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!
He's the man behind the mission to track down the
illegitimate children of England's Royal Princes and help
them get their due. But his deepest desire is far more
personal…
Magnificent and stubborn. Fourteen years apart had not
changed Chloe Steele, or Dominic Hunter's love for her.
He'd
been a street urchin, a boy raised at court, and finally
a
magistrate, yet he'd never belonged anywhere--except by
her
side. Now Chloe devoted herself to girls threatened by
scandal--like she had been. But she was in danger, and
Dominic was determined to help--and hopefully make up for
lost time…
Even in childhood, Dominic had made Chloe feel safe. Now
she
also felt thrillingly flustered by the powerful man he'd
become, and by the longing he inspired. Because Dominic
meant not only to protect her, but to untangle the lies
that
had separated them. Yet for Chloe, surrendering to
temptation may be easier than risking a future that could
ruin them both…