They have gone on to make something of themselves through dint of their own hard work one brother – Mick (hero of Beyond Scandal and Desire)- is an incredibly wealthy businessman, while another owns a thriving gambling establishment, and Gillie is the proud owner of the Mermaid and Unicorn Tavern in Whitechapel. Gillie Trewlove is one of five ‘siblings’ who aren’t related by blood but regard themselves as such owing to the fact that they were all taken in as babies and brought up by the big-hearted Ettie Trewlove. He just about recalls hearing a low, melodious voice yelling at the men to leave him alone and moves in and out of consciousness as his rescuer, gets him to her flat, has the doctor called, and then takes care of him until he is well enough to be able to return home.

While there, Thornley – Thorne – falls foul of a bunch of footpads who rob him and beat him quite badly. It’s a low-angst, low-conflict Cinderella story which is well written, boasts a couple of engaging central characters and a romance that feels very mature – but ultimately, it lacks the emotional punch I’ve found in other books I’ve read by this author, and I came away from it feeling a little disappointed.Īntony Coventry, Duke of Thornley, is some way into his cups when he decides to make his way to Whitechapel, the last known destination of the woman who jilted him at the altar that morning. The first two books in the author’s Sins for All Seasons series – Beyond Scandal and Desire and When a Duke Loves a Woman – have been released simultaneously, and as I read and reviewed the first book earlier this year, I opted to review the second in audio.

Heath by K. Webster