In want of a viscount

American Leonora Garrison has come to England in search of support for her family's business. Securing the interest of the Chessmen investors would guarantee their success. Her marriage-minded mama, however, is not subtle in her attempts to also throw Nora in front of every eligible titled lord. In an unusually adventurous spirit, Nora visits the Elysium and requests a kiss; little does she suspect that the gentleman who comes to satisfy her request is Viscount Wyeth, one of the Chessmen. The viscount, Rook to his friends, has strictly controlled every part of his life to create an unblemished reputation after the scandalous life of his dying patriarch. When he kisses Nora, he has no idea that it will spark the flames of ravenous passion that he always feared would be his inherited downfall. Yet he cannot resist this curiously extraordinary woman. When they are caught in a scandal, the reputational damage might be worth it. VERDICT Featuring a strong, independent heroine to break down Rook's walls, this slow-burn romance from Heath (The Notorious Lord Knightley) pays off, and the appearance of endearing series characters will please fans. Hand to readers who like Sarah MacLean and Christy Carlyle.--Morgan Lockard

An American woman who's not to everyone's taste finds love with an upstanding British viscount. Leonora Garrison has come to London with her friendly brother and crass, social-climbing mother to find investors for their manufacturing business, which has been foundering since the death of her beloved father. Her curiosity extends not only to the workings of mechanical items--including the newfangled "writing machine" she's trying to get off the ground--but also to matters more personal, so she sneaks out of her hotel for a visit to the Elysium, a club where it's rumored women can have their fantasies fulfilled. When John Castleton, Viscount Wyeth, stops by the same night, the club's owner, his half-brother Aiden Trewlove, asks a favor: Since they're short staffed, would Rook, as he's known, mind educating a spinster who desires her first kiss? Rook has spent his life suppressing his passion, not wanting to be associated with the reckless way his father produced unwanted children (including Aiden) with a string of mistresses. But he agrees to help, and when he meets Leonora in a dark room, their kiss leads to unexpectedly seismic feelings for both of them. After they meet again, at a dinner party for nobles who might invest in Leonora's company, they tumble into a series of further sensual encounters--Heath can spend pages deliciously describing the way they each long for another kiss--but when they're caught in a compromising position, they have to decide whether a compelled marriage is what they want. This final book in Heath's Chessman series, like the others, features a brainy woman who wouldn't make a traditional bride for a nobleman, and it's a pleasure to watch Rook appreciate the very qualities in Leonora that many men find odd. Heath fans will enjoy spending time with the Chessmen and the Trewlove family, catching glimpses of previous couples, but Leonora's mother could have served her purpose in the story without being so stridently awful. A delightful fantasy for awkward, intrepid women. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.