Series:
Stonecliffe (Book 3)
After the scandal of his broken engagement, Nathan
Dunbridge accepted his fate as a bachelor -- so of course that's when the most
ineligible woman of all turns up in disguise at a society event: Verity Cole,
former spy and Stonecliffe's resident troublemaker… a woman Nathan finds equal
parts alluring and irritating.
Living in London under an assumed name, Verity runs an
investigation agency. So when a stranger shows up claiming to be the rightful
Dunbridge heir, Nathan turns to Verity to help him uncover the truth. Verity
agrees, always eager to unravel a mystery -- especially when it involves the
handsome Nathan Dunbridge.
As Nathan's family secrets threaten everything he's
known, he finds Verity is the only person he wants to confide in. But Verity
has secrets too -- secrets that make it impossible to be with a proper
gentleman like Nathan. And when an enemy from her past appears, will Nathan and
Verity be able to hold on to their impossible love, or will they be torn apart?
Fun story. Nathan and Verity were secondary characters in
the previous book,
A Rogue at Stonecliffe. Nathan had the unenviable role of
Annabeth's fiancé and lost out to that book's hero, Sloane. He spent several
months traveling in Europe to get over his heartbreak. Nathan is a nice guy who
gave up the woman he loved so she could marry the one she truly loved. Once he
returns to London, he slowly gets accustomed to seeing Annabeth and Sloane.
Life returns to normal until a man who claims to be his brother and the
rightful heir confronts him. Nathan doesn't believe him but needs to be sure.
He knows exactly who he needs to help him investigate.
Verity was previously Sloane's partner as they spied for
the Crown during the war. After retiring, she set up a discreet private
investigation firm that has become quite successful. She is content with her
independence and living life on her own terms, even if she's a bit lonely at
times. The secrets in Verity's past make her believe she has no chance of
marriage.
Nathan and Verity knew each other in the previous book. They
frequently butt heads, but under the antagonism are sparks of attraction. When
Nathan encounters Verity at a Society function while she is working on a case, he
unexpectedly finds himself helping her. I loved his internal conflict. He feels
that what she is doing is dangerous and foolhardy, but he must also protect
her. Matters between them become complicated when he asks for her help
investigating the stranger's claim. Nathan won't sit back and let Verity
investigate on her own, but he insists on being involved. I enjoyed watching
them work together and how they balance her tendency to take chances with his
resistance to taking risks. Their teamwork was very effective, and I loved
seeing Nathan get into the spirit of the chase.
There is no shortage of action and dangerous situations to
keep me invested in the mystery. Some things didn't make sense, leading to
questions about who was really behind the claim. The twists and turns of this investigation
kept me guessing to the end. I was glued to the pages during the final
confrontation as the intensity of the danger peaked. There was also a secondary
mystery as Verity's past returned to haunt her. The resolution of that was not
what I expected and brought unexpected happiness to Verity.
I liked watching the development of the relationship
between Nathan and Verity as they went from antagonists to partners to friends
to more. I liked seeing how Nathan's growing feelings for Verity took him by
surprise, opening his eyes to the differences between his former feelings for
Annabeth and his feelings for Verity. I liked his persistence in pursuing her
once he realized the depth of his feelings. I ached for Verity because of her
belief that there was no chance they could be together. I loved the emotional
scene as he overcame her insecurities, opening up the opportunity for the future
they wanted. The epilogue was terrific.
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