EDGE OF DESIRE

Author: Stephanie Laurens ISBN: 9780061246364 9/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: Regency, 1816 London

They proved their bravery fighting for His Majesty's Secret Service and were rewarded with brides of great beauty and breeding. But one member of the Bastion Club has remained a bachelor...until now. "Christian, I need your help. There is no one else I can turn to... L." When Christian Allardyce, 6th Marquess of Dearne, reads those words, his world turns upside down. Lady Letitia Randall is a woman like no other, and the day he left her behind to fight for king and country was the most difficult of his life. He never forgot the feel of her lips against his, but never expected to see her again. Yet now she seeks his help, and Christian knows he will not resist her plea. Letitia believes that Christian abandoned her when she needed him most, and she hates to call on his aid. But to clear her brother's name, she has sworn to use every weapon at her command, even if it means seducing her ex-lover. Yet all the while, Christian is waging a war of his own—a campaign of pure pleasure and sweet revenge that will take them both beyond the edge of desire.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

While all the Bastion Club novels hold a little piece of my heart, I find THE EDGE OF DESIRE to be the most original and enterprising of them. The heroine featured is my favorite to date. But, as I mark this as a Four Rose Read and not a Top Pick, obviously I have a few little issues to describe.

"Overkill" is the most accurate term I can come up with to explain my two main complaints regarding THE EDGE OF DESIRE. The first is overkill of words and excessive scenes I don't care about. While I love a good mystery and details galore, there are so many descriptions and scenes in this one that I struggle not to skip pages. Not paragraphs, but pages. Overkill is also a good word for some of the love scenes. I enjoy passionate romance, but a few of the intimate passages are just not necessary. I am ready to get on with the show and find the killer, not jump into bed again.

While Laurens is also a wonderful storyteller, and I do like the story, THE EDGE OF DESIRE could use a little trimming of embellishment and an injection of a little excitement.

Shannon Johnson