Series:
Stonecliffe (Book 2)
When the love of her life left without any explanation,
Annabeth Winfield moved on despairingly, knowing she'd never have a love as
thrilling as her first ever again. Sloane Rutherford was roguish and daring,
but as Annabeth grew up, she realized that their reckless romance was just a
passing adventure, never meant for stability. Twelve years later, Annabeth is
engaged to someone new, ready to start her life with a dependable man.
That's when Sloane returns. And he brings with him a
serious warning: Annabeth is in trouble.
After spending the past dozen years working as a spy,
Sloane thought he'd left espionage behind him. But now a dangerous blackmailer
is after Annabeth. Sloane offers to hide his former lover at Stonecliffe, the
Rutherford estate, but stubborn Annabeth demands to be part of the
investigation. As the two embark on a dangerous and exciting journey, memories
of their past romance resurface. Sloane and Annabeth aren't the wide-eyed
children they used to be, but knowing they're wrong for each other makes a
nostalgic affair seem very right…
Good combination of second chance romance and spy story.
The book opened twelve years before the main story. Sloane and Annabeth are
teenagers in the throes of first love. They are full of plans for their future,
including marriage, as soon as Annabeth is old enough. But fate has other plans
for them. Sloane is approached by a man who tells him that Annabeth's father is
selling secrets to the French. He promises Sloane he won't turn in her father if
Sloane goes to work for him as a spy and smuggler. Sloane will do anything to
protect Annabeth from the scandal of having a traitor for a father, so he agrees.
But he can't tell Annabeth why he's leaving, so he just disappears.
Sloane is back in London twelve years later, his spying
days behind him. He's turned his smuggling into a successful business, but rumors
that he was spying for the French have made him a social pariah. He avoids
society whenever possible and doesn't care about their opinion of him. When he
gets word that Annabeth is in danger because of either his or her father's
actions, Sloane is determined to protect her. The trouble is Annabeth wants
nothing to do with him or his protection.
Sloane's abandonment devastated Annabeth, and it took her
years to put him behind her. She's engaged to Nathan, a good man she can depend
on. Their relationship may lack the fire of her time with Sloane, but passion
isn't everything. She's furious when he reappears in her life, claiming she's
in danger and trying to get her to leave London. But when she is kidnapped and
only escapes with the help of her maid (who isn't really a maid), she agrees
that she needs help.
I loved that Annabeth wouldn't sit back and be taken care
of. The news that she is in danger because someone wants one of her father's
papers has her determined to be involved in finding the paper. Sloane walks a
fine line between truth and deception, keeping what is in that paper a secret. There's
plenty of action as he and Annabeth travel all over while attempting to find
the missing document. It doesn't take long for their old feelings to come back
to life, but Annabeth isn't sure she's ready to trust Sloane with her heart
again. It doesn't help that she's certain he's still keeping secrets, and his
lack of trust feels like another betrayal.
I liked seeing the changes in Sloane and Annabeth. She is
no longer the naïve teenager who believes love is all she needs. Her strength,
determination, and resourcefulness amaze Sloane. At the same time, Annabeth can
see that Sloane is just as charming as ever and more confident than he was as a
boy. Both need to let go of their past hurts and bitterness before they can
look to a future together. And to do that, they must learn to trust each other.
It wasn't easy, but the emotional clearing of the air gave me hope for a bright
future for them.
The suspense of the story was well done. I was glued to
the pages through each step of the search. Some intriguing twists kept Annabeth
and Sloane on their toes. As the story progressed, I got the feeling that there was more to the
missing paper than they knew. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my
seat until it was resolved, and the bad guy was caught in his own web.
As is usual with the author's books, the secondary
characters play critical roles in the story. Annabeth's fiancé, Nathan, is a nice
guy, and I felt bad for him once Sloane reappeared on the scene. Not only does
he do the right thing, but he also becomes an active participant in resolving
the mystery. Also involved is Verity, a former spy partner of Sloane's. She is
bold, beautiful, and extremely good at what she does. The antagonism between
her and Nathan is hilarious, and the sparks of attraction leap off the page. It
looks like they will be the main characters in the next book, and I can't wait
to read it. I also adored Annabeth's grandmother, Lady Lockwood. She is a hoot
to watch as she keeps everyone in line.
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