Dominic Hunter, an agent of the Intelligence Service, got an urgent message from Griffin Steele to get back to the village of Camberwell because his mother, Chloe, needs his help. Dominic and Chloe were best friends when they were children; in fact, Dominic has always loved Chloe. He and Chloe share a tragic history: at fourteen, she was seduced, ruined and sent away when she became pregnant. Dominic was never able to find her even though he searched far and wide; he always blamed himself for not having been able to help her then, but he was barely older than she was. Chloe had disappeared for years, until she resurfaced a few months prior and reunited with her son: Griffin. Even so, Chloe managed to make a life for herself; she eventually inherited quite a bit of money and founded a refuge for unwed mothers. Now Dominic's help is needed because the privacy of the refuge has been breached and the son of a London crime boss has threatened his former fiancée and Chloe was hurt in the process.

TALL, DARK AND ROYAL is the reunion of Dominic and Chloe, and it was a story that begged to be told. What a joy that Ms. Kelly decided to do so and in such a fashion: what a superb book! Dominic and Chloe's heartbreaking story has been mentioned in the previous instalments of the Renegade Royal series; Ms. Kelly provides sufficient background information so that a reader who has not read the books will still be able to truly appreciate what these characters have endured. TALL DARK AND ROYAL can be read as a standalone if only for the sheer beauty of the author's sumptuous prose. Ms. Kelly always writes beautifully, but TALL DARK AND ROYAL is outstanding: the dialogues are splendid, the vocabulary perfect; every sentence is pure magic.

Dominic and Chloe are magnificent characters: strong, extraordinarily complex and I really loved that they are older; they are both in their early forties. It's a welcome change, and it's beautifully handled; they conduct themselves according to their age. It's wonderful how Chloe sounds like a mother when she speaks to her grown son, how different she expresses herself when she's with Dominic. What a love story! Touching, tender, and until the very end you are left guessing as to what will happen. Were Ms. Kelly to write the whole story in one book, it could definitely be considered a modern classic! Although a novella, TALL DARK AND ROYAL could well be the most beautiful book of the year!