Monday, March 12, 2007

Beguiled by Shannon Drake

Allison Grayson is a woman who loves to write. But after meeting the highwayman, she isn’t sure what she wants in life. Then once she finds out she is betrothed to another, she does not know what to do about it. She likes the highwayman but has never met her fiancĂ©. She has no reason to go through an arranged marriage, because she finds them confining. But once she finds out her fiancĂ© and the highway man are the same, she has to figure out if she wants to marry a liar or go out into the world without someone to protect her.

Heather Graham is fantastic and I think she did a great job with this book as Shannon Drake. I found the writing style a little different than in the other books I have read but I enjoyed it so much. I can see now why some authors have other pen names. I think it would have sold well under her real name but oh well. It is a fantastic book with wonderful characters.

The characters in this book are so much fun. I love the Victorian era as well as anything to do with books. Since the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made quite a few appearances that made the book even more enjoyable. You can learn so much through fiction about that time period. Of all the characters, I enjoyed Ally. Not only because she is the main character but also for the fact that she is a sweetheart. She held to her beliefs and didn’t let much get in her way. She would listen to reason when she needed to but that seemed to be very seldom since she loved her independence. I don’t blame her, I love having my freedom but I can understand that when a murder is being solved, things have to done a little differently. I adored Sir Mark Farrow. Not only did he have pride and be able to help more than most people. He was one of the most charming male leads I have read in quite some time.
I highly recommend this book and give it a 5/5. I can’t wait to read more by Heather Graham/Shannon Drake. She keeps my interest from the very first sentence. I hope to read more by her soon! I still can’t believe I read the whole book in one day. It is 424 pages so not a small book. It was a wonderful read and one I got hooked into! This is a great author and I am impressed by everything she writes.

I guess I needed a little distraction from stuff going on in my life right now. Books always relax me and this one sure helped. :)