After his fiancee abandons him at the altar to marry his brother, Max Burke flees London for the isolation of a ramshackle, reputedly haunted castle in Cornwall, where he’ll contend with a surly, secretive staff, a mesmerizing portrait of a woman-turned-ghost and a housekeeper he’s tempted to strangle—or seduce.
Maximilian Burke has spent his life following the rules and living up to his father’s expectations, while his brother tested boundaries at every turn, landing him the girl they both loved. After months of playing the rogue, Max can’t stand either the man he was or the one he’s turned into, so he escapes from society to Cadgwyck Manor, his family’s recently acquired estate on the Cornwall coast, believed to be haunted by the wild, beautiful girl who’d brought her family to ruin and then jumped to her death in the sea. Even while heartsick and lonely, Max understands that things are not quite as they seem at Cadgwyck, and Miss Ann Spencer, the seemingly prim and proper housekeeper, hides any number of secrets behind her pretty eyes. As Max searches for clues to the mystery of the ghost, and Ann attempts to thwart his efforts at every turn, their actions will rouse a silent enemy looking for justice and place the entire household in grave danger—forcing Ann and Max to join forces and face their growing attraction. Medeiros is a beloved, best-selling romance author, and she doesn’t disappoint with this follow-up to The Pleasure of Your Kiss (2012). Readers are swept into a lively, moving historical romance that is textured and dynamic, with humor, passion and a subtly intriguing ghost mystery that the reader will learn the answer to early on but will remain invested in as Ann, Max and the other players unwrap layers of secrets, guilt, despair and desire.
Engaging characters, a tight, well-drawn plot that is complex and captivating, and an overall tone that manages to be both lighthearted and emotionally lush make this a sweet, fun and satisfying read.
