Destined to go blind, a rake sets his sights on the toast of society, lighting a fire of passion that scorches the night...
Stephen Hornsby, the Marquess of Clevedon, has one goal: to see every exquisite thing he can before he goes blind. His greatest joy, watching a woman shuddering in the throes of passion, will be gone. But before the darkness descends, he is determined to seduce a magnificent widow, Lady Penelope Fisherton. Unfortunately, his rakish reputation has preceded him; Lady Penelope spurns his advances. Being a man who relishes a challenge, however, her reluctance adds only luster to his desire for the last beautiful sight he’ll ever see.
Considered the belle of London society, Lady Penelope was married to a scoundrel who cared for no one but himself. Now that she’s free, she wants nothing to do with love, passion, or desire—emotions that abandoned her with a cruel husband. So why does her body react when Stephen smiles? As much as she’d like to avoid the rogue, her brother-in-law wants her fortune, and he’ll kill to get it. Stephen is willing to help, but he’ll take only one thing in return: Her. In his bed.
Good story about two secret-filled people who are afraid to love. Lady Penelope is in a tight spot. She has recently been widowed, and in a bid to steal her inheritance, her brother-in-law is attempting to prove that she murdered her husband. Lord Carmichael had been a cruel and abusive man, with a sideline in the kidnapping and smuggling of young girls. Pen has done her research and decided that war hero and former spy, Lord Clevedon, is the perfect man to help her. She has decided to bid on a painting that he wants in order to trade it for his help in clearing her name.
Stephen is a well-known rake and a connoisseur of beautiful things - especially beautiful women. He is also going blind and is desperate to commit to memory as many beautiful sights as he can before his sight is completely gone. He is surprised when a gorgeous woman attempts to outbid him on a painting he wants but is resolved to pay whatever necessary to buy that painting. He is also intrigued by the woman and determined to meet her.
I liked the first meeting between them. Pen is straightforward with Stephen about why she bid on the painting. She needs his help, and that was to be her hook to gain his assistance. He is attracted to Pen and agrees to help her if she allows him to try to seduce her. Pen has no intention of allowing him to succeed. She has been burned by passion before, allowing attraction to draw her into her marriage to Carmichael. She refuses to allow any man to have that kind of power over her ever again. She quickly discovers that she is not as immune to Stephen as she thought she was. Stephen also realizes that his feelings for Pen are more than just physical. But he has sworn never to marry, as he won't be a burden to any woman, nor will he risk passing the risk of blindness on to a child of his. It doesn't take long for the intelligent and observant Pen to discover Stephen's secret.
I liked the development of the relationship between Pen and Stephen. Pen is very good at showing Stephen that losing his sight doesn't mean that his life is over. I liked how she showed Stephen his importance to those around him. At the same time, Stephen brings passion and desire into Pen's life, opening her up to feeling again. I enjoyed the banter between them as each worked to advance their own plans. Neither one had any plans to marry, but they didn't count on the feelings that grew between them. I loved seeing Pen chip away at Stephen's fears, showing him his strengths would not be affected by his loss of vision. At the same time, Stephen showed Pen that opening herself up to the chance of love could get her everything her heart desired. All they had to do was see that what they needed was each other. But there are still obstacles to overcome before they can have that future they each hope for. The ending was good with all secrets finally out in the open. The epilogue was pretty sweet, and I liked seeing Pen and Stephen a couple of years down the road.
The suspense of the story was good. There were questions about the death of Lord Carmichael and those questions spawned other questions about what was really going on. The revelations about Carmichael's activities opened up several possibilities of who would want him dead. There was also the problem that Pen had kept some very important information from Stephen, information that could change everything. The final confrontation was intense, with Pen in extreme danger. I was glued to the pages as it all played out. I loved Pen's cleverness and Stephen's determination and how, together, they brought an end to Carmichael's evil.
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