REVIEW: A Love Most Daring by Joanna Barker
After years of whispered gossip and quiet exile in the countryside, Beatrice Lacey arrives in London determined to reclaim her life. But her resolve is shaken when she witnesses a horrific attack tied to a chilling high-profile murder case gripping the city.
Thrust into sudden danger, Beatrice finds herself under the reluctant protection of Alexander Rawlings—a brooding Bow Street officer with a guarded heart and a fierce sense of duty. Though it’s clear he’d rather be chasing the killer than shielding a scandal-stained Society miss, their forced closeness begins to unravel his defenses. In the unnerving moments between danger and discovery, every sharp exchange and lingering glance fans a slow-burning connection—one neither of them expected and neither can resist.
With danger closing in and old wounds resurfacing, trust may be their only refuge—and love their most daring risk of all.
Dear Ms. Barker,
Though I haven’t read the two previous books in this series with Bow Street agents as heroes, this one caught my attention. I’d say it’s an impish heroine x brooding hero with forced proximity and a mainly (though not totally) rural setting for those tired of the usual Regency London.
Two years ago, Beatrice Lacey was falsely branded with a reputation that drove her to flee London. Now, though, she hopes that Society has forgotten the scurrilous gossip. On her first outing for shopping, she and her best friend run into the Witch who ruined Bea so, no luck there. As they’ve already arranged for an outing that evening, Bea, Ginny, her husband, and another Bow Street investigator go to Vauxhall where Bea and brooding Alexander Rowlings are viciously attacked. Fearing for her safety, as the villain got a good look at Bea and threatened her, Rawlings packs her up and whisks her out of London. What Bea discovers is Rawling’s hidden wealth and sour mother. While they wait for those in London to track down the attacker, Bea learns more about Rawlings. But when danger arrives, will her knowledge be too late?
One thing I didn’t realize until I began reading it is that Bea’s family, though probably long-time gentry with some status in the country, isn’t among the haute ton and her presence at the event where her reputation was ruined was probably a one-off. As such, her association with a best friend who is now married to another Bow Street investigator isn’t that off base. Bea is teasing, outgoing, loves to be in the center of attention, and doesn’t back down. However when faced with the bald facts about how she is now in danger, after she tries a few “Couldn’t we …?” suggestions to avoid being packed off with Rawlings, she acquiesces to the situation.
It is Bea’s first person POV telling the story so Rawlings remains a bit of a dark horse for much of the book. His actions are sometimes (from Bea’s POV) maddening though when he explains them, they make sense. Neither is thrilled to be at his country house but Rawling’s mother’s reception of Bea is frosty in the extreme. Nothing Bea can do will thaw the woman and poor Rawlings is stuck in the middle while trying to keep tabs on what’s going on in London. Something Bea notices while reading a London paper will give him something to do in Somerset.
Bea is the type of heroine who loves to tease and push the envelope but thank goodness she doesn’t rush into danger just because. She might question things but she does so intelligently instead of mulishly. Rawlings and his mother keep some facts to themselves for a while but mainly because Bea is new to them and they consider her to be temporarily in their lives so she doesn’t need to know. Once she does however, it explains a lot of personal stuff about their lives. I like that Bea accepts the apologies due her and rises to the occasion of being the Better Person while not initially being too forgiving as she is the Wronged Party.
The danger is satisfactorily determined and dealt with though I would have liked to have seen what happened to one of the villains. There are hints and enough clues of the growing romance we can see from Bea and guess from Rawlings that its declaration is not from out of the blue. As Bea is close friends with Ginny who, along with her husband, know Rawlings well, I have no issue with their (reported in the epilogue) quick marriage. I ended up liking Bea more than I thought I would but I do wish Rawlings hadn’t been such a brooding mystery for so long. B-
~Jayne
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