Dangerous Joy

rarely have I come across a book by Jo Beverly I haven't liked. Actually, never. She makes history come alive in the pages of her books.

The Company of Rogues books are a splendid series, and this book is no exception. Miles & Felicity are excellent characters and their interactions just sizzle. Wit, danger, sensuality, and much more combine to make this an excellent read. Miles is a warm-hearted, easy-going hero faced with a hellion of a ward whose plans to make things better always seem to make things more difficult. Sparks fly between them in a dozen different ways, each of them delightful.Other members of the Rogues make appearances (a common thread through all of them, as Miles & Felicity have appeared in other books), tying the novels together nicely. The cats are a key feature; one cat scene had me near tears, shouting "No!" to the author. A nice, subtle bit of Irish paranormal adds to the setting and tone of the book.The only caveat is that Felicity has essentially grown up with training in society; as a result, being Miles' wife, the future Countess of Kilgoran, will be a difficult feat. The reader is left to assume that Miles and his family and friends will provide her education.That aside, however, A Dangerous Joy is a joy to read.

I have submitted a lot of reader's comments but I can't find the words to say how much I loved this book. The witty retorts, great characters, on ad infinitum. It is the first book that had me laughing out loud. The double-entendré on pages 235, 281 through 284 kept me in stitches. This book is beyond the beyond and much more that the rating allows. I have read all of her Company of Rogues, loved them all but now on to the Three Georges. Run, don't walk, to buy this book, I can't recommend it strongly enough.

In the previous Company of Rogues book, Forbidden, there are a couple of brief mentions of Miles Cavanagh and his 'wild ward', Felicity - including one reference to Felicity being tied to a chair to prevent her escaping. Quite naturally, that intrigued me and made me very curious indeed. So here, at last, is Miles and Felicity's story, and I got to find out why she and Miles were clearly striking sparks off each other.Miles has just returned home to his Irish estate - where he is heir to the Earl of Kilgoran, one of the oldest and most respected Irish titles - when he discovers that his step-father's uncle has just died and left Miles, *not* his step-father, guardian to Felicity for the six weeks until she turns 21. So Miles has to go to meet the young woman he is responsible for... but runs into difficulty when he is kidnapped and tied up. When he's released, it's by a local woman who offers him her body in exchange for his silence about what happened. He almost accepts... then discovers that *this* is Felicity. And now he knows what a hurdle he has to overcome - and he soon discovers that it's an even bigger one, once she informs him of her intention to marry a local *very* unpleasant character, whose son she seems very attached to.Somewhat unusually for a romance novel, Miles and Felicity acknowledge their feelings for each other - first lust, and soon afterwards love - very early in the book; the plot, from there on, is concerned with ensuring that they are free to marry. As to why - as we know from Forbidden - Miles actually takes her prisoner; well, this all has to do with the villain of the piece, and you'll have to read the book itself to find out exactly what Felicity's relationship is to Rupert Dunsmore, a man she clearly despises yet insists she wants to marry.In among all the drama, this is a hilarious book, full of witty dialogue humorous situations, and cats. Lots of cats! And also plenty of the other Rogues; no Nicholas, unfortunately, but Lucien and Beth, and Hal and Blanche, play quite significant roles. So if you're a Lucien fan, as I am, you'll love seeing him again.The only slight niggle, for me, was Beverley's insistence on - again - picturing Ireland as a country in which magical things happen; as an Irish person, that vision of my country irritates me somewhat. However, I ignored that and thoroughly enjoyed the next in the Company of Rogues series. On to The Dragon's Bride!

This is actually a good book to read, especially the interactions between Miles and Felicity---very amusing when trying to outwit the other. Mixing two strong minded people together, you will gets lots of action. It makes me want to read her other Rogues books. But alas, they are all out of print. Oh well, even if I feel like I missed something about the side characters, this book is still great. Filled with passion, humor, Irish magic, and of course danger. Hey, do you need a villian somewhere. Hopefully, I can find the books somewhere.