"An Adventurous Regency Romance with Characters You Will Fall in Love with."
Reviewed by Linda Green
Posted May 26, 2015
Romance Historical
Carolina Sloane, known as Caro to her friends and family,
has
always been the more impetuous and passionate of the
Sloane
girls. Being the youngest and a talented poet, Caro longs
for
an adventure of her own, and it is not long before her
wish is
granted. Having made a new friend in Isobel Urquehart,
Caro is
shocked to discover that she is the sister of Alec
McClellan,
the rude Scotsman whom she had clashed with at a country
party
in Scotland.
After an attempted kidnapping of Isobel, Caro is
determined to uncover the assailants, with or without
Alec's
help. But as she becomes embroiled in danger, she also
finds
herself battling her feelings for Alec, whom she believes
is
hiding his true, passionate nature underneath his
controlled,
distant exterior.
Alec is determined to keep his sister, and the
infuriating
Miss Sloane, safe from danger. But as the plot thickens,
and
danger appears around every corner, Alec struggles with
his
relationship with Caro. Having suffered deeply in the
past,
Alec has resolved to remain alone, but there is something
about Caro that gets under his skin. Throw in subterfuge,
a
dangerous rebel, secrets and sizzling temptation, and who
knows how this adventure may end?
In the third part of The Hellions of High Street
series, Caro
Elliott has once again struck gold with PASSIONATELY
YOURS.
Caro is my favourite of the Sloane sisters.
Spirited, upfront, kind and intelligent, Caro is not
afraid to
take risks and throw herself into action when she gets
the
impulse. Alec is an engaging hero and I found myself
wondering
what had happened to him in the past, and why he had
constructed this hard shell as protection. The action in
PASSIONATELY YOURS is captivating
and exciting in a way that left me
wanting more. Cara Elliott has a way with words that
makes the
reader instantly connect and care about her characters,
and I
could not read the story quick enough. PASSIONATELY YOURS
by
Cara Elliott is an enchanting read, and I advise you to
buy it
now. Better yet buy the series!
SUMMARY
With her older sisters both happily married, Caro Sloane
yearns for a romantic
adventure of her own. Unfortunately the muddy, sulfur-
scented waters of Bath seem
the least likely setting for love or excitement. But the
aspiring young poet soon
finds inspiration when she runs into a familiar-and achingly
handsome-Scottish
laird. Visiting Bath with his sickly sister, Alec McClellan is
shocked to be reunited
with Caro Sloane. He hasn't been able to forget the English
beauty since their
brief but exhilarating first meeting. But Bath is not nearly
as serene as it
appears, and soon Alec must protect Caro from a danger that
threatens to
extinguish the sparks flying between them. Little does he
know that a bit of
danger is exactly what Caro is looking for . . .
Excerpt“One would almost think you were going out of your way to avoid
speaking to me.”
“We’re speaking now,” he pointed out.
“I would call it verbal sparring.” Caro edged around
impatiently, forcing him to look her in the face. “But now that
I have you alone, I’d rather not keep trading thrusts and
parries. I would rather discuss far more important matters—such
as whether you have learned anything new about the attack on
your sister?”
Pursing his lips, Alec shifted his stance just enough to allow
him to return to his perusal of the lettering on the column.
“Not really.”
“Ye gods.” She restrained the urge to take hold of his arm and
give him a hard shake. “What sort of answer is that?”
“The only one I intend to give,” he replied calmly.
“Fine.” Caro watched the breeze ruffle his long hair, causing a
tangle of red-gold strands to curl around his ear and dance
down the freshly shaven line of his jaw. The faint scent of bay
rum tickled at her nostrils.
“Fine,” she repeated, after forcing herself to exhale. “Then
I’ll just have to do a little poking around on my own.”
That got his attention. He looked around abruptly, his gaze
narrowing to a slitted stare. The movement was quick, but not
quick enough to hide the sudden darkening of his eyes.
“That wouldn’t be wise,” he growled. “The only thing I will add
for now is that you should stay well away from Edward Thayer.”
“Why?”
“Because…” He let out an exasperated grunt. “Must you always
plague me with questions?”
“I wouldn’t have to if you would stop treating me like a
feather-headed wigeon.”
Alec’s scowl became more pronounced.
“Haven’t I proved myself trustworthy and capable?”
A small muscle on his jaw twitched. “I am not at liberty to
give you any more details right now. All I can say is that…” As
he drew in a breath, he seemed to change his mind about what to
say. “Thayer is a charming fellow. No doubt his smooth words
are more to your liking.”
Deciding Alec deserved a bit of teasing, Caro pretended not to
notice the roughness edging his voice. “Yes, he’s exceedingly
charming.”
If his storm-blue stare squeezed any tighter, it would be
sharper than a razor’s edge.
“And scrupulously polite,” she added.
Alec was becoming more flustered. Small sounds were beginning
to rumble in his throat, like the growling of a bear. “I do not
have Thayer’s gift of making myself agreeable. He has a honeyed
tongue, which seems to appeal to all the ladies.”
“Honey is, after all, a great deal more palatable than
vinegar,” Caro pointed out.
He now looked utterly nonplussed.
Caro let him stew for a moment longer before huffing an
exasperated sigh. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, give me some credit
for having a brain, Lord Strathcona! Of course I don’t find
Thayer appealing. When honey drips that freely, it ought to
catch naught but flies.”
The growls ceased.
Caro waited for him to speak.
Ever so slowly, Alec shifted his feet, stirring tiny puffs of
pale dust beneath his boots.
The flicker of dark leather caused a momentary spasm of doubt
as she recalled her chilling encounter in the churchyard.
Alec as evil? She couldn’t explain how, but she knew with a
certainty that resonated right down to her very heartbeat that
it couldn’t be true.
“Are you saying you would trust my word over his?”
“Yes, you big lummox! I don’t know why I should, but I prefer
your snaps and growls.”
A dappling of sunlight seemed to catch on the curl of his
lashes, gilding them to a gleaming gold.
“You are forthright, you are honorable in your own maddening
way,” she went on. Oh, no man ought to have such beautiful
eyes.
She found herself staring, and at that moment, all rational
thought seemed to dance away in the breeze. His face was
utterly intriguing—a mix of chiseled planes and well-defined
features that hinted at hidden secrets.
“And… well, you are quite the most interesting man I have ever
met.” Her legs suddenly seemed a little unsteady, so Caro
reached out and caught hold of his lapels.
Looking up, she found his mouth was only inches from hers.
“Oh, bosh—I shall probably regret this…” Standing on tiptoes,
Caro kissed him. Not a mere feathering of flesh against flesh,
but a hard, hungry embrace that she let go on for far, far
longer than any proper young lady should dare.
“There, I have no doubt shocked you.”
The tip of his tongue traced along the swell of his lower lip.
“I imagine you think me a wanton hellion, and I suppose I am.
It must be my eccentric upbringing. I don’t care very much for
rules.”
Caro knew she was babbling but she couldn’t seem to stop. “You
may consign me to the Devil. But at least I shall dance a merry
jig on my way to perdition.”
Was that finally a hint of smile?
She finally dared pause to take a breath. A long, shuddering
breath. Now was the time to flee, before she made an even
bigger fool of herself.
But Alec suddenly shifted again, blocking her way.
“I, too, shall probably regret this,” he said as he slowly
circled his arms around her and pulled her close.
She opened her mouth. To protest?
Before she could make any sense of what she had set in motion,
their lips met again, setting off a fierce jolt of fire.
What do you think about this review?
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy