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.

Suzanne Enoch 'Sins of a Duke'

I really liked this book. I think I've finally figured out that I love books where the hero is just too incredibly perfect to be believed, and the rest of the book is competent enough not to distract from my enjoyment of the hero. Talk about an obvious epiphany. What can I say, I'm Midwestern, not known for our self reflection.

Sebastian is the most powerful man in England, when Josefina arrives from Jamaica, the new princess of Costa Habichuela on the Mosquito Coast, he's assigned official liaison to her family. Her father and she have spent two years devising a way to bilk English investors with a fictitious new colony. But her father gets so carried away in his role that he allows people to actually buy land there and sets up ships to transport them. Putting people's lives at risk makes Josefina see the error of her ways. While all of this is going on, Sebastian and Josefina are falling obsessed with each other. Sebastian devises a way to stop her father without getting the whole family thrown in jail or hung for their perfidy.

A shyster heroine is always dicey but this hero is so perfect you can put up with her until she regrets her actions and becomes a more sympathetic character. Overall, terrific read.

Historical Romance 2007: 4 out of 5