Judith’s review of What a Gentleman Desires (The Redgraves, #3) by Kasey Michaels
Plagued by the scandal that once destroyed his father and now threatens his family, Valentine Redgrave dreams of dark justice. Brother to the Earl of Saltwood, with secret ties to the Crown, he won’t rest until he infiltrates and annihilates England’s most notorious hellfire club. To cross its elite members is to court destruction, yet he’s never craved a challenge more. Until he encounters enigmatic governess Daisy Marchant, who behind a plain-Jane guise harbors a private agenda and appeals to his every weakness and desire.
Valentine’s hunt for revenge is Daisy’s key to finding her sister, who may be lost in the clutches of a deadly Society. But his seductive charm unlocks passion that can undo them both. Now, the only way to escape death and rescue their families is to trust each other in love and loyalty even as they tread deeper into danger.
Having read the three previous novels in this series, I was delighted to receive this ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I have been looking forward to reading Valentine Redgrave’s story as the youngest brother, a man deemed frivolous and without a serious bone in his body. Yet underneath all the superfluous fluff of his appearance and his lifestyle, Valentine is a man on a mission, one who is serious about overthrowing the Society begun by his grandfather, perpetrated by his father, and who has been resurrected in order to compromise important and powerful people in England’s government.
The other main character, Daisy Marchant, is a woman who is also living in disguise, so to speak. She has successfully lived “under the radar” as she keeps her focus of finding her sister who she believes has fallen victim to member(s) of the Society. It is Valentine who comes to recognize her beauty and her inner strength and as their attraction for one another grows into a hot kind of love that they don’t work very hard to resist, each realizes that the other is indispensible for achieving their mutual and individual goals.
This is another fine read from an exceptional author. The tension and suspense in this book is every bit equal to those previous novels in this series. That’s not ever an easy quality to maintain. The family is as fascinating as ever with the intrepid grandmother–stepping out and flying high as she pursues her wild and wolley life among English aristocrats even as she finds the man who can finally tame her hurting heart. There are some secrets that even she is loathe to reveal but Valentine and Daisy are as committed to ending the curse of the Society as any of the family and they don’t allow anything to stand in their way. There are a number of occasions in the book that can be styled as “nail biters” and these are balanced by some sizzling love scenes between Valentine and Daisy. It is a book that speaks openly of betrayal and disappointment as often as it celebrates renewal and second chances. All the characters are written with a deft hand and I think each is the kind of character that will resonate in some way with most readers. I have no doubt that all of us will be cheering for Daisy as she never gives up the search for her missing sister.
Ms Michaels has given all of us another fine romance set in a historical context that she has carefully kept as authentic as possible. It is educational in many ways and often reads like an enlightened history text without the dryness, of course. She is careful to balance the internal monologue with the external dialogue, a feat that I personally appreciate. And most of all, however she did it, she kept my interest from start to finish. It is a book that deserves to be read and appreciated and enjoyed. I think all historical romance fans will find this a very readable and enjoyable novel.
I give it a rating of 4 out of 5
The Series:
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This title is available from Harlequin HQN Books. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
