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Author: Catherine Hemmerling
Title: Taming Her Forbidden Earl
Release: December 12, 2012
Series:Lady Lancaster Garden Society #1
Reviewer: Mona Leigh
Source: Publisher

Everyone knows William Bredon, the earl of Pembroke, has a reputation as a captivating rogue, determined to never marry until his duty to produce an heir requires it. So when he invites Lady Hannah Rochester to dance, Hannah vows to keep her distance. But the undeniably gorgeous William, with his dark humor and seductive gaze, draws her in nonetheless.

Of course, Lady Hannah is not completely what she seems, either. A member of the dowager Lady Lancaster’s Garden Society, she secretly spends her days solving mysteries and uncovering intrigues, and when she brings William into the fold, a sinister plot develops that brings the two closer together. William’s protective nature ensures he remains by Hannah’s side, but he will not surrender his anti-marriage stance.

Can intrigue, passion, and maybe even a little bit of scandal reform the most notorious of rakes?

I loved the female characters in this book for several reasons, but mainly because of their intelligence and fearlessness. Although Lady Hannah was the female protagonist, her sisters-in-espionage played amusing and vital roles, each having her own strength.

The daughter of an Earl, Lady Hannah was not only pretty, she was kind and thoughtful and willing to do the unconventional to help others. She was also a bit of a bluestocking. Lord Shrewsbury, a terrible man with a terrible secret, wanted her – well, not her exactly, but the dowry that came with her – because he had a bit of a cash flow problem.

William Bredon, Earl of Pembroke long ago vowed never to marry until absolutely necessary. It wasn’t that he wanted to play the field or thought women stupid or anything of the sort. His greatest fear was that he would end up mean and abusive like his father, and he didn’t want any woman to go through what his mother had.

When Hannah’s brother, David, and William’s brother, Roddy, get caught up in a smuggling scheme with Lord Shrewsbury, it falls to the two of them the extricate their siblings with the least amount of scandal. And scandal is what Shrewsbury is counting on to force Hannah’s hand. When William looks at Shrewsbury, he sees a man just like his father, and that’s reason enough for him to dare everything to save Hannah from his clutches.

The pace was lively, the characters were vivid and interesting, and the gradually unfolding attraction between Hannah and William kept me reading with anticipation. I look forward to other books in the series.

Mona's first grade teacher, Mrs. Stanford, gifted her with the love of reading. For that, she'll always live in her heart. But reading took over Mona's life, eclipsing everything but playing sports, and has continued to be a huge part of her life. Although she has always written poetry and stories for her self, last year she decided to try her hand at writing fiction. She is currently editing her first urban fantasy and hopes to have it ready for the agent by summer's end. Besides reading, Mona loves speed in the form of fast cars. The faster, the better! In her next life, she plans to drive race cars (or whatever happens to be their replacement in the future) all while reading and writing. She has also taken up rune reading, and find it to be disturbingly accurate and exciting.

Doll Mona Leigh

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