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Let Sleeping Rogues Lie, (School for Heiresses, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries Sandy M’s review of Let Sleeping Rogues Lie, (School for Heiresses, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries
Historical romance released by Pocket on 19 Feb 08

I’m going to get it out of the way first thing — I’ve never read Sabrina Jeffries. Not that I haven’t wanted to. I definitely have wanted to, I have most, if not all, of her books in the to-be-read pile. It’s more of too many books, too little time. However, reading this book has cured that problem for me. I will be making the time and reading a lot more of Ms. Jeffries now.

I love everything about this book. The writing is simply superb. I was pulled immediately into the story, and she had me laughing within the first few pages. Not many authors can do that and do it well. The characters are strong, yet vulnerable, each with their own secrets and desires, their own way of dealing with those secrets, each learning they can be loved and can love.

Madeline is a teacher at Mrs. Harris’ School for Young Ladies and has tried to make herself invaluable to the headmistress, which she has done quite successfully. She has to be careful, however, because she has not been totally honest about the scandal centering around her father, and her main purpose now is to find the one person who can make the scandal disappear and return her father to her from the melancholy man he’s become.

Her luck changes the day a notorious rogue shows up to claim a position at the school for his niece who recently lost her parents. She knows of the connection between him and the man she needs to find and suddenly Madeline has become adept at blackmail, and it is such fun watching her do it. But just as suddenly she finds herself succumbing to this man who should be the worst kind to become involved with, but the desire he sets coursing through her will not allow her to walk away from him.

Having done nothing but what he’s wanted to in his life – a life full of debauchery – Anthony suddenly finds himself the new viscount and responsible not only for the family’s wealth, but also his niece.  A niece who is currently in the clutches of an aunt and uncle who he knows only too well will suck the life right out of his niece. Determined to not allow that to happen, he knows he must change his rakish ways and show the court he is responsbile enough to care for the girl.

His first order of business is have her enrolled in a prestigious girls’ school, which just happens to be Mrs. Harris’ School for Young Girls. However, things don’t go quite the way he’d planned once he meets the prettiest school teacher he’s ever seen. He finds he has to prove himself by teaching rakehell lessons, something he defintely knows about, but teaching it is another matter entirely. And then there’s Ms. Prescott, a woman who is nothing like she seems. It is so delicious to see Anthony day by day change because of Madeline’s influence on him and have him realize how he’s wasted so much time over the years.

Anthony and Madeline have an instantaneous rapport that had me laughing out loud, especially once he started teaching his classes. The attraction between them is powerful and it steadily grows into an equally powerful love that has each of them sacrifcing for the other. It is especially emotional because it is Anthony who is the one who changes the most, wanting Madeline to confide in him knowing he can help her, wanting to help her, confiding in her about his childhood at the hands of his aunt and uncle, something he’s never told anyone, and it’s a very visceral scene when he bares his soul to her, which leads to the most passionate and intense loving between them. The secondary characters add such depth to the story, especially the delightful girls attending the school. The rakehell lessons scenes are wonderfully done.

I have become an instant fan of Ms. Jeffries. She has entranced me and made me yearn for more of the adventures of her characters, and I know I will not be disappointed.

sandym-icon1.jpgGrade: A+

From the back cover:

When Madeline Prescott took a teaching position at Mrs. Harris’s School for Young Ladies, it was to help restore her father’s reputation. Instead, she’s in danger of ruining her own. The devilishly handsome Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, has agreed to provide “rake lessons” to Mrs. Harris’s pupils so they can learn how to avoid unscrupulous gentlemen, and Madeline is to oversee his classes. She has always believed that attraction is a scientific matter, easily classified and controlled-until she’s swept into the passionate desire that fiercely burns between her and Anthony. Nothing could be more illogical than risking everything for a dalliance with a rake–even one who’s trying to behave himself. Yet nothing could be more tempting…

Read an excerpt.