Book 4 The Maiden Lane Series
Lady Isabel Beckinhall loves to tease the serious and devout manager of the children’s home she patronises, Mr Winter Makepeace.
Isabel rescues the notorious Ghost of St Giles when she finds him injured in the streets. She becomes increasingly fascinated by both the Ghost, and Winter, and it does not take long for her to realise they are the same man.
Winter has devoted his life to helping the poor and destitute of St Giles. He has made a vow not to allow anything or anyone to come between him and his duty. Unfortunately, Isabel proves too tempting to resist.
He sums up his belief in a very nice way that made my heart skip a beat:
“I’m not like your society rogues, Isabel. I regard physical lovemaking as something sacrosanct to love. And if I loved a woman enough to take her to my bed, then I would love her enough to marry her. I don’t intend ever to marry, ergo, I do not intend to ever get close enough to a woman – physically or emotionally – to make love to her.”
Winter is possibly my favourite character of the series so far. Yeah he’s a bit stiff and religious, but I love his bluntness. Not to mention, in true swoon worthy style, he also runs across roof tops, fights off villains and swings down ropes in a theatre while we mere mortals look on in awe and wonder. Plus, he is seriously dedicated to everything he does, including pleasing Isabel in bed.
I love the ways he teases her, suggesting she is to blame for him breaking his vow.
“You,” he said softly, menacingly, as he advanced to the bed, “are a wanton seducer of innocent young men, too unworldly to escape from your wiles, even supposing they wanted to.”
Isabel doesn’t stand out as anything out of the ordinary for a HR heroine, but she’s likeable.
Another good read from Hoyt. As usual there is a nice little plot twist at the end to hook the reader for the next instalment.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
