Julie Anne Long, Ways to be Wicked

Ways to be Wicked

Julie Anne Long

Warner, October 2006, $6.50

ISBN: 0446616877

In Paris, renowned ballet dancer Sylvie Lamoureux sees the note from England addressed to her adopted parent Claude, who is away on vacation. She becomes frightened and euphoric when she reads the content. English Lady Susannah believes that Sylvie is her sister, separated, along with a third missing sibling as children when their mom was accused of murder. Needing to know the truth, Sylvie immediately travels to England to meet Lady Susannah, leaving behind notes to Claude, her dangerous jealous lover Etienne and her employer.

At the English docks, Sylvie sees Etienne, so she leaps into a carriage containing theater owner Tom Shaughnessy. On the road to London, highwaymen stop them and take Sylvie's retinue, which included all her money. In London, she learns Susannah is in Paris seeking her out, so she turns to Tom for employment. As they fall in love, Etienne searches the city for her, and Susannah rushes back to London to seek out her sibling.

The sequel to BEAUTY AND THE SPY (Susannah's story) is a fun Regency romance in which the limits of communication of the era play a key role in the relationship that develops between Tom and Sylvie. Tom is a terrific roguish male lead who cannot stop himself from needing to help the brave Sylvie. The support cast like the General, Etienne, and the other dancers augment this fascinating tale, which clearly belongs to the second sister Sylvie. Readers will look forward to Sabrina's tale, and hopefully learn the truth of what happened seventeen years ago in 1803 to their mom Anna Holt.