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Narrator Mary Jane Wells delivers the author's depiction of late-1800s London and the romance between Dr. Garrett Gibson, England's only female physician, and Ethan Ransom, a former detective with Scotland Yard. Wells does a wonderful job with Ethan's light Irish brogue, which grows thicker at times. Kleypas describes his voice as "dark velvet," and Wells delivers. Ethan cares for Garrett but feels he must keep his distance because of a dangerous situation he's in. Ethan is also an illegitimate relative of the Earl of Ravenel. Wells effectively brings Wes Ravenel, the Earl's brother, to life, especially his sense of humor. Listeners will find themselves rooting for Ethan and Garrett and looking forward to hearing Wes's story in a future installment. S.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

February 5, 2018
Kleypas sets the implausible fairy tale of Garrett Gibson, the only woman doctor in 1876 England, in working-class Clerkenwell, but this sanitized version of London has the squeaky-clean artifice of a toothpaste commercial. Garrett, a constable’s daughter, nonetheless earned a degree from the Sorbonne and, at age 28, has a state-of-the-art surgery plus a side gig subsidized by tycoon Rhys Winterborne (familiar from 2016’s Marrying Winterborne). Into this frankly unbelievable life slouches Ethan Ransom, a kind of Victorian James Bond who spends Tuesdays shadowing Garrett on neighborhood rounds. This makes him conveniently available to rescue her from inevitable harassers. He agrees to tutor her in street-fighting skills, and they scarcely resist the ensuing onslaught of lust. Ethan is a double agent engaged in taking down his corrupt government boss, and Garrett doesn’t know the risks she’s taking by getting involved with him. There’s a sense that Garrett has been cast as a doctor to excuse a liberal salting of research nuggets, and Ethan’s Kama Sutra–derived erotic skills are annoyingly orientalist. Such details do give an uncommon flavor to a familiar suspense plot, and the anatomical dialogue, while expected, is still good for a chuckle, but there’s little here for anyone other than series fans. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

February 15, 2018

Strong-minded, intrepid to a fault, and the only female medical doctor in England, Garrett Gibson is devoted to her clinic, her duties at the workhouse infirmary, and caring for the people who need her. Even walking the precarious streets of Clerkenwell doesn't faze her--until she is accosted by a trio of drunken soldiers. Luckily, Ethan Ransom, a former police officer, now a government operative, and Garrett's self-appointed guardian, steps in to help. Naturally, Garrett is annoyed, but when Ethan offers to give her a few self-defense lessons, she grudgingly agrees, setting the stage for a romance that soon becomes more than a fling and dangerous in ways she'd never imagined. A fearless heroine and an Irish hero confront traitors, assassins, and a diabolical government plot--as well as each other--in a multilayered story that skillfully interweaves gripping suspense with bitter resentments and tangled family dynamics. VERDICT Witty, often hilarious, and delightfully passionate, this compelling, thrill-laced Victorian romance is another superb series entry. Kleypas (Devil in Spring) lives in Washington State.

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