The Earl of Her Dreams
Anne Mallory
Avon, Nov 2006, $5.99
ISBN 0060872950

After an afternoon tryst, Christian Black stops at night at the Dragon's Tale Inn only to be told by the proprietor that all the rooms are taken. Not wanting to go on, he persuades the owner to allow him to share a room occupied by an orphaned tailor's apprentice Mr. Kaden on his way to London to find work. However, Christian, who enjoys solving puzzles, realizes his night's roommate is female.

Kate Simon fled the odious machinations of her brother Teddy, who wants her fortune and is willing to do anything to gain control of it including a forced disgusting marriage. Christian immediately asks "Miss Kaden" her real name. Besides hiding from her sibling until she can reach her solicitor, she finds she must hide her desire for her new roommate. Unable to resist assisting the damsel in distress, Christian fails to inform her he is an earl. As they fall in love, a storm strands them and others at the inn with one of the guests being a killer.

The Earl Of Her Dreams is a wonderful brisk Regency romantic suspense thriller with a delightful investigative subplot into the homicide. The storyline is fast-paced and filled with action from the moment that Christian challenges Mr. Kaden's masculinity and never slows down until Teddy is put in his place. Fans will appreciate this fine historical as the sleuthing augments a fine romance so much so that readers will demand more cases by the newly formed Canley Investigations; perhaps with a secondary player Anthony as the lead sleuth.

Harriet Klausner