Renee Bernard, Revenge Wears Rubies

Revenge Wears Rubies

Renee Bernard

Berkley, Mar 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425233375

In 1857 he survived imprisonment in Bengal, India. Now two tears later, Galen Hawke is in England still suffering nightmares only to find the fianc e of the late John, one of the other seven English prisoners, enjoying her first season rather than grieving his death. He vows to teach Miss Haley Moreland, engaged to Herbert Trumble, a lesson she will never forget.

Haley is ignorant that her childhood friend John felt they were engaged; as he never asked and she never had to respond. Her biggest issue is to keep her family from poverty, which means marrying wealth. However, upon meeting Galen, she is attracted to him while he wants to seduce and ergo destroy her. As he begins to reassess what he thought he knew about Haley, she ponders whether to marry for love or money that is if Galen even considers marrying her.

This terrific Victorian romance grips the audience with the opening nightmare as an enthralled audience watches how the vendetta of a Jaded Gentleman plays out. Fast-paced throughout as her sly father observes, fans will appreciate Galen's thirst for vengeance turn to admiration and love, but might prove too late. With "Sapphires" to follow, sub-genre readers will enjoy the first of the Jaded Gentleman tales.

Harriet Klausner