This has to be my favorite Diener book and it's the third one I've read. I still have more to go...and I sincerely hope there is a sequel to this, perhaps a series. I sense Duke Wittaker may have a story. What an intriguing man.But...let's talk about this one. I love the heroine. She doesn't crumble to pieces after witnessing her father's murder. No... Instead, she takes top-secret correspondence and attempts to find the man she needs to deliver it to, all the while posing as a chef, fighting with a pompous butler, falling for the lord of the house, and trying to keep an eye on her former home to find "the shadow" who killed him.
OH--and did I mention she demanded wages equal to a man's? LOVE it!
The story reads very much as a cat-and-mouse thing, as she is constantly running from the bad guys and scampering here and there to find answers, always with someone on her tail...but it's suspenseful with the most intriguing cast of characters from the nearly starving Mavis to the maid that looks like a viking to the whores she meets up with in prison. There's never a dull moment.
I'd like to add that a woman saves the day. *smirks*
The writing is fabulous, not overwordy or hard to follow. Though there's a large cast of characters, the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed with them. That's hard to do. I am left with some questions. How did she collect her stuff before heading to her cooking position? What became of the butler? But I must say, I loved getting lost in this story.
The romance is slow--which is should be. I get tired of these insta-love stories. This was a refreshing change, and I adored the hero, something else that was well done. No alpha male/jackass.
Favorite quote: "Never trust a womanhater, Lord Aldridge. There is something wrong with a person who hates half the human race."
I received this from Edelweiss.
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