The Halifax Hellions

Margo and Matilda are known throughout London and beyond as the beautiful and scandalous twin scions of the wealthy and powerful Halifax family. Insulated from ruin by their noble status and orphaned at a young age, they run rampant, defying societal norms with their outrageous behavior. Having previously been published as a set of ebooks, this rollicking and steamy novel tells the sisters' stories in print for the first time. It combines two novellas and adds a new epilogue, tying them together blissfully. In the first story, Margo travels to Scotland with Henry, her brother's best friend, to save her sister from a hasty marriage. When they find themselves in close quarters for a week, they can't help but explore their forbidden feelings and off-the-charts chemistry. In the second story, Matilda's salacious drawings bring her to the attention of the Marquess of Ashford, an older widower with a shadowy past. When she volunteers to tutor his sister, they find they have more in common than their notorious reputations. VERDICT This sexy Regency with dual narration and endearing characters will make Vasti (Ne'er Duke Well) fans swoon and thrill readers of historical romances with prominent feminist overtones.--Migdalia Jimenez

A pair of unruly twin sisters run to Scotland and find love along the way. Margo and Matilda, the Halifax twins, have been turning heads and causing whispers since the day they debuted. There's not a man in London who wouldn't recognize their red hair, and Margo has enjoyed the company of several, but the twins are too notorious for anyone to court them conventionally. Margo starts to think they may have finally gone too far, though, when she thinks she discovers Matilda eloping to Gretna Green with the Marquess of Ashford. Panicked, she begs her straightlaced friend Henry Mortimer to help chase them down before it's too late. As Henry has been in love with Margo for years, he agrees, and on the road together, sparks soon start to fly. It's also not long before the twins run into each other and discover each has more going on than the other realized. This volume brings together two novellas previously available in digital editions, starting with Margo and Henry's madcap adventure, followed by Matilda and Christian's more intense relationship. Both stories move quickly, with little extraneous action but plenty of steamy encounters. Though the tales complement each other well, they each have their own dynamic and pacing. Matilda's story is longer and explores mild BDSM elements, while Margo's is faster and more of a romp. Ultimately, both twins face the same quandary, as they separately struggle with feeling they may have outgrown their reputations while being unsure what the next phase of their lives might look like. Vasti's fans will be delighted with the addition of a new epilogue. Two witty, swoony historical romance novellas are brought together in print for the first time. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.