The Many Faces of Romance: Book Club Thursday:Clearing Off The Bookshelves SEPT

Hi Readers! Thanks for stopping by and joining us here this week here at Book Club Thursday. If you are like our BCT members, you probably have and endless TBR pile. That is why we have our Clearing Off The Bookshelves each month. It gives us a chance to make a small dent in that pile and we pick a book that is six months old or older.

A while back, our at home bookclub picked a book by author Kerrigan Byrne, THE HIGHWAYMAN. It was the first book in her Victorian Rebels series and I really enjoyed it. There was a character introduced there that caught my eye and I wanted to know his story. So I chose THE HUNTER as my selection this month.

THE HUNTER

Kerrigan Byrne

Published February 2, 2016

St. Martin's

They're rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the proper Victorian-era ladies who love them, a hint of danger only makes their hearts beat faster...

A scandalous proposal.

As one of London't most elite hunters, Christopher Argent never misses his mark and always gets his man. But when his latest target turns out to be a woman—the popular, and stunningly beautiful, actress Millie LeCour—it turns his whole world upside-down. Overwhelmed by the heat that simmers between them, Christopher can't complete his mission. On the contrary, he'll do anything to save Millie's life—even if it means risking his own...

A dangerous passion...

When she learns what Christopher was hired to do, Millie is torn between the fear in her heart and the fire in her soul. Putting herself in this dangerous man's arms may be her only path to safety—but giving in to her desire may be the deadliest mistake she's ever made. With both of their lives in jeopardy, Millie and Christopher must learn to trust the real feelings they're hiding—to find the true love they're looking for...

One of the things that I like about the Victorian Rebel series is how different and darker it is from many historical series. The heroes are really anti-heroes and run on the opposite side of the law. The men is this series have known the real ugly side of life since the day they were born, so it is no wonder they are never going to be considered gentlemen.

Christopher Argent caught my eye in the previous book for some strange reason. He is a large man, well dressed and carries a garotte with him. Oh, did I mention that he is a hired assassin? He is light on his feet and can disappear at the blink of an eye, is cold as ice, yet has his own moral code in his line of work including he will not kill children. Born to a woman while she was incarcerated in prison, she tried to protect him and provided the only bit of love he ever knew during his early childhood.

When he is hired to kill his next victim, he finds himself gobsmacked. This victim is an actress and he is mesmerized by her. I enjoyed how this cold man was awakened by Millie and his heart thawed somewhat, especially when he finds that she has a son. His thoughts are dark, yeah, he is supposed to kill her, but he doesn't understand his attraction to her. Lucky for her, because he could have killed her a few times.

There is a mystery through the storyline connecting Millie with other cases of women being murdered and their young sons disappearing. This also attracts the attention of Scotland Yard. Christopher decides to find out who put the contract on Millie in order to save her and her son.

I must say that I really enjoy Ms Byrne's writing style. She manages to make you care about men who should be considered monsters. Then one day a special woman comes along and brings some light into their lives. Would I want to be involved with these dangerous men? Hell no! Too dangerous for me, but I did love to see the life changing events which brought a chance to live a more normal life to these alpha males like Christian and Dorian Blackwood from the first story. They will never be angels, but they get a shot at a HEA after overcoming their pasts. I will definitely continue on with the Victorian Rebel series by Kerrigan Byrne.