It's not every day that you're whisked away from a (slightly illicit) gathering of the ton, kidnapped with the intent that no harm should come to your person, and yet bundled with all speed and haste to the Scottish border. On even fewer days does an infuriating (yet strappingly handsome) rake pursue your kidnappers and vow to rescue you and restore your reputation. And, in VISCOUNT BRECKENRIDGE TO THE RESCUE, these events set off a chain reaction sparking not only a romance in this latest work of Stephanie Laurens but also creating a mystery (and a villain) that promises to appear in her next two Cynster Family novels.

In the popular Laurens' latest work, the story rumbles along at an enjoyable pace, adhering to the traditional conventions of the romance genre but not in an offensive or mundane manner. Heather Cynster is another headstrong Cynster lady, intent on winning love and making her own destiny despite society's dictates. The Viscount Breckenridge is another of those disreputable London rakes, overprotective and unable to voice the truth of his emotions. Frankly, I'm not certain we actually ever learn his first name (or, if we do, it's forgettable in the usual romance genre's sea of pronouns). Some of the novel's passages invoked the usual giggles that such literature can bring on- at one point Breckenridge claims "Her heartbeat... he couldn't exactly feel it, but he'd seduced too many women not to sense it." Rarely has a man sensed my cardiological processes from a distance! A couple of the more... intimate... scenes have far too much "soaring", "flying", "fracturing", "imploding", "glory blossoming" and so on, but with the number of salacious passages within the novel, one expects that at some point, adverbs just need to be sprinkled about like salt to distinguish one magical night from another.

In any case, Heather and Breckenridge's romance is worth a read, a laugh, and a slightly maudlin sigh at the love between the two characters. Perfect for rainy days or indulgent afternoons, VISCOUNT BRECKENRIDGE TO THE RESCUE is another strong addition to Laurens' canon.