Series: Heart of Enquiry #4
Goodreads
Fun Feisty Romance with a Good Mystery and Lots of Sexy Scenes
“He had no doubt that Miss Violet Kent was responsible for the state of his mind and body.”
FINAL DECISION: This is a fun romp of a historical romance with plenty of sexy scenes, a enemies to lovers story, and a little mystery tossed in.
THE STORY: Violet Kent is an unconventional woman. She likes sports and wearing trousers. She is always getting into trouble because of her curious nature. Her best friend is a man and his brother wants to keep her away because he believes her to be an untrustworthy flirty. Richard Murray, Viscount Carlisle is determined to protect his brother from Violet. When they end up at a house party together, Violet and Richard reluctantly have to join forces to solve a murder for which Richard’s brother might be the prime suspect.
OPINION: I’m a fan of Callaway’s books and this one is in the middle for me. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions — the two seem to have no hope of getting together in the beginning. Violet is definitely not a stereotypical historical miss with her tomboy tendencies and her desire to help investigate crimes. She is outspoken, gets in trouble that would destroy reputations of the women in most historical novels, and doesn’t blink at engaging in pre-marital sexual exploration with Richard. The blatant sexuality of this book is typical of Callaway’s books, but I have enjoyed other books more.
For me, the tension between Violet and Richard is resolved too soon and the story relies more on the mystery to move the action forward. While the story is perfectly fine and I enjoyed it, I missed the sizzling sexual tension in Callaway’s other books.
The book is a quick read and there is plenty here for followup in future books. I also enjoyed Richard’s character as he has to grovel for his poor treatment of Violet in the beginning of the books — and I always enjoy the hero having to grovel.
WORTH MENTIONING: Callaway’s books are always filled with very sexy scenes and this book is no different although most of it stops short of intercourse.
CONNECTED BOOKS: THE VISCOUNT ALWAYS KNOCKS TWICE is the fourth book in the Heart of Enquiry series. Although characters from the other books appear, this book can be read as a standalone.
STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.