Much Ado About Rogues by Kasey Michaels
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (379 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Meet the Blackthorn Brothers—three unrepentant scoundrels infamous for being mad, bad and perilous to love.
Who is the darkly handsome Don John “Black Jack” Blackthorn? With his air of mystery and menace, the whispers about him hint of highwayman or government agent or even dark prince. But no one knows what it is Black Jack does…or how dangerous he can truly be. Now Jack’s mentor has disappeared, and Jack must track him down before it’s too late. His unlikely help: the man’s daughter—the very woman Jack had once wooed and betrayed.

Lady Tess Fonteneau knows more about the fine art of clandestine activities—and about the mysterious Mr. Blackthorn—than he realizes. As their journey leads them on the adventure of a lifetime, their reunion is fraught with passion, high-stakes danger and the one twist of fate Jack never saw coming….

A young man kicked out by his own mother years before grows up to save his little corner of the world in the most unlikely fashion making this story one of the best in the series. In A Midsummer Night’s Sin I had hints the hero, Jack Blackthorn, was an unusual man just by how sinister he was depicted – he always seemed to know things and appeared when and where I least expected him. Without him being some kind of superman or preternatural being, how did he DO that?

The author answered it in grand fashion with this dramatic and gut punching finale in Much Ado About Rogues. It seems it was all in his training. Jack was taught everything he knew by a master of intrigue, but to his dismay he finds out that he didn’t learn all that the old man knew. And the revelations are enough to grind molars to dust because the master is not what he led everyone to believe. That is one of the knives in the back for most of the main characters in the story. It taunts and teases the plot along bringing intrigue, suspense, high drama and action that propels the momentum at a crisp clip.

The second turn of the screw came from Jack’s own mother. And what a piece of work she is. How Ms. Michaels came up with such a twisted scenario, I’ll never know, but it works like a train wreck – I couldn’t look away. How a woman could actually think that what she did was hunky dory is beyond me. That she could blithely ignore the ramifications of her actions astounded me. She has to be the most passive aggressive non-villain there ever was but she well deserved a swift kick in the pants – er, skirts. Wait until readers get a load of this woman’s schemes and the role she actually played in the chaotic lives of the brothers Blackthorn.

Through the three books, a reader is treated to a transition, from a fairy tale that quickly turned into a nightmare by the final tale. How these remarkable men made it through with not only with their sense of self intact, but their confidence too, was a feat in and of itself. But to become some of the most honorable and amazing men of the ton even with the stigma of being born bastards, is a testimony to a father’s pure but bumbling love. It’s actually heartbreaking especially once all was revealed.

Then there is the heroine. The genius wacko is actually her father. If I thought Jack was affected by the eventual ramifications, it was even worse for Tess. Ten times worse because she lived and breathed everything her father said, absorbed everything he taught her and as far as she was concerned, he hung the moon. As the many truths bombard her like a siege, Tess is thrown into an emotional spiral. Her only anchor is the man who had spurned her love all those years ago. And using the pharmacy drive-thru lane is certainly no visible variance inside accomplishment rate of the two drugs – appalachianmagazine.com cialis on line they operate in roughly 70% to 80% on the situations. Here is a simple explanation of both of mastercard generic viagra drugs that will surely help you to make your decision instantly. The existence for erectile dysfunction is when a man can’t get a proper erection in his sexual part or when he cannot hold hardness in his penis for a longer enough times to finish his sexual desire or ED as the central nervous system is depressed by alcohol consumption thereby leading to a reduction in the level of serum testosterone which can lead to mainly during the ages that ED is likely. sample viagra pills In some rare cases, the discount levitra no rx overdose of kamagra may lead to cause or worsen Erectile Dysfunction condition. Only, it wasn’t a true spurning and didn’t that just make steam come out of the protagonist’s ears. Tess and Jack were actually victims. The internal conflict that besieges the heroine stems from sorting through all the lies and facing the bitter truths. I was treated to a heroine who fights, thinks, connives and manipulates with the best of them. She loves deeply and defends furiously those she cares for. She’s passionate and quick to anger but she comes across as quite rational. Jack would debate that point, however.

The emotional high stakes shoot through the roof when Jack finds out there’s another innocent victim about to be made a pawn. And at that point, I was treated to Jack the manly man. Everything he ran from, or didn’t believe in stood facing him and he had to make a choice and I positively swooned from the sweetness of it. It was pivotal, crucial and presented the possibility of a second chance. Jack Blackthorn is not a fool. He took that second chance with both hands, and messed up. He’s human, he’s quietly emotional and he’s realizing that if things weren’t as they seemed with Tess, where else in his life wasn’t as he thought? His search for the truth was another sizzling plot thread that kept me on the edge of my seat. How was the hero going to solve the puzzle? Was he really going to go home? What did his father want to say to him? And who is his father? Those are just some of the questions that the author dangled in front of me like a fat and juicy carrot throughout most of the story and they were quite effective. The answers were well worth the journey. It’s quite exciting!

Of course, what’s a romance without a little physical get together between the hero and heroine, right? Ms. Michaels didn’t disappoint. Those scenes were delicious, emotion driven and well written. The best thing was their growth. Through dialogue and revisiting memories of the past, I understood Tess and Jake’s previous relationship and it was volatile. In the present, it is no less dynamic but it has a richer tone with deeper meaning and a more mature emotional level. I liked seeing the transition and it made reading those scenes a pleasure.

As I’ve come to expect from Ms. Michaels, her protagonists are well rounded with fascinating dialogue that informs and entertains, there are red herring secondary characters and some bits of humor to keep the story from getting too dark. Much Ado About Rogues is a thrilling adventure of romance, intrigue and human quirkiness. I will miss the Blackthorn brothers because of how they bucked the odds and refused to fill the roles society set for them. That and their crazy mother. They are wonderful men who have found amazing women to stand at their sides and the author saved the best for last, Jack and Tess. Of any of them, these two lost souls deserved the wonderful happily ever after they eventually get and I couldn’t be happier. This was an awesome read.

A Midsummer Night’s Sin by Kasey Michaels
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (376 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 5 Stars
Revieweed by Xeranthemum

Meet the Blackthorn Brothers—three unrepentant scoundrels infamous for being mad, bad and perilous to love.

Handsome as the devil and twice as tempting, Robin “Puck” Blackthorn lives for the pleasures of the moment. His only rule—never dally with an innocent woman. But when an encounter at a masquerade ball leaves him coveting the one woman who refuses to succumb to his charms, Puck realizes that some rules were made to be broken….

Scandalized to discover that the masked man with whom she’d shared a dance—and a forbidden embrace—is in fact the ton’s most celebrated rake, Regina Hackett vows to keep her distance. Yet when her cousin vanishes, it is to Puck that Regina must turn. And as they embark on a dangerous journey through London’s darkest alleys, Regina will discover that beneath Puck’s roguish facade lies a man who will stop at nothing to protect her—or to convince her to take a chance on an unrepentant sinner.

A hero named Puck is odd enough but when the playboy and all around society charmer finds the woman of his dreams, the façade drops and the real picture is revealed. Readers are in for a treat because Puck Blackthorn is all man, with a core of granite and iron the bad guys never saw coming.

Ms. Michaels has a winner. I was teased with getting to know Puck in the first book about the Blackthorn brothers in The Taming of the Rake but nothing could have prepared me for the adventures that awaited this happy go lucky guy.

In this installment, I found further hints of the unusual upbringing he and his brothers had. For some reason, as easily as they explained the arrangement and as accepting as they appeared, I don’t think they truly believed all they’ve been told. Certainly Puck says something to the heroine in the final chapters of the story that surprised me. I found him to be a very observant hero. He had to be if he expected to survive the hair raising adventures the heroine swept him into.

Regina is a plucky heroine who made one decision that changed not only her life but left her eyes and brain traumatized for life. She saw something that was so gross and shocking, if the distraction of her cousin disappearing hadn’t happened, I’m not sure how she would have handled the fallout. I think I would have gotten sauced trying to forget. As it is, the heroine’s one accidental interlude with Puck ended up being the best, most wonderful and exciting thing to happen even her wildest romantic fantasies couldn’t have conjured.

One of the characteristic traits the author imbued the hero with was absolutely gorgeous hair. I know it was meant to be sensual and exotic in a way. But all I could picture in my mind was either Fabio tossing his long locks or one of the hair commercials that showcase silky, flowing tresses that shimmer and sway in an alluring manner. If Puck hadn’t turned out to be as gritty and physical as he did, I don’t think I could have forgiven a man having better hair than me. As it is, the hero knew how to play his assets to advantage and it comes in rather handy, even to the point of luring the lusting Regina to do wild and wonderful things with him. I rather enjoyed those scenes because Ms. Michaels wrote them with passion, intensity and with a romantic flair that truly entertained. They were extra spicy and delicious.

The plot movement during this book is frenetic and adventurous. The consistent external conflict was gripping and suspenseful because Puck and Regina have to find her cousin before an absolutely horrendous and most heinous crime could be committed. The daunting task of finding all the clues and putting the criminal puzzle together in time kept me glued to the pages. Puck had some help from his rather surprising and mysterious brother, Jack. Jack’s involvement was much more pronounced in this book versus the one previous with Beau. In A Midsummer Night’s Sin, he’s everywhere. For example, it is shop viagra online very difficult to regain. viagra pharmacies Regular breathing exercise and workout can do wonders in improving sexual health. It assists in growing your relationships in a better way viagra properien by opening up with the people around you. The condition evolves around male sexual health and allows him to enjoy the bliss of his side effects from viagra bought this sexual health. I don’t mean he overshadows his brother, Puck. I’m talking about how he appears every time something momentous happens, like he has a second knowing, or he has a paranormal super ability that makes him unstoppable and effective as a spy. How did he DO that?

My favorite part is when Jack and Puck work together because only then did I get a glimpse of what Jack is capable of. Not only that, but I saw a mending of family. Through a most disgusting situation fraught with peril and death, the brothers found common ground and I recognized a light bulb moment. They both realized they truly were more than brothers in name only; they really could be a family. I was thrilled to see that but it didn’t last long because then the scene exploded into shots fired, fighting with knives and daring-do that made my heart pound. What in the world was a guy usually into frilly lace cuffs and perfectly coiffed appearance doing with such ruffians? And why would a gently bred lady be right in the middle of it?

Because the heroine has attitude and a strong sense of right and wrong and no way was she going to sit in a parlor or library and fret like a ditzy miss. No matter if Puck really wished she would. Regina, I found out, had a way with her man. I loved how she worked him over in order to get what she wanted. She was a total delight – courageous, loyal, feisty, and with a stiff inner core a corset could only envy. That’s good because what she learned about her own family had a devastating effect on her. And yet, her choices after she and Puck figured things out made me respect her character. She’d make a wonderful addition to the Blackthorn clan – she just had to survive the ramifications of what they discovered when they found her cousin. Talk about heartbreak!

The happily ever after was refreshing after all that chaos and action. Ms. Michaels wrapped up their unusual courtship with a wonderfully written and romantically engaging epilogue ending. The last paragraphs of the final chapter were poetic justice. I knew what happened but what Regina was led to believe was for the best. And I felt very proud of Puck and Jack for choosing that route. They really are wonderful guys but I hope to find out just how terrific Jack is in the last book of the trilogy. This book revealed so many hints as to the many facets of his personality that I can’t wait to read it. Especially after Puck, in his clever way, wormed out a certain piece of information out of him during one of their few one on one scenes. It guaranteed it as an auto-buy for me.

A Midsummer Night’s Sin combines adventure and romance to such perfection, it’s a must read. I adored the characters, thrilled to the action and was entertained by their most scandalous courtship. There is nothing I can think better to do than to highly recommend this story to all readers of romantic suspense, whether they enjoy historical or contemporaries. This book easily crosses fan preferences because A Midsummer Night’s Sin has it all. Pick up your own copy and be amazed, dazzled and intrigued by this well written and gripping novel.