Suzanne Enoch 'Twice the Temptation'

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just crabby. Admittedly, I don't generally like multiple stories within one book, the length never seems quite adequate to develop the characters or story.

In the first story (1814) Evangeline inherits a huge diamond that comes with a bad luck curse. Then her carriage runs into Connoll and the story is off. He's drunk at ten in the morning, giving her a reason to be mean to him while he pursues her. Probably the biggest problem with this story is why a marriage-avoiding-Marquis suddenly pursues her so assiduously. But I can forgive this and the unlikelihood of them doing the nasty on a chaise lounge at a ball in the garden because I like these characters and they are funny.

The second story(2007) has Richard Addison, descendant of Connoll and Evangeline dating Sam, former cat burglar extraordinaire. Sam has gone straight and is organizing the security for a V&A traveling exhibition of gemstones that will be housed on Richard's estate for two weeks. While they are setting up she finds the hidden cursed diamond and the fun ensues from there. I just didn't like these two's dynamic, they are both rather tetchy and I was into Richard until he led her horse into a canter and wouldn't stop until she told him something. That's just mean. And the sex was abrupt. (FYI, I switched subjects there, there's no sex on the horse. Sorry to disappoint.)

Historical Romance/Contemp Romance 2007: 3.5 out of 5 Stars.