June 30, 2014
Campbell makes the Regency period pop in the appealing third Sons of Sin novel. Camden “Cam” Rothermere, Marquess of Pembridge, proposes to his lifelong friend, Penelope “Pen” Thorne. To his shock, she refuses; she’s certain he will never profess his love for her, let alone feel it, and she will not settle for anything less. The stomping of her dainty satin slipper is almost audible as she storms off. A decade later, neither has wed. Peter, Pen’s ailing brother, summons Cam to his bedside and asks him to find Pen overseas and bring her back to London. The trip is stormy on every level, since their ardor has not diminished with time, and the Atlantic smashes their ship into bits. Romantic fireworks, the constraints of custom, and witty banter are combined in this sweet and successful story.
Starred review from August 1, 2014
Camden Cam Rothermere, Marquess of Pembridge, has the looks, the money, and the title that make him the object of every lady's matrimonial dreams. However, when Cam proposes to Penelope Thorne, she has the nerve to say no! Nine years later, Cam, now the Duke of Sedgemoor, is preparing to ask for Marianne Seaton's hand in marriage when his old friend Peter Thorne calls in a favor. Peter is dying and he needs Cam to find his sister, Pen, who was last seen racketing around the Continent with her wild Aunt Julia, and bring her home. Of course, Cam agrees to honor Peter's request, but what he doesn't tell his friend is that if past experience is any guide, Cam knows he will have a devil of a time getting Pen to say yes to anything. With its superbly nuanced characters, impeccably crafted historical setting, and graceful writing shot through with scintillating wit, Campbell's latest lusciously sensual, flawlessly written historical Regency, part of the Sons of Sin series (A Rake's Midnight Kiss, 2013), will have romance readers sighing happily with satisfaction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)