Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Genre/Age: Romance
Series: Maiden Lane Series (Book Five)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Format: audiobook via Library
Rating: ✺✺✺
Links: Goodreads
Synopsis: When Strangers In The Night
He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife.
Become Lovers...
Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.
Desire Is The Ultimate Danger
When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender...to the temptation that could destroy them both.
After the slightly disappointing fourth book of this series, in which I didn't feel as connected to the couple as I would have liked, I had high hopes for this one. An estranged couple's road to happiness? Awesome! Yet, I finished the book with a frown on my face. I do intend to continue reading the series, but I may only request these from my library, instead of buying them. I am still unsure.
Godric is married to a woman that lives in a different estate. The only connection he has to his wife is the numerous letters that she writes him, though he never writes back. Having lost his first love, he does not intend to ever lend his heart to another. So even though he did agree to marry, again, he will never love her.
Margaret's marriage was of convenience, to help save her reputation. But after living separately and alone, she has decided that she wants a child. And she thinks her husband is the man to give her one, even though he wants nothing to do with her. After all, it is his responsibility as her spouse, right?
The book's pacing was actually quicker in the beginning than I expected it to be. Margaret crashes Godric's pity party and immediately finds ways to insert herself into his life. He doesn't like it, of course, but is a better sport than I would have predicted. Their romance is slow blooming and I was fine with that.
It was the secondary story that gave me grief. This is the second book, in a row, that we are smothered with the Ghost of St. Giles plot. I didn't mind in the first few books because the Ghost was an interesting and mysterious character that popped up, randomly.
In the previous book, the Ghost is a big player in the game. And we get just as large of a dose of the Ghost here, too. I found myself skimming those scenes, unfortunately. I don't mind a little mystery in my reading but I didn't expect chapter after chapter of a guy running around by himself, trying to solve crime.
Was the story bad? No, not really. It was still a good read. I just didn't find it as compelling or fulfilling as the earlier books of the series. It's probably just me. I did like the romance more in this book than the last one, but there was less of it. That's probably what was disappointing to me. I liked what I got, but I wanted more of it.
In closing...
I am not giving up on this series, by any means. but I am not quite as anxious to jump to the next book, now. I put in a request at my library and when it comes in, I will read it. Until then, three stars!
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