If You Give a Rake a Ruby by Shana Galen (Jewels of the Ton #2)
Historical Romance
March 5, 2013
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Reviewed by May 

“I’m trying very hard to resist you,” she said, her voice low and husky.

“Keep trying. In the meantime, I think I shall push you against that wall, toss your skirts up, and thrust into you.”

She moaned. “I wish I didn’t like that suggestion so very much.”

“Me too.”

Fallon (aka the Marchioness of Mystery) is one of the celebrated courtesans in England, and together with her two best friends they are known as the Three Diamonds. Nobody knows what Fallon’s real name is or where she came from, nobody that is, except for Warrick Fitzhugh.

Doing work for the Foreign Office, and trying to stop the murder of his fellow Diamonds in the Rough (England’s most elite spies), Warrick will do anything including spending time with the courtesan whose history could help him solve the mystery, catch a villain, and save the lives of good men.

Right off the bat Warrick knows most all of Fallon’s secrets. He knows that she is not really a courtesan, that she has had very few lovers. He knows exactly who she really is and where she came from. That her father was a thief and her mother a whore. He knows, he accepts it, he doesn’t really care. This was so refreshing that he knows the truth, tells her so, and they focus not only on the mystery, but staying alive and (whoops!) falling in love.

“Most ladies are skittish ninnies who faint if a man utters the word damn in their presence. You should hope I don’t treat you like a lady. I have no use for ladies.”

Fallon, despite being described as very petite, is a formidable woman. She can hold her own in a fight, has been known to take a man down, and is quite the thief if she needs to be. I loved her strength, and her vulnerabilities as well. I thought that she was the perfect match for a man like Warrick who doesn’t tolerate fools, and who would not be able to stand the typical English debutant.

This is very much a case of people who do not want to fall in love or get married finding themselves wildly attracted to and in love against all odds.

“I’m not a child. I’m a man. I make my own decisions, and I’m going to marry you.”

She stared at him. “No, you’re not.”

He pushed her back against the wall. “The hell I’m not. You’re mine, Fallon, and I’m going to have you, one way or another.”

She sputtered a protest, but he took her mouth with his, cutting her words off. He didn’t really care what she had to say at the moment.

I found the story fast paced, the romance strong, and overall it was a delightful read, one that I liked a lot more than the previous installment in this series. Speaking of series – you absolutely do not need to read the first book in order to enjoy this one. It stands alone very nicely – well except for one thing.

I have one complaint on this book, and it is that the ending felt incomplete. The way things are left we’ll have to read book three to get resolution and real satisfaction. While I understand that in a series like this there are often story arcs that span the entire series, this one had almost a cliffhanger feel to it. So much energy is invested, so much time and page space devoted to solving this that I felt disappointed that we didn’t get to see who the culprit was. While I feel confident we will get the rest of the story in book three, I wish that the ending had been given a more satisfying resolution and feel to it instead of the blatant hand off to our next heroine to continue the mission.

My complaint aside, it was a lovely story and romance, and I will definitely continue with this series and read the next book most eagerly.

Grade: B-

Recent Reviews:
Under the Covers – 3.5/5
The Romanceaholic – 3/5
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