Although Beverley's acclaimed "Company of Rogues" series officially ended when the last available rogue found his soul mate (in To Rescue a Rogue), this glittering world continues when Horatio Cave (pronounced Cahvay), the newly minted Viscount Darien and scion of the villainous Cave family, makes Lady Thea Debenham, a woman he has never met, an offer she can't refuse-a six-week public engagement in return for clearing her brother, Lord Dare, of cowardice at Waterloo. Darien is on a mission to redeem his family's reputation, and an alliance, if only temporary, with Lady Thea is all part of his well-laid plan. But it doesn't go the way he expects. Overflowing with familiar characters and rich with backstory, this romance, enjoyable despite the annoying similarity of the names of the hero and the heroine's brother, will appeal primarily to fans of the series. Canada-based Beverley is an exceptional writer, and new readers are likely to enjoy some of the earlier "Rogues" books before trying this one.
Kristin Ramsdell