The Edge of Desire
Christian Allardyce, the sixth Marquess of Dearne, is the last unmarried member of the Regency-era Bastion Club, an organization dedicated to assist its members in remaining single. Unfortunately, all his friends are married, so he has no support in this any longer. Lady Letitia Randall, his former fiancée, approaches him for help in discovering her husband’s murderer because her brother has been accused of the crime. The old flame between Dearne and Letitia sparks, rekindling their passion but not their trust in one another. Ultimately, they discover the truth behind the old misunderstanding that destroyed their former relationship. They also solve the murder. True love rules the day.
This is a romance novel with no historical pretensions. The mystery subplot makes the story more interesting than some other romances. The drawbacks of the novel include a repetitive use of the heroine’s family name, Vaux, which becomes an adjective, a noun and a verb. On several occasions, the author’s head-hopping pulled me out of the story. The sex scenes seemed forced and unlikely. This might appeal to those who have enjoyed other novels by Stephanie Laurens, but it is not her best work.
