Series: Hellions of Halstead Hall (Book 5)
THE HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL
Lady Celia Sharpe has always been wary of marriage ... but now her future depends on it.
With two months left to find a husband and fulfill her grandmother's ultimatum, Celia sets her sights on three eligible bachelors. Becoming betrothed to one of these wealthy, high-ranking men will surely prove her capable of getting married, so hopefully the wedding itself won't be necessary for Celia to receive her inheritance. Step Two of her audacious plan is hiring the dark and dangerously compelling Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter to investigate the three men she's chosen.
With Lady Celia bedeviling Jackson's days and nights, the last thing he wants is to help her find a husband. And when she recalls shadowed memories that lead his investigation into her parents' mysterious deaths in a new direction, putting her in danger, Jackson realizes the only man he wants Celia to marry is himself!
Good book and conclusion to the Hellions series. Celia is the last of the unmarried Sharpes, and the deadline to meet her grandmother's ultimatum is rapidly approaching. She doesn't want to get married and is actively working to find a way to get out of it. In the meantime, she has picked three possible suitors. The next step is to make sure that there are no secrets in their backgrounds that would derail her plans, so she hires Jackson Pinter to investigate them. Jackson is the Bow Street Runner who has been investigating her parents' deaths.
I really liked both Celia and Jackson. Celia is the youngest in the family and known best for her shooting ability. She is an expert marksman and takes great delight in showing up the men who show an interest in her. She is also haunted by her parents' deaths and the circumstances behind it, which has affected her outlook on marriage. She also has little confidence in her appeal as a woman, thanks to something that happened when she was younger. She is spirited, smart, and stubborn.
Jackson is a hard-working, honorable man. He has built an excellent reputation and is up for a significant promotion. In spite of this success, he also has some rather deep insecurities, thanks to the circumstances of his birth. He is a bit rough around the edges but can be very kind and sensitive.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Celia and Jackson. In the year that Jackson has been working with/for the Sharpes, the sparks have flown between them, and not always in a good way. Jackson isn't too happy about his attraction to Celia, as he sees no future in it, and reacts by finding ways that will keep her at a distance. All Celia knows is that something about him disturbs her, and she takes great pleasure in ruffling his feathers. By the time that Celia asks Jackson to investigate her suitors, he knows that he is in deep trouble. It was fun to see his jealousy of the other men, though I did ache for him also. I loved seeing her push him just a bit too far and him react by kissing her, starting a chain reaction of events.
The first half of the book was a little slow, but once Celia and Jackson started working together on leads regarding her parents' murders, things started to pick up. Jackson wasn't too happy about Celia's insistence on being involved, but her stubbornness makes it impossible to keep her away. The combination of danger and attraction set the scene for them to throw caution aside, and boy did they. They were quite spectacular together, but there are still obstacles to overcome. I loved how well they shared their insecurities and that they were able to support each other through them. I loved how finding out about Celia's past gave Jackson a deeper insight into what made her the person she is. There was also an interesting twist to Jackson's life that I didn't see coming, but did a forehead slap and "of course" when it was revealed.
Throughout the series, Celia's grandmother has been a master manipulator intent on getting her grandchildren married. In Celia's case, she has been pushing hard, creating a desperate situation for Celia. Though it is obvious that there is something growing between Celia and Jackson, Hetty allows her past to influence her actions. I hated what she said to both Celia and Jackson, which preyed on both their insecurities. It took a figurative slap upside the head from his aunt for Jackson to begin to see what an idiot he was, as well as a rather enlightening conversation with Celia's brother. I really did love Oliver's comment of "It's about time" and the dumbfounded reaction that Jackson had. I also liked Oliver's not-so-subtle assistance with Jackson's apology. I also liked that Celia didn't give in too quickly, but made Jackson work a bit for her forgiveness. Seeing Jackson stand up for Celia against Hetty and give her what was coming to her was great.
This book also wrapped up the mystery of what had happened to the Sharpes' parents. New pieces of information had been uncovered, which sent Jackson's investigation in a different direction. Celia had also remembered something she witnessed as a child that opened up some more questions but also put her in danger. The final confrontation had some twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but explained a lot once they were revealed.
The epilogue was terrific. I liked seeing Jackson and Celia settled into their life together. I enjoyed seeing Hetty and the General get their own happy ending, with Hetty having learned her lesson. The best part was the final conversation between Jackson and Celia.
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