Celeste Bradley, The Rogue

The Rogue

Celeste Bradley

In 1813, Lady Jane Pennington has met every eligible bachelor in London in the three months that she has stayed with her uncle, aunt and five Maywell Mob cousins. Jane notices a light in a room that her uncle closed off. To get a closer look she climbs a tree, but gets stuck on a branch just as gambler Ethan Damont leaves. He rescues her. She later learns that her hero is a filler "place card", but not suited for any of her cousins.

Ethan is tired of the Liar's Club following him around so he confronts Lord Dalton Etheridge who warns him either he spies for the crown or else. The Liar's want him to play cards with Maywell a traitor. Ethan realizes that Maywell endangers Jane and her cousins with his traitorous activity so he reluctantly agrees. Maywell knows Ethan desires his niece so he asks him to escort Jane to a party because he plans to recruit the lad to spy on the Liar's Club even as he knows Etheride is also using Ethan to spy on him. As Ethan and Jane fall in love, he chooses his own path to keep her safe, not knowing that she has a more intricate role in her uncle's activities.

The latest Liar's Club novels (see THE SPY and THE PRETENDER) are filled with suspense and romance headed by a likable lead couple in which Jane is the courageous patriot while Ethan has doubts. The story line is action-packed as the audience anticipates a showdown between the traitor and the doubter though the climax seems weak. Still this is a strong Regency romantic suspense thriller that Celeste Bradley's readers will enjoy.

ISBN: 0312931158

Harriet Klausner