Tempted by the Night-Elizabeth Boyle

Tempted by the Night
Elizabeth Boyle
Avon, Sep 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780061373220

In 1810 Lady Hermione Marlowe has loved the rogue Lord Rockhurst, but the rake seems to ignore her except with quick fleeting glances of desire when he thinks she is not looking. She wonders how to make him see her without causing a scandal and wishes to learn his deepest secrets as that will bolster her chances.

She is stunned when the ring she wears makes her invisible. She follows Rockhurst and learns what her heart has been saying; that he is not a scoundrel but instead he is London’s protector, but she wonders who protects the protector. She vows her. When she saves his life coming out of nowhere, he calls her his "Shadow". As he tries to get her to back off from the danger of the night as only the Paratus would understand, Hermione refuses to heed his plea; instead she demands he allow her to join him in love protecting the innocent from evil.

Few authors use secret or mistaken identities as well as Elizbath Boyle consistently does (see THIS RAKE OF MINE and LOVE LETTERS FROM A DUKE). This time the superb historical author has her intrepid heroine believe in her heart there is much more depth to the wastrel she loves (sort of believing Percy is the Scarlet Pimpernel with all proof to the contrary that he is a dandy). Hermione obtains the gimmick that lets her prove her theory with “stalking” her hero inside of a great Regency romantic adventure thriller while fans will be TEMPTED BY THE NIGHT to buy Ms. Boyle’s backlist.

Harriet Klausner