Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas

Book Description:
Why is Lady Sophia looking for a lover?
And could she seduce the most marriageable man in London? Lady Sophia Sydney would do anything to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon. Her goal - to ruin his reputation and cause a scandal that would be the talk of all London. So she insinuates herself into his life by gaining his trust and living in his house. Every morning, her lush presence tempts him beyond all reason...the way she bends over the table to serve him the meals she has prepared...the way her hands oh, so gently - yet sensuously - brush against him. Every night, she promises with her eyes - and her body - that the hours before dawn could be spent in unbridled passion instead of restless sleep - if only he'd let her share his bed. She knows he is falling more in love with her each day. But she never counted on falling in love with him. And she never dreamed he might very respectably ask for her hand in marriage... Are you ready to be seduced by New York Times Bestselling Author Lisa Kleypas and her most compelling love story yet?

Wow! This was a great romance - I think it's the best Lisa Kleypas book I've read to date, which is saying a lot, since all her books are wonderful. Ironically, I was not bowled over by the first in this Bow Street Runners Series, but this book more than made up for it!

I really loved the hero, Sir Ross Cannon, the chief magistrate of the Bow Street Runners. We read a little bit about him in the first of the Bow Street Runners books, and I was intrigued and interested in him in the first book, so I was thrilled to realize this one is his story! The book takes place around Regency times in London, although the exact date of when is never quite revealed.

Ross is approximately 40 years old, a widower, quiet and nicknamed "the Monk" of Bow Street. A workaholic with no time to spare, that all changes on the first page of the book. In walks Sophia and turns his world upside down! Suddenly, he's no longer the Monk and he can't stop thinking about her. He hires her to work for him and so begins their "courtship".

Sophia has her own private motives for why she's trying to seduce him. She wants to ultimately destroy him, because she thinks he is the cause of her brother's death. He becomes enamored of her immediately, unaware of her true motives and can't get enough of her. At first, I groaned when I realized this was going to be another "revenge" sort of story like the first of this series, but soon enough, Sophia realizes her feelings are too strong for Sir Ross and she can't go through with her revenge plot. Yay! What a relief! I wanted to like her, and didn't like the idea that she was tricking him. But, she grows on you, and as her feelings become deeper and stronger for Sir Ross, you see how she hovers around him and wants to take care of him. Yet, she's also very passionate and has a past of her own (as is so often of many of Lisa Kleypas' heroines). She's not a young, innocent virgin, she has more substance to her. Born a lady (her father was a viscount), she was orphaned at a young age and had to fend for herself with her younger brother, who turns to a life of crime, leading to his death in prison. She also has a past lover who dropped her after promising to marry her. She's tarnished, yet rises above it all, and Sir Ross is so wonderful and noble and honorable, he overlooks her past. Did I mention how much I love him? I think he's my favorite LK hero!

With Sophia working at Bow Street, she and Ross ultimately fall in love and it's a pleasure to read about how they do and I savored every page. The love scenes are hot and sexy, but there's a whole relationship being built between the two of them, which is a big part of the book. The dialogue is perky and fast with a lot of character development and an intricate plotline - it all grabs you from page one. I guessed how the outcome of the book would be, but it was so much fun getting there to see how it all winds up and if I was right. There was not a dull moment of this book and it kept my attention throughout - I read it one day. The historical detail is accurate, you feel you're in London, seeing both the glamorous side of Mayfair as well as the seamy side of Bow Street and Covent Garden, I ate it all up like candy.

Do yourself a big favor and read this book, it's the 2nd in the Bow Street Runners Series, but I don't think it's a must to read the 1st to enjoy this one. I highly recommend it!

5/5

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