The Silver Lion: 7

This is the kind of historical romance that is getting harder and harder to find. The characters are complex people who draw you into their lives. The plot is well-crafted and the twists and turns are not obvious beforehand. At the end of the book you feel like you know these people and you don't want to see them go. And the heros! Dark and Dangerous, Light and Tormented. Lymond's descendents, every one of them. Yum! These are not just guys you'd run into in Wal-mart dressed up in period garb but the real thing. I loved this whole series. Kerstan is on the very short list of authors who are on my auto-buy list, along with Laura Kinsale, Judith Ivory, and Mary Balogh. Please, please, please, publishers! Give us more authors who write this kind of book instead of the vapid fluff that has taken over the Regency Historical niche these last few years!

In 1823 India, Derek "The Archangel" Leighton tries to stop Michael "The Tiger" Keynes from stealing from the East India Consortium. Derek sets a trap, but fails at his mission. Instead Michael breaks Derek's hand before fleeing into the night.A year later in London, Helena Pryce applies for the job of personal secretary to Derek, an earl because she feels he will not reject a candidate due to gender as the lord grew up in a home of females. He offers her a deal if she purchases a castle for him, he will hire her. Using her connections, Helena succeeds. Adhering to his agreement, Derek hires Helena, but is also curious about her. As he investigates his new personal secretary, he and she fall in love. However, his inquiries into Helena's life lead him to the man who broke his hand on the Asian subcontinent and to the woman from his past that he once believed he loved and one day would marry. Derek must decide between vengeance and love.SILVER LION, Lynn Kerstan's third and final feline tale (see THE GOLDEN LEOPARD and HEART OF THE TIGER) is a terrific historical romance starring strong lead protagonists and a powerful support cast including return engagements. The story line has plenty of action, but is more of a deep character study as the heroine redeems the hero filling him with love, hope and honor, traits he felt lost forever. As with the previous two graceful tales, this is a winner that will lead to sub-genre fans hoping for more early nineteenth century cat lives to come.Harriet Klausner