The Pleasure Trap

August 1, 2007
On a mission to discover the identity of the writer publishing speculative short stories in the London "Herald" revealing personal confidencesincluding his ownAsh Denison escorts his grandmother and cousin to a Gothic writers' symposium and is attracted to author Eve Dearing (a.k.a. Mrs. Barrymore), whose latest novel he had read and, to his amazement, enjoyed. Coming to Eve's aid when she seems unsteady, Ash has no idea that the psychically gifted Eve has just sensed a wave of violent malevolence coming from someone in the audiencedirected at her. Old hatreds, unspeakable abuse, murder, and secrets a villain will kill to keep drive the complex plot of this gripping, beautifully sensual story that reveals its clues so skillfully that readers will be enthralled until the end. Thornton ("The Bachelor Trap") is a veteran author of well-crafted historicals; she lives in Canada.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2007
Eveinherited the Sight and becomea popular but anonymous author of gothic novels.Pasthope of finding a proper husband at 24, she is attending the Season to get material for her new book. Ash, sexy darling of the ton, has fought Napol'on and known many women, but nothing has prepared him for his verbal sparring with Eve, let alone his overwhelming attraction to her. Together, Eve and Ash try to discover the identity of the mysterious Angelo, whose gossipy columns have stirred up more than a little trouble among the upper class and caused at least one murder. Fortunately, Eves clairvoyant gifts keep her safe.Thornton skillfully combines Regency-style suspense, a roguish hero with a good heart, a heroine ahead of her time, a psychic curse, an evil stepmother, a budding book industry, and a truly twisted villainto make an unforgettable tale. Recommend this andMary Ellen Dennis The Landlords Black-Eyed Daughter (2007) for gothic enthusiasts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)