A Love Most Daring
In Joanna Barker’s delectable Regency-era romance novel A Love Most Daring, a scandal-embroiled young woman and a protective officer are drawn together by danger.
Though cruel rumors follow Beatrice, she is hopeful she will find love in London. Then brooding, infuriating Alexander strolls into her life. Beatrice would like to avoid the insufferable man; instead, she is thrust into the dangerous world of the Bow Street Runners after she witnesses a brutal attack. Determined to protect her from a suspect bent on revenge, Alexander hides Beatrice in his country manor. There, the two realize that they may be just what the other needs.
What begins as a reluctant partnership blossoms into affection as Beatrice and Alexander find unexpected comfort in one another. Both are layered characters whose initial hostility hides painful pasts. Feisty Beatrice’s bravado protects a heart dampened by “shadowed worry.” Reserved Alexander also avoids aching memories. Their gradual vulnerability is swoonworthy, and witty banter enhances their dynamic. Gorgeous writing describes the “molten gold” that simmers in Beatrice’s chest for Alexander; shorter, choppier sentences convey moments of panic.
Lingering threats add an enticing complication to the couple’s relationship. Subtle oddities—a silhouette in the yard, a misplaced letter—whisper that something is not right, and slow police progress in solving the crime back in London heightens the suspense. The background tempo of increasing danger contrasts with the couple’s long conversations and quiet mornings on Alexander’s estate. The dual strands of romance and mystery at last collide in a glorious stolen kiss followed by a terrifying encounter. A twist ending resurfaces Beatrice’s past and keeps the mystery lingering until the final chapters.
An unsolved crime and mistaken first impressions lead to love in the tantalizing historical romance novel A Love Most Daring.
Reviewed by
Vivian Turnbull
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