Nonetheless, I’ve had plenty of reading time recently, and I’ve read some good stuff in the past few weeks. This time out, I have Grace Under Fire by Jackie Barbosa. Lady Grace Hannington is not having a very successful Season so far, as her name in no way coincides with her natural behavior. Grace knows she is clumsy, and so does everyone else, including her chaperone, who is napping in a corner when Grace’s klutziness has her landing in the arms of Viscount Colin Fitzgerald. Colin and his best friend Atticus Stilwell have set their sights on Grace as a legal bride for Colin, and, in actuality for Atticus as well, as Colin and Atticus share everything, and all of Society knows it. Which is why they need to persuade her. Grace knows nothing of what passes between a man and a woman, but she knows that the two roguish gentlemen who’ve spirited her away from the ballroom under the pretense of escorting her to a retiring room to clean up her latest mess have very impure intentions, and that she’s actually considering allowing them to persuade her. Colin and Atticus know that for Grace to agree to their proposal, she’ll have to defy not only her family, but Society as well. While they want her very much, they’re not the sort of men to force her into it unwillingly. Grace is as strong as they would have hoped, however, and she’s convinced that these two men are hers, as she will be theirs. Barbosa is quite talented at combining romance with erotica so that the romance still remains the focus of the story, which is one of the reasons I so enjoyed her book Behind the Red Door last year, and why I recommend her to other readers every chance I get. Colin and Atticus are delicious, sexy and dangerous, but still careful with Grace. This one will keep you turning pages all the way to the end, and it is super-hot, so you may want a cool drink or a fan nearby while you read. My only disappointment is that it didn’t last nearly long enough. I’m borrowing four of Cupid’s five arrows for this one.
Until next time, happy reading!
