Julia Ross, Clandestine

Clandestine

Julia Ross

Berkley, November 2006, $14.00

ISBN: 0425211975

In 1829 England, Sarah Calloway worries that a rejected suitor has abducted her cousin Rachel. She has no one to turn to for help except perhaps Guy Devoran, a man her cousin mentioned in a letter to her as a kind caring person. Desperate and worried, Sarah clandestinely observes Guy at various galas before finally asking him to find and rescue Rachel.

Guy cannot fathom why the young widow selected him, but admires her courage and loyalty. He agrees to investigate what happened to Sarah, though he thinks she hides something from him. He knows he has not told her the entire truth of why he acquiesces to make inquiries. As they journey through the world of the Ton and the underworld of smugglers, they fall in love, but both must reveal their deepest darkest secrets if they want to make a permanent match and save Sarah.

This is a terrific Regency romantic suspense thriller, as the rescuers fall in love, while not totally trusting their beloved, as each believes the other hides something critical from them. The action-packed storyline moves rather quickly, yet the prime players are fully developed. Julia Ross proves the sub-genre is alive and well.