The Perils of Pleasure: Pennyroyal Green Series

Colin Eversea is a rascal and a rogue, the most entertaining Eversea in decades. He is also in Newgate, sentenced to hang for a murder he didn't commit. Someone has made his eyewitness disappear and all his appeals have come to naught. But on his way to the hanging, he is rescued and spirited away from the gallows, only to be tied up and locked in the basement of an inn in St. Giles. He smells lavender and knows there's a woman in the cellar with him, but before he can try to escape, someone tries to kill the woman, who it turns out masterminded his escape for a fee - in other words, she's a mercenary. Unfortunately for both of them, she has no idea who hired her. Now Madeleine Greenway and Colin Eversea are both on the run, looking for clues to find out who hired Madeleine and who tried to kill her (are they different people or the same one?) while avoiding capture by the soldiers who are seemingly everywhere they turn. AND Colin needs to find Horace Peele, the missing witness who can exonerate him and get him back to his childhood sweetheart before she marries his brother Marcus. Now their journey begins. Colin, of course, dare not be seen in public, so Madeleine must be the one to make arrangements, and she does so in entertaining ways - for example, when they're trying to see a doctor who may have helpful information, she describes Colin's 'ailment' as a "masculine problem" - poor Colin! While their search for clues and escapes from danger form the basis of a good tale, it is the growing understanding of each other that make this a very good story indeed, as they progress from protagonists to wary partners to.....well, this IS a romance, a wonderfully told romance. I enjoyed making the journey with them. They encounter many surprises along the way, but the double twist at the end was a masterstroke by the author.

One of the best romance books I've read. The characters are rich and the feelings complex. I absolutely believed every step of the building attraction. The ending was a complete shocker yet absolutely believable. All the secondary characters seemed fully human, despite how quickly sketched in they were or how brief their appearance. I can't wait to read more!

"The Perils of Pleasure", Julie Anne Long's latest historical romance, is a wonderful treat for fans of the genre, featuring vividly drawn, memorable characters and Long's trademark elegant prose. The devilishly handsome, notoriously roguish Colin Eversea has been wrongly convicted for murder following the sudden disappearance of the only witness to the crime; he is about to be hanged when he is boldly rescued from the gallows by a mysterious woman, Madeleine Greenway. Madeleine, who is a mercenary with a skill for orchestrating difficult and dangerous tasks, tells Colin that she has been hired to save him but not to release him; unfortunately, she is not sure who employed her. When someone tries to kill Madeleine before she can collect her fee, she joins forces with Colin in an effort to discover who has engineered Colin's conviction and financed his subsequent escape, and who may be responsible for the attempt on her own life. Colin is desperate to clear his name and halt the marriage of his childhood sweetheart to his older brother, an event which is scheduled only one week hence. Madeleine wants to collect her money and use it to start a new life in America. But as the two travel through London and the surrounding countryside searching for answers, they find it increasingly difficult to deny either their increasing fascination with each other or their escalating mutual attraction. Both Colin and Madeleine are wonderful, fully realized characters. One of Julie Anne Long's greatest talents is her ability to breathe new life into tired romance cliches, and in TPOP she works her magic on the handsome, rakish, devil-may-care romantic hero and creates Colin Eversea, a very memorable charmer. Colin's dangerous charm and irresistible sex appeal positively zing off the pages of the book; but it is his little insecurities that he hides behind his facile quips, his conflicted feelings regarding his brother, and his simmering rage about the injustice of his recent fate that make him come fully alive. Madeleine is a refreshingly unusual romance heroine--mature, pragmatic, efficient and enigmatic. Her past history and her tight control over her emotions are very slowly peeled away from her by Colin during their journey. They are a delightful couple and the sexual tension between them is allowed to build slowly to a wonderful peak, without a lot of gratitious mental lusting. As always, Long's prose is a delight to read and her dialogue full of wit and flair. She is really one of the most talented writers in the genre at this point, IMHO. Highly recommended for historical romance lovers who enjoy character-driven romance, particularly those who love strong, unusual heroines.

I don't often label a book a keeper - but I will keep this one and look for more from this author. I really like the heroine - Madeleine Greenway - she's totally unique, with an interesting past, a very different profession, and a maturity that is rare in historical romances. Ms Long has created an endearing hero in Colin Eversea, and it's fun to see him struggle with the reality of Madeleine and his attraction to her. I was swept along with them on their crazy race for answers to the mystery surrounding Colin. Highly recommended!