in her
life, but she has inner strength and that's something
Orion
sees and admires her for.
One thing I really like about IF
HE'S DARING, that I think really helps the romance along,
is that there really aren't any secrets between Orion and
Cat. Anything that Cat temporarily holds back, Orion
figures out and brings to her attention. This eliminates a
lot of misunderstandings between the two.
Orion and Cat have a lot of chemistry and I enjoyed their
love story. There is a wonderful sensuality and eroticism
to their romance, but I think that a big reason the
romance
works so well is because they are both well-written
characters. I also like that their romance is not obscured
by all the action in the story. However, the story-telling
and the fast-paced action had me glued to the page right
from the start. All the books I've read in this series
have
been this engrossing, but I think IF HE'S DARING didn't go
to the dark places that the previous one did. I love how
Orion's family warmed to Cat right away and treated her
like a part of the family.
IF HE'S DARING is a fast-paced page turner that enchants
with its sensual romance and Hannah Howell's masterful
story-telling! As usual, after reading a book in this
series, I am eager to read the next installment. Each
story
is a treat with unique characters and fascinating
situations.
In a dazzling new novel in the Wherlocke family saga, New York Times bestselling author Hannah Howell creates an unforgettable story of intrigue, jeopardy, and desire. . . Stealing a stranger's carriage is the second most reckless thing Lady Catrin Gryffin de Warrene has ever done. The first is succumbing to her powerful attraction to the carriage's owner. Catrin has heard the rumors about Sir Orion Wherlocke's family and their otherworldly gifts. He's the one person who can keep her son and his inheritance safe from her late husband's ruthless brother. As for how to protect herself. . .it may be too late for that. Orion is facing the worst danger a man of his ilk can find: a woman he can't walk away from. Catrin is an intoxicating blend of innocence and sensuality, and for the first time, seduction is far more than a game. But her beauty and fortune have made her a target--one that will dare him to risk everything he's known--in pursuit of everything he's ever longed for. . .