The Book Gourmet

Lady Serena Conway is banished to Blackhaven for breaking her engagement to the man her brother and mother have chosen. It doesn't matter that the man demanded she jilt him, she's still banished, forbidden to leave the castle or associate with anyone in town. But associate she does, with a fascinating artist, she finds trespassing in her brother's orchard.

The artist is none other than the impoverished Marquis of Tamar, who makes his living by selling his paintings and then sends most of his money to his siblings. He knows he should keep clear of Lady Serena, if not for the fact he hasn't two pennies to rub together, then for the big secret he carries, but the two find themselves inexorably drawn together...First by the mysterious casks and barrels in her brother's cellar and then by the passionate attraction between them.

But a union between a broke marquis and a rich sister of an earl is not meant to be...


This was yet another love-at-first-sight on heavy steroid. It would've been a cute and sweet little romance, but unfortunately I didn't truly believe it. There was just something missing; that certain spark, that certain something. It was missing, hence I didn't really get Tamar and Serena together.
I liked them separately, mind you, her with her liveliness, optimism and obvious love for her siblings, him with his slightly eccentric artistic nature and his disregard for what others thought of him. I loved the star-crossed-lovers theme, the pushing of her away for her own good, the woe-is-me-shakes-his-fist-toward-the-sky angst...I loved it even though I didn't believe the romance.

So it were the protagonists separately, the supporting cast (I adored Serena younger sisters in all their matchmaking glory) and the suspense that saved the story.
It was the suspense that particularly shone. The mystery was intriguing and gripping, the villains and their motive hidden until the big reveal, bullets flew (as they usually do in this series), people were in danger...There sure seems to be a whole lot of going on in Blackhaven; lots of kidnapping, bloody bullet holes, duels and the like.