She was an orphan plucked off the slums of 19th century New York by an unscrupulous con who taught her to steal for a living. But all Mystere really wants is to be free of the clutches of her devious ‘uncle’, find her long lost brother and trace her family legacy. 

He was the orphaned heir to a ruined society elite who climbed back from near destitution to become one of gaslight New York’s rich ‘robber barons’. But what railroad magnate Rafe Belloch really wants is revenge on the Four Hundred whom he scorns for turning their backs on one of their own.

They first met in a dark alley where her accomplices held him at gunpoint while she relieved him of his money … and for fun, his clothes. He swore justice on the masked lady thief even as he committed the shape of her body and her blue eyes to memory.

Their paths crossed again two years later at a high society event. Only this time she’s disguised as a New Orleans miss making her debut in New York high society. No one, saved Rafe, ever suspected that she’s also the elusive jewel thief the newspapers christened Lady Moonlight … for even with her bosom bound and her lush womanly charms hidden under demure clothes, her unforgettable eyes betrayed her resemblance to another thief from his recent past. Their fates became inextricably bound as their dance around the truth begins …

I was blog hopping last night and Cindy and Keishon both blogged about falling into a reading slump. Cindy has a great idea though to overcome that, and I’m already taking that challenge up.I confessed to looking to April with trepidation ‘cos that’s the month we’re supposed to read a book that’s been languishing in my TBR pile for more than 6 months. I’ve pretty much stuck to my reading plan for the TBR Challenge , so of course will try to see this through.

I’ve enjoyed the challenge tremendously thus far, and March is my favourites month as Historical romances are my cup of tea. Now, I’m not so certain about this next book for April, William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

I mean, in my reading experience, I’ve yet to come across astoundingly good romances, those that grab you by the heart from the first verse, written by male writers. At the risk of sounding discriminatory, can male authors write great romances?

Finished this last weekend but didn’t immediately post about it. You see I wasn’t quite sure if I liked Derek Craven, the hero.

Uh, oh … I can feel a few pairs of eyes narrowing at this confession, the fiercest being from Kristie … gulp.

Anyway, *grin*, the book is definitely another Kleypas masterpiece. There is the emotional intensity, rounded characters, lush description and well-paced storyline that are the hallmarks of her works. She has chosen two characters outside the elite aristocratic society as hero and heroine, another reason why I love her books … reading about lords and ladies all the time could be a little monotonous.

Back to the central characters: the hero rose above a tortured past to become one of the wealthiest man in England, an admirable accomplishment in itself, as it proves the strength of his character. The heroine? Why, she’s a courageous author (and a successful one at that whose last novel Matilda was the talk of the town) and a woman well ahead of her time, who dreams of love but lives vicariously through her own novels, and sometimes the seemingly more fascinating lives of others during the course of her ‘research’.

This book piqued my curiosity because, amongst other reasons, it introduces a hero that quite a number of romance readers (RomanceLover, Kristie, Jennifer B, to name a few) admire. So, I had to see for myself, don’t I? Besides, this book sort of gives you an inkling of Derek Craven, who gets his own story in Dreaming of You (which Kristie has been recommending) and his attitude towards LOVE. Hint: it’s actually much more complicated than commitment phobia.

Since I’ve been reading Kleypas romances, and chasing her Wallflower series, I consider myself a fan of hers, so I simply have to catch up on these two that for some reason, I haven’t gotten round to reading.

Enow of the rambling, and on with the review …

You can read the synopsis here on the author’s website, so I won’t elaborate on the storyline. What appeals to me are the strong lead characters. Both hero and heroine are stubborn creatures, and their clashes made for some entertaining reading. The wager at Craven’s club wherein Alex gambled with Lily for the privilege of a night in bed with her against 15 grand a la Indecent Proposal was a dead giveaway on how the story would turn. He’s already got the hots for her so it wasn’t too far a stretch of the imagination to guess who would emerge the winner.

Saw this in one of Alyssa’s old post, and decided to try it out.

Idealistic? perfectionist? That about sums me up. Gosh, I’m such a sucker for quizzes.

Retook the quiz Aug 2007 and turns out I’m a warrior!!!

What Kind of Princess are You? – Beautiful Artwork

The Warrior PrincessYou are strong, courageous, and dynamic, a woman of action. You have an iron will and a sharp tongue. Indecisive, weak, or wishy-washy people test your patience. You tend to grow bored quickly and yearn for excitement.Role Models: Brunhilde/The Valkyries, XenaYou are most likely to: Lead your people to victory against an army of orcs.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes

I’m back to pick up the conversation where I left off, and I see Cindy has added more questions. Well, here goes: 

1. Name your all-time favourite male character.
If there aren’t any limits, then it’ll have to be David de Abyndon (Madeline Hunter’s central character in her medievals), Nick Gentry (Lisa Kleypas’ hero in Worth Any Price), Richard Maitland (the Intelligence chief who makes cameo appearances in many of Elizabeth Thornton’s historical rom suspense and gets his own story in The Perfect Princess, finally!). Ohh, and I can’t possibly not mention Mr Darcy (Pride & Prejudice) and Mr Knightley (Emma).

2. What is your favourite setting? Historical / Contemporary or otherwise. Why? What draws you in?
Historical, or medieval. Because I’m a history buff. Especially when the author draws on historical characters to set the story and takes pain to make the period come alive with vivid details of the era. Madeline Hunter, Gaelen Foley, Susan Wiggs and Julie Garwood (when she was writing historicals) are some of the authors who made royal intrigues, medieval and Regency London as well as Scotland come to life for me.

One of the most powerful scenes for me was Marsha Canham’s staggering description of the horrific Battle of Culloden. I had to put down the book and observe a moment of silence for that unnecessary massacre of many a brave Highlanders. It was bloody, tragic and sobering, and totally grips you.