Series:
Gambler's Daughters (Book 2)
Elise Lanscarr is furious -- her very own sister has
married the man Elise had marked for herself. Feeling betrayed, she flees
London, determined to return to the one place where everything was once as it
should be: her family home in Ireland. But when her stagecoach crashes in a
storm, she finds herself cast adrift in the wilds with no one to help but a
rough-looking, albeit handsome, stranger -- one who has obviously never been
informed of the “proper” rules of society.
Christopher Fitzhugh-Cox, the missing Duke of Winderton,
has fled all responsibility, preferring the persona of the devil-may-care rake
“Kit.” He proudly lives hand-to-mouth, rubbing shoulders with commoners and
thieves alike. But while he values his freedom, he's never been one to leave a
lady in trouble -- even one as opinionated, albeit intriguing, as Elise.
But this night of booming thunder and flashing lightning
is just the beginning of an unexpected, often dangerous, adventure. And two
disillusioned souls who have been caught up in their own webs of expectations
and disappointments are about to learn that life always holds surprises, and
gifts. And all it asks in return is that they risk everything for Love . . .
Good continuation of the series. At the end of
A Kiss in the Moonlight, Dara has married Michael Brogan, the man Elise set her heart on.
At the beginning of this book, the entire family lives together. Elise is
jealous, hurt, and angry and feels that Dara is gloating over her happiness. She
wants out of that situation, so she sneaks off without telling anyone,
determined to return to her home in Ireland.
Elise takes some money and sets out in a mail coach for
Liverpool in a fit of self-righteousness. However, the driver is drunk, and
there is a terrible storm, so many of the passengers opt to wait for the next
coach, leaving only Elise and a disreputable-looking stranger. It isn't long
before a nearby lightning strike causes a horrific crash, leaving her with the
stranger named Kit. Their only option is to go to the next coaching inn and
catch the next mail coach. She disdains "Mr. Ruffian" but expects him
to help her.
"Mr. Ruffian," aka Kit, is actually Christopher
Fitzhugh-Cox, Duke of Winderton, who is also running away from home. A spoiled
brat himself, he left home when the woman he loved married his uncle. Following
in the footsteps of Shakespeare's Prince Hal, he has been wandering around the
country for several months, living the life of "the common man."
I enjoyed this road trip story and its effects on Elise
and Kit. At the time of the wreck, each is focused on their own inconvenience,
but when they realize they are the only survivors, they team up. That isn't to
say they immediately became friends. On the contrary, they are still focused on
their own problems rather than what the other wants. But after a series of
misfortunes, some of their creation, they begin to look at things differently. Distance
from the issues that sent them running opens their eyes to the error of their
ways.
I liked watching the relationship between Elise and Kit
develop. Their interactions were initially antagonistic, but they soon realized
they were more alike than expected. Elise is stubbornly independent and makes foolish
decisions when her temper is up. Kit had his moments of foolishness, but he is
a gentleman at heart, and an unwilling protectiveness kicks in. Neither
expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them. There are some fun
scenes as they battle each other, then slowly turn to liking and respecting. Each
is surprised to realize that their feelings have turned to love.
A couple of twists leading up to the conclusion bring
home the changes Kit and Elise have experienced during their adventures. I
ached for Kit's pain and loved Elise's confidence that she would see him again.
The ending was terrific, and Kit's big moment was perfectly done.
My favorite secondary character was Tamsyn, the dog. I
loved how she adopted Kit and Elise and how they loved her immediately. She's
there when she is needed, whether for comfort or protection.
I liked the ending and the lead-in to the next book. I
suspected from the first book that Gwendolyn and Mr. Steele would be a couple,
so I can't wait for this one.
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