Review by Booklist Review
Emma Greyson is a bright, sharp-tongued lady's companion, who is currently working her third position in six months. Lord Edison Stokes makes her acquaintance when she ducks into the wardrobe he is already hiding in. By mutual pact, they agree to tell no one of the adventure--Emma because she doesn't want to get sacked again, and Edison because he doesn't want his peers to know he was searching a lady's bedchamber. Edison offers Emma a deal--she will work for him in secret to discover which lady may have killed a shopkeeper in London and stolen a rare and valuable book of ancient mysticism. Emma agrees to the risky scheme because she is in dire financial straits. As they investigate, a man from Emma's past appears, and when he ends up murdered, Edison claims she was with him, which leads to yet another form of complication: matrimony. And then the adventure begins in earnest. Quick, aka Jayne Ann Krentz and Jayne Castle, offers an unusual twist on her standard Regencies in this sensual, stylish, and suspenseful tale, maintaining her spot as a premier writer in any genre, under any name. --Melanie Duncan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Strong-willed, and with a redhead's combustible temper, paid companion Emma Greyson finds herself embroiled in a dangerous adventure with the dashing Edison Stokes. A wealthy member of Regency England's "Polite World," Stokes follows the clue in a dying man's last words to arrive at Ware Castle, where he suspects a dark plot is underway. At the castle he encounters Emma, who stands out among the era's decadent and depraved society as a woman of sharp intelligence. From their awkward introductionin a wardrobe where Emma has gone to seek refuge from the unwelcome attentions of a lecher and Edison is searching for cluesthe two develop an alliance often made precarious by their smoldering attraction. When Emma's life is threatened by a thief at large among Ware Castle's guests, Edison's courage and his loyalty to Emma are put to the test. A veteran in the army of steamy historical amour, Quick (With This Ring; other novels as Jayne Ann Krentz) tosses off her 15th such romance with ease. Attractive protagonists, loose bodices, thwarted love and odds overcome prove themselves once again the ingredients for success in this genre. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Seeking to avoid recognition by the lecherous cad who caused her to lose her previous position, lady's companion Emma Greyson takes refuge in a bedroom wardrobe and ends up in the arms of a man far more dangerous to her reputation than the one she had been eluding. An intriguing hero with a mission, an outspoken heroine with a 20th-century attitude and too much intuition for her own good, a murderous villain, and a missing book of ancient elixirs combine to form a lively, mystery-laced adventure. Firmly cast in the mold of Quick's recent romances (With This Ring, LJ 8/97), this should please her many fans. Quick (a.k.a. Jayne Ann Krentz) is a popular, dependable writer of humorous, sexy historicals that typically feature her signature anachronistic heroines, heroes worthy of them, and plots that, while often predictable, are as appealing and addictive as popcorn and keep readers engrossed to the end. She lives in the Seattle area. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/99.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
YA-A glimpse of Regency English society, cloaked in an amusing romp. Edison, a young financier, hires Emma, a ladies' companion, to help him locate a stolen ancient manuscript. Then, in order to save her from a false accusation of murder, he announces their engagement, and her days as companion are over. However, more murders occur and their lives are in danger as Emma helps Edison search for clues. Fast-paced action, witty dialogue, and entertaining characters keep this plot moving. Humorous situations occur as the lead characters can be stubborn and don't always want the same thing. A light, entertaining love story.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The mistress of fast-paced Regency scandal and folderol returns after With This Ring (1998), offering a sequel in title only. Emma Greyson, let go from her first job for her outspoken opinions, is nearly raped at Ralston Manor on her second job by seducer Chilton Crone, and is again let go of her position as a paid lady's companion. During her employment at Ralston, she'd disguised her red hair with a dark wig. Thus, when Crane sees her now, unwigged, at her new job as companion to Lady Mayfield at Ware Castle, where the brightest names in London society gather for a house party, she goes unrecognized. In evading Crane, though, she's forced to hide in a wardrobe in Lady Miranda's bedchamber. No sooner is Emma in the closet than a hand covers her mouth'foe Edison Stokes is also hidden there! Stokes, bastard son of a dead rakehell, is at Ware to find the lost Book of Secrets, a text full of occult recipes. (Readers hoping for a supernatural twist to a Regency outing will be disappointed: the Book of Secrets is largely a MacGuffin.) Since Emma and her younger sister Daphne are orphans, Emma must pay Daphne's upkeep at a school in Devon. She has also unwisely invested money from the sale of her parents' house. When Emma discovers Crane trying to rape the servant girl, she bops him over the skull with a bed-warmer, but this time she's saved from exposure by Edison; later, Crane is murdered. Even so, she falls under suspicion as the culprit until Edison suggests that he and Emma were in bed together during the killing. She's then hired by Edison, who needs her to test the book's magical elixirs, and more . . . . Circles and circles within Polite Circles lead readers over familiar ground.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.