Sandy M’s review of Sweetest Little Sin by Christine Wells
Historical Romance published by Berkley 4 May 10
This is my first book by Christine Wells. While I like a lot of the elements of the book, there’s just something lacking that made it fall short of one of those books you drop everything around you for, just to find out what’s next.
Jardine, the Marquis of Jardine, and Lady Louisa have been secretly married for eight years. Lovers here and there on the sly during that time, they share a love for the other they’ve never spoken of out loud. Too bad, because I think that might have helped Louisa come to her conclusions much earlier after Jardine carelessly tosses her aside, says he bored with her and wants to move on. She’s shocked, of course, heartbroken, but she doesn’t know he’s doing it to keep her safe.
With a dangerous nemesis comes after him again, Jardine is hoping to finally put this part of his spying past behind him so he can keep Louisa in his life. His current mission is to retrieve a stolen list of active agents, all of which whose lives are on the line if Jardine fails. When he puts his cruel but necessary plan into action against Louisa, he could never guess what she does next.
Louisa has had connections to those in espionage for a number of years, so when she’s approached by a head agent who asks her to aid her country in a small way, she now doesn’t hesitate since Jardine’s betrayal. But amidst her efforts at the house party of a gentleman but suspected traitor, she butts heads with Jardine once again, despite emotions roiling on both sides, both working on the same case without the other knowing, thus causing more danger and problems in the long run.
I like both Jardine and Louisa. I like the idea of them secretly being married. When they’re together they have good chemistry. Both are strong-willed and stubborn, intelligent and witty. They love each other, but neither of them know that for sure.
Maybe it’s the fact that Jardine keeps Louisa waiting for so long. Or the way he cruelly tosses her aside. It wasn’t pretty at all. Or the old theme of devastating the heroine to make sure she’s safe. Or the one too many times they come together during spying, not being able to keep their hands off each other, kissing each other, only to have Jardine once again push Louisa away. Louisa figures out what Jardine is up to, why he’s treated her the way he has, but even that’s a little too late in the scheme of things for me.
There’s plenty of action in between all of this. The evil-doers are darned evil, great characters to hate. It’s just that everything didn’t seem to come together, to connect as it should have. I kept waiting for that moment when the story would grab and not let go, when it would keep me awake for just another page, another chapter. It never came.
I enjoy Ms. Wells’ writing, and in putting my review together, I learned that there are two books before this where Jardine and Louisa appear. Maybe that would have been helpful, to know something of them before their story. I’m going to find out, though, because I do want to read those other books.
Maybe then the story will finally come together.
Grade: C
Summary:
A Marquis’ Betrayal
Lady Louisa Brooke has many suitors, but the only man for her is the wild and ruthless Marquis of Jardine. When Jardine suddenly abandons her after a long-standing liaison, he leaves her with nothing except the secret they share. Her future in ruins, Louisa recklessly accepts a mission from the head of the secret service and becomes embroiled in a perilous operation in which nothing is as it seems…A Lady’s Revenge
The Marquis of Jardine is determined to destroy the criminal mastermind who’s sworn vengeance against all he holds dear. But when he hears that Louisa is to wed a dangerous enemy, Jardine is tortured by jealousy and fear for her safety. He tracks her down, only to discover that her mission collides with his.A Love that Won’t Be Denied
Together, Louisa and Jardine must now foil a plan to betray the secret service and escape a diabolical revenge. But can they put the past behind them, and take the greatest risk of all–on love?Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
