Checkmate, My Lord

Starred review from November 26, 2012
The second book in Devlyn’s Nexus series (after A Lady’s Revenge) craftily combines espionage in Regency England with a healthy dose of sizzling romance. Widow Catherine Ashcroft has asked Sebastian Danvers, Lord Somerton, to examine her husband’s last letters to her, believing they hold the clues to Ashcroft’s murder. Sebastian, a spy for the Crown, agrees to assist her; he has little else to do, having been banished from London while his ties to a double agent are investigated. As Sebastian resumes his neglected duties as lord of Bellamere Park, Catherine helps him to regain the trust of his tenants. Her willingness to embark on a love affair with him baffles Sebastian, who clearly wants no long-term relationship and wonders whether her persistence masks hidden motives. Catherine’s struggles as a widow and the mother of a young daughter reveal a hidden strength not often present in Regency-era heroines, and Sebastian’s dark, emotionally guarded demeanor is laced with complexity that only the most stalwart heroine can unravel. Devlyn’s seamless writing will entice readers and keep them eager for the next installment. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary Agency.

January 1, 2013
Devlyn follows A Lady's Revenge (2012), the first in the Nexus series, with a tale about Sebastian, Earl of Somerton, an aloof man who is the coordinator for secret agents. His neighbor, Catherine Ashcroft, approaches him with letters her husband left for her prior to his death. Now widowed with a young daughter, she is sure her husband was using some sort of code to her in these missives. Somerton knows her husband was an agent, and he tries to keep the intrepid Catherine from learning anything about that, even though he is increasingly interested in her. Another man begins pressuring her to learn more about Somerton, including the names of his Nexus agents. Devlyn's edgy and sexy series is gaining momentum, and historical-romantic suspense fans, particularly those who enjoy Brenda Joyce, will delight in this. Readers may want to read the first installment to learn more about the Nexus and the twins who were wards of the earl, but this title is an enjoyable stand-alone.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)