Determined to help her father with his political career, Jocelyn sets aside dreams of love. When she meets the handsome and mysterious Grant Amesbury, her dreams of true love reawaken. But his secrets put her family in peril.
Grant goes undercover to capture conspirators avowed to murder the prime minister, but his only suspect is the father of a courageous lady who is growing increasingly hard to ignore. He can’t allow Jocelyn to distract him from the case, nor will he taint her with his war-darkened soul.
She seems to see past the barriers surrounding his heart, which makes her all the more dangerous to his vow of remaining forever alone.
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Donna Hatch is the award-winning author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series.” She discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. A sought-after workshop presenter, she juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, her six children (seven, counting her husband), and still makes time to write. Yes, writing IS an obsession. A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.
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Oh what a delicious book! The Suspect’s Daughter is a clean romance but that in no way means it lacks heat. I am officially adding Donna Hatch to my unofficial list of KissingBook authors to keep on retainer. Whew! It’s a wonder I am coherent enough to write this review.
Anyway… ahem … back to the review in question.
Grant is one of those Mr. Darcy/Beast type heroes that for some reason we all love in fiction but would loathe in reality lol. But seeing as how we’re talking about fiction… he makes quite the dreamy gruff and reticent hero. Who fights crime. And saves lives. And has a tender heart under his grumpy exterior. I mean… SWOON!
And Jocelyn – I adored her too. She’s spunky, determined, not stick-thin (can I get an amen?) and truly cares about the people around her. Her humor and her heart were the perfect counterpart to Grant’s “Darcyishness” and created the ideal setup for some sizzling chemistry between them!
Bottom Line: The Suspect’s Daughter has it all – romance, suspense, great characters, skilled writing, and some quite spectacular kisses. I thoroughly enjoyed each aspect of this novel and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to fans of historical fiction, particularly the Regency era. If you like Julianne Donaldson, Julie Klassen, or Sarah E. Ladd, then you will want to read Donna Hatch’s Rogue series for sure!
My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!
KissingBook Level: 5 / Incoherent puddle on floor; may need to stick head in freezer to recover
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
*This review originally posted on December 10, 2015.*
While The Suspect’s Daughter can easily be read as a stand-alone novel (I read this fourth book first and had no problems following along), the characters are much better appreciated when seen through the lens of the preceding books in the ROGUE HEARTS series. Donna Hatch graciously gave me copies of those first three books so I could catch up with all of Grant’s brothers. I’m going to do a mini-review for each one in a second, but let me just say about the whole series – WOW! Keep. Your. Fans. (and freezers) Nearby. All 4 books are a KissingBook Level 5 – Incoherent puddle on floor; may need to stick head in freezer to recover. And the relationship between the siblings – particularly the brothers – is so fun to read! I’m excited to see on Goodreads that a 5th and 6th book are planned, presumably about the sisters!!
When her parents and twin brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor’s prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.
Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he’d thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.
When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer’s attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart. And Cole must protect Alicia from the killer who has been exterminating her family before she is the next target.
Do not let the cover fool you – this isn’t a bodice-ripper. The Stranger She Married is quite clean but it’s also quite passionate! And so unbelievably tender too. I was in agony for Alicia, marrying this masked stranger out of necessity – the lesser of all other evils – while at the same time (and in spite of herself) in love with Cole, the man she believes is responsible for all of her recent grief. Watching her fall in love with her husband was exquisite; watching Cole endure it was bittersweet. I loved the two of them together immediately, but then I also really grew to love Alicia with her husband. I’m telling you – my heart almost couldn’t take it. But – this is a book I want to go back and re-read now that I’ve finished it!
My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!
Though her heart longs for adventure, Elise strives to be a perfect English lady living within the stifling confines of society for the sake of her impressionable young son. Her quiet world is shattered when she meets the impulsive and scandalous Jared Amesbury. His roguish charm awakens her yearning for adventure. But his irrepressible grin and sea-green eyes hide a secret.
A gentleman by day, a pirate by night, Jared must complete one last assignment from the Secret Service before he can be truly free. Elise gives him hope that he, too, can find love and belonging. His hopes are crushed when his best laid plans go awry and Elise is dragged into his world of violence and deceit. She may not survive the revelation of Jared’s past…or still love him when the truth is revealed.
This book. W~O~W. I experienced nearly every range of emotions possible as I read The Guise of a Gentleman. Jared is that playful, smoldering rogue-type hero who wields winks like weapons (say that last phrase ten times fast!) and leaves a trail of swooning females in his wake when he grins. The banter between Jared and Elise – right from the beginning – is just top notch and so entertaining! I grinned through nearly every scene they shared. And Jared and Colin? Oh be still my heart! So incredibly precious.
And then… I just cried for a while. And held my breath. While tears just kept streaming down my cheeks. Whew. This one tugged at all my emotions, y’all. In the best possible way.
My Rating: 5 stars / Fantastic!
Desperate to protect her father from trial and death, Genevieve breaks off her engagement with Christian Amesbury and marries a blackmailer. After a year of marriage, she flees her husband’s violent domination only to have fate bring her back to Christian. Just when she thinks she’s started a new life of safety and solitude, her husband tracks her down, stalks her, and threatens everyone she loves.
Still brokenhearted over Genevieve’s betrayal a year ago, Christian can’t believe she’s come back into his life–and worse, that she’s done it on the anniversary of his brother’s death, a death that haunts him. Though tempted to throw her back into the river where he found her, he can’t leave her at the mercy of the terrifying man she married.
When her husband torments Genevieve and puts his family in danger, Christian will do anything to protect those he loves…anything except give Genevieve another chance to break his heart.
This one is probably my least favorite of the series so far, but I still enjoyed it very much. Almost non-stop suspense – of the chilling stalker kind – A Perfect Secret is a little less passionate than the others but the romance is deeper emotionally. In fact, the romance reminded me of Jane Austen’s Persuasion in many ways. Perhaps my favorite thing about A Perfect Secret is the interaction between the brothers – they are each unequivocally themselves when they congregate together. Cole is the leader but still a bit rapacious. Jared is completely and delightfully rogueish. Grant is as brooding as ever. And Christian lets his true side show more in this book than any other, appropriately enough given that it IS his story. Yet, for as different as they all are, they also have each others’ backs. No questions asked. So swoon-worthy!
My Rating: 3.5 stars / Liked it!
(I received copies of each of these books in exchange for only my honest review.)
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You’re killing me! Now I MUST have all of these, too..
:::bangs head:::
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Hahaha!!! Welcome to my world 😉