Lady Sophia Barnes, daughter of a marquess and
bluestocking extraordinaire, has made it her life mission
to help women without recourse: whether prostitutes or
servants, she will do everything in her power to help
them, all the while going about her business disguised as
a man. One evening of February 1820, after one of her
protégées goes missing, she surmises only one man can
help her: Damien Beecham, Viscount Quint. It's a bit
tricky as she rebuffed him three years previous, but when
she
hears he is at death's door, she is determined to save
his life, which she does, only he never knew. A few
months later Sophie, as Lady Sophia is commonly known,
again comes knocking at Quint's door, this time with a
most outrageous proposal.
THE LADY HELLION is a fabulous, wonderful book! Quint and
Sophie have a friendly relationship; both have come to
terms that they will never marry, for different reasons,
and there lies the beauty of the story and where the
remarkable character development plays a significant
part. Both Quint and Sophie have secrets which add many
layers to the already fascinating main characters. Sophie
is a formidable woman: she is a true bluestocking, and
not a poor excuse from the author in order to explain her
unconventional behaviour. Sophie's heart is in what she
does, she is brave, reckless even; she is full of life
and ebullient. Sophie is a superb heroine, the kind
little girls dream of being. Quint is known as an
eccentric; he's a recluse with a brilliant mind and
Sophie is a perfect intellectual match for him, which he
appreciates. It is also refreshing that Quint is neither
a rake nor a rogue, but he is most definitely a brooding
hero, and it is totally relevant to the story arc.
THE LADY HELLION is built upon a very clever premise, and
Ms. Shupe crafts an exciting and meticulously researched
story fraught with suspense, startling plots twists,
combined with frissons of sexual tension, and a
beautiful, tender love story, and what an ending! The
fictional world in which THE LADY HELLION takes place is
depicted so realistically that I didn't feel as if I were
outside looking in but rather as if I had been
transported to 1820. Joanna Shupe's prose is exquisitely
simple and quietly elegant, yet very evocative and I'm
positive the dialogues reflect precisely how people
conversed at that time; the conversations are not stiff
but sound entirely natural. THE LADY HELLION is
absolutely terrific!
Lady Sophia Barnes doesn't take no for an answer. Especially when she's
roaming London's seedy underground...dressed as a man.
A rabble rouser for justice, Sophie's latest mission is to fight for the rights of
the poor, the wretched--and the employees at Madame Hartley's brothel.
She's not concerned about the criminals who will cross her path, for Sophie
has mastered the art of deception--including the art of wearing trousers. Now
her fate is in her own hands, along with a loaded gun. All she needs is
instruction on how to shoot it. But only one person can help her: Lord Quint,
the man who broke her heart years ago. The man she won't let destroy her
again...
The last thing Damien Beecham, Viscount Quint, needs is an intrusion on his
privacy, especially from the beautiful, exasperating woman he's never stopped
wanting. A woman with a perilously absurd request, no less! For Damien is
fighting a battle of his own, one he wishes to keep hidden--along with his
feelings for Lady Sophia. Yet that fight is as hopeless as stopping her
outlandish plan. Soon all Quint knows for certain is that he will die trying to
protect her...
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