The rebel and the rake

Prim and proper lady's companion Sylvia Sparrow is the last person on earth anyone would think possessed a scandalous past. Yet someone has discovered her carefully hidden secrets. Now, unless Sylvia gives in to the demands of an anonymous blackmailer, her carefully cobbled-together new life will come tumbling down. While accompanying her employer to a house party in Scotland, Sylvia tries to complete her assigned task of retrieving and delivering an envelope to her blackmailer, only to find she is distracted by the presence of another guest, dissolute bon vivant Rafe Davies, who, unbeknownst to Sylvia, knows a thing or two about keeping secrets. After wowing readers with her superb debut, A Rogue to Remember (2021), rising historical romance star Sullivan returns with another entrancing addition to her League of Scoundrels series that brilliantly showcases her mastery of deep characterization as well as her gift for crafting a wit-infused plot that effectively threads the needle between desire and danger without dropping a single stitch.

The lovers in Sullivan's immersive second League of Scoundrels Victorian romance (after A Rogue to Remember) must reveal their innermost secrets to ensure their happy ending. Sylvia Sparrow has put aside a shady past to become a lady's companion to Mrs. Crawford, helping her to write her colorful memoirs while staying at Scotland's Castle Blackwood. When the castle's owner, Mr. Wardale, hosts a house party, it throws Sylvia in the path of Rafe Davies, the rakish son of an earl and a spy for the crown. Mr. Wardale invited Rafe in hopes that Rafe can help uncover who has been threatening him and stealing his documents. Though Sylvia's mistrustful of men after being betrayed in a previous relationship, there's no denying her immediate spark with Rafe. When an unknown blackmailer threatens to reveal Sylvia's secret past unless she steals an envelope from Mr. Wardale's chambers, Sylvia agrees--but then the blackmailer puts Rafe in danger, and Sylvia comes clean in order to keep him safe, though doing so risks her reputation, her livelihood, and her chance at love. The subterfuge provides an intense backdrop that only enhances the complex romance between Sullivan's intelligent, progressive protagonists. Readers will be taken by independent Sylvia's quest for love and companionship. Agent: Amanda Jain, BookEnds. (Dec.)

Sullivan's second installment in the "League of Scoundrels" series (after A Rogue To Remember) is set in the late 1890s, with titular characters who are both more than they appear on the surface. Rafe Davis, the "rake," is in reality an agent of the crown, attending a house party undercover to figure out who has been threatening the host. Former "rebel" Sylvia Sparrow is a lady's secretary now but is hiding secrets from her employer and fellow guests. She learned the hard way not to trust men and making an exception for Rafe seems as dangerous as it is inadvisable. But their chemistry is undeniable, and they find themselves drawn together even as they are drawn further into the mystery. Can their relationship survive the lies they've both been telling? VERDICT Though it has a slow start, readers who stick with it will find themselves fully engaged in both the mystery and the romance. Recommended for those who enjoyed the first novel in the series as well as readers looking for a historical romance outside of the standard Regency fare.--Rebecca Moe