Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 55)
Emmeline Harcourt fell in love with the wrong man and now
is paying the price.
Crossed in love and sent to London for almost ruining her
reputation, Emmeline is the only female proprietor in an exclusive row of
London shops whose owners aren’t the most welcoming. But with a sharp tongue
and fiery temper, Emmeline can deal with her unfriendly neighbors, even Mr
Horatio Whittaker, an arrogant, reserved, opinionated young man with fixed
opinions and cold manners.
Horatio Whittaker has given up on happiness. Abandoned at
the altar for his scheming best friend, he never expected to find love again.
He hardly notices women until he crosses paths with Miss Emmeline Harcourt.
Emmeline hopes to never encounter Mr Whittaker again, but
when she accepts an invitation to the Lyon’s Den, they find themselves at the
heart of a mystery, entangled with Horatio’s former fiancée and deceitful best
friend.
From false accusations, rumored affairs, and even a
deadly party game, Emmeline and Horatio must work together to prove their
innocence and find the culprit. Pretending they are courting should make
investigating easier, so long as they don’t fall in love.
This was a good enemies-to-lovers story with some mystery
mixed in. Emmy was sent to London to stay with her brother and his wife after
being caught in a compromising situation back home. After her brother's death,
she remained with Charlotte, and they opened a milliner's shop together. As the
book opens, Emmy is confronted by her landlord, Mr. Bryant, who is unhappy to
learn that two women are running the store. No shrinking violet, Emmy has no
problem standing up to the obnoxious Mr. Bryant and is ticked off when another
shopowner, Mr. Whittaker, intervenes.
Horatio Whittaker has a long-standing grudge against Mr.
Bryant, who used to be his best friend. Betrayed by his fiancee, Horatio has
given up on love and mostly keeps it to himself. He has no intention of risking
his heart again, but the beautiful and feisty Emmy gets his attention.
I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. They rub
each other the wrong way, first at the shop and later at the Lyon's Den. However,
when a mystery involving the former best friend and his wife erupts, Mrs.
Dove-Lyon pairs Emmy and Horatio to investigate. They discover unexpected
compatibility in their efforts and a similar wish to avoid unwanted attention. They
agree on a fake courtship for mutual protection.
Matters become complicated when Emmy's ex-love shows up
and begins making threats, and Horatio's ex-fiancee (now Mrs. Bryant) makes advances
on him. Emmy worries about what Nicholas can do to her reputation and hesitates
to confide in Horatio. I liked his protectiveness as he sensed her turmoil.
Emmy, who understandably has trust issues, is confused by her growing feelings
for Horatio and the problems created by Mrs. Bryant's actions.
Matters come to a head when a party game at the Lyon's
Den turns deadly, and both Emmy and Horatio are suspected of murder. The twists
and turns in this event kept me glued to the pages as I waited to see how it
would turn out. The ending was quite satisfying, though I wish there had been
more consequences for some of the participants.
I liked Emmy and Horatio. Both have difficult pasts to overcome,
but finding each other helps them see that their pasts don't need to define
their futures. Mrs. Bryant was a schemer who was a master of manipulation. I
liked that Emmy saw through her quickly despite a few rough patches. I did not
like Emmy's sister-in-law, Charlotte. She was too judgmental, especially for
someone who quickly fell for Mrs. Bryant's lies. I usually like Mrs. Dove-Lyon,
but she didn't show well in this book, as the woman in other stories never would have fallen for Mrs. Bryant's and Nicholas's lies.
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