Reviewer: Rowena A Notorious Proposition (Winter Garden #3) by Adele Ashworth
Series: Winter Garden #3
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: April 29th 2008
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
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Series Rating:
From bed partners...
Two years ago, while on assignment for the Crown, darkly handsome Garrett Burke left Lady Ivy Wentworth sleeping naked in his bed as he went in search of the missing Martello diamonds. After apprehending the dastardly thief, he intended to spend the rest of his life in the arms of the auburn-haired beauty. But when the case came to a shocking and dangerous end, Garrett was certain he'd been betrayed...
To partners in crime
Ivy once loved Garrett with a virtuous heart, but these days she can barely stand him. Arriving at a deserted estate on a mysterious errand, she never expected to see him again, nor feel the same ecstasy she once did at his touch. Now, joined with him in the search for the legendary jewels, she is willing to risk everything. Everything, that is, except her heart...
This was a really nice book to settle into before going to bed. It was a great book with great characters and a solid storyline. Lord Rye hires Lady Ivy Wentworth who is a seer to see if there are any ghosts running around in his house and Garrett Burke comes to town under the guise of being an architect who is trying to find out the history of the homes in Winter Garden. He’s really out to find the diamonds that got his reputation tainted two years ago when he was knocked the hell out trying to retrieve some lifted diamonds…HIS lifted diamonds. Two years ago, Garrett and Ivy had an intense love affair that was cut way too short because of a bunch of stuff that went down.
Now, it’s two years later and Garrett and Ivy are working together to try to uncover the mystery behind the diamonds (for Garrett) and find out if there are any ghosts in the house (for Ivy). They’re trying to fight their feelings for each other but because this is a romance, they lose the battle and win the battle of love.
I enjoyed getting to know Garrett and Ivy. I never felt like Ivy was a dumb heroine, I just didn’t get that feeling. I really liked Ivy’s character. She had her pride and she had her feelings and she was just normal about it all. I can totally see me and Ivy being friends, I never felt like I wanted to choke her out (like I normally do with these kinds of novels) at all during the book because she reacted the way I would have and I just really enjoyed her and her storyline.
Garrett was one of those sexy heroes that I love to write posts about. He’s the kind of hero who isn’t all together perfect but perfect just the same. In his own way. He did what he did and he made no apologies for it and I really dug that about him. He had his suspicions but when it all came down to it, he went after what he wanted, to hell with the consequences. I really dug that.
On top of all of that, he was hecka hot. I wanted to jump his bones more than once while reading this book and I long to find my own Garrett in the real world because seriously? Garrett had it going on. He’s just the kind of hero that I like, he was the right amount of charm, sexiness and brains to make this island girl melt, kudos to Adele Ashworth on writing his character.
There’s a lot going on throughout this book in the town of Winter Garden. Garrett and Ivy are trying to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the diamonds and the ghosts and the people of Winter Garden have all sorts of stuff going on that Garrett and Ivy get drawn into, it added to the storyline and I really enjoyed the different characters and only wish I would have read Madeleine and Thomas’ book first. I would have enjoyed getting to know them before reading this book but aside from that, this was a solid read.
I think everyone should read this book (start with Winter Garden first though) because it’s just a feel good read and seriously, who doesn’t like those kinds of reads? This is my first Adele Ashworth and it won’t definitely be my last, so thanks to Mrs. Ashworth for the hours of entertainment she provided me with.
Grade: 4 out of 5
This book is available from Harper Collins. You can buy it here or here.