A Viscount’s Vengeance
When James, Lord Andrepont, is jilted by his mistress, he offers for the first woman he sees: Pearl, the street-educated sister of prizefighter Corinthian John (from the first book in the When the Blood Is Up series). Pearl, seeking stability, agrees to become a viscountess. Thereafter James broods over the piano and Pearl wonders if a title is worth the loneliness.
If the reader holds out through the first third where the leads have no interest in one another, the story sparks when Pearl discovers James’s private training ring and begins using it. James realizes his new bride is more than she seems, and as they spar in and out of the ring, Pearl coaches her husband to emotional maturity. I cheered when she punched him in the face; he needed it. Their bouts lead to connection, passion, and hope for a real marriage, if James can escape the trauma of his father’s cruelty.
Cay’s writing is strong and so are her secondary characters, including the spirited Lydia, the boxing heroine of the first book now domesticated by Pearl’s brother. James undergoes a true reformation, and I would bet on Pearl in any fight. Cay’s knowledge of the popular Regency sport of boxing gives her series a unique flavor, and her vivid characters stand out in a crowded genre. I hope there are more books to come.
