Squeeee!!!! This is the best Verity adventure yet. It's action packed, funny and romantic. As usual Verity makes a simple matter a lot more complicated but this time I didn't feel like the investigation went on too long. The romantic drama took awhile to conclude but when it did, it was very sweet and lovely. All the romantic drama felt realistic for the characters as if they were real people with real problems to solve. I liked that even if it felt like too much at times. I was very good and didn't race ahead. The mystery was a little confusing and I didn't see the who and why coming at all. I thought it was someone else. The mystery veers into the political a bit and it sounds very timely. Verity is a tough nut. She experienced a traumatic childhood in a pauper orphanage with a cruel matron who lined her own pockets and abused the children. She survived but not wholly in tact. While her especially keen intelligence and wit allowed her to physically survive, emotionally Verity has a long way to go to overcome her demons. Her big issue in this novel is trust. She doesn't trust anyone except Freddie and Delphine, her childhood friends who survived the Fortescue Asylum with her. They survived because of her and she feels responsible for them and their safety. Verity does not trust the nobility, all of whom surely know who her mother is and possibly even her father's identity as well. No nobleman or woman can have honest and good intentions towards her, including Hardwicke. Verity has built up walls around herself to keep her spirit from being wounded. She laughs through the pain and almost makes light of terrifying situations. She has extreme self-confidence and she's aware of what she can do because of what she endured as a child. Lord Hardwicke is a charming rogue and while the Duke of Kesgrave stole my heart, I quite like Lord Hardwicke. He's no match for Verity though. While I think Hardwicke is rather intelligent, he isn't quite as astute as Verity and his status as the second son of a Marquess has made him pampered and a bit emotionally naïve. He doesn't understand ladies, certainly and because he's unaware of Verity's backstory, he doesn't understand HER. He could have asked and this seems like a communication error. She didn't ask either. She thinks she knows what's in his mind because of his social status. Verity doesn't like to admit she's wrong but she already knows she was wrong about the Duke of Kesgrave and probably was rather cruel to his Duchess. I know she and Bea would get along great if they got to know each other. They both had traumatic childhoods and they're both intelligent, tenacious, astute, incredible problem solvers and love disguises! While Damien always seems to know what Bea is thinking, they had more time to spend together and more time to get to know each other than Hardwicke and Verity, who are not even on a first name basis yet. I detest when gentlemen fall on their swords to protect the heroines without giving them a choice. If Hardwicke really understood Verity he should have told her what was going on. They could have put their heads together to figure it out sooner and solve the problem and all would have been well. But nooo... he has to "Holy" her (you must read A Boldly Daring Scheme first to understand that concept). HOWEVER... when he explains himself, his reasoning makes sense but he should have told her! She asks herself how can he say he's ready to commit when he can't be honest with her? I would agree with that statement. He wasn't open with her and now she trusts him even less. Great job, Hardwicke! He can be sweet and swoony when he wants to but for most of the book they're at odds because they don't know how to communicate well yet. (They're also not making out in carriages like Bea and Kesgrave!) The Dowager Duchess of Kesgrave is awesome and I want a whole book from her POV! She's been amazing and accepting so far but here she starts to sound like a cranky old lady and the noblewoman she is. She's blunt and honest but also a great judge of character. She's astute enough to judge someone on first impressions and revise her opinion if warranted. She's kick butt awesome too and I want Bea, Verity and the Dowager to join forces in a future mystery. I have always liked her and was happy I did not have to revise MY opinion! Verity's would-be abductor is no match for her intelligence, wit or survival skills. He's a comical villain for sure but who is he and why did he try to abduct her? First, he was going off the assumption that Robert Lark, Verity's "brother" was away from home. Next, he believed Verity was an old spinster too weak and timid to leave her home. Of course the reader knows that's Verity's cover story and a way of keeping nosy neighbors at bay. It's a lot of fun watching her thwart her abductor. The poor man had no idea what was about to happen to him. V Verity's best friend Delphine is lovely and gracious. She's eager to promote a match between Verity and Hardwicke but is a true and loyal friend to Verity. Delphine is passionate and when she feels strongly, she doesn't hesitate to speak up. While Freddie is a good friend, he's a man and doesn't quite understand the undercurrents of the Hardwicke situation. The suspect list is small and none of them seem to have the means or motive. It must be someone they least expect or is the villain more clever and cunning than they expect? It was not who I expected either or for any reason I could have guessed. It was a LOT of bother for a simple motive! Lynn Messina almost never misses and she has another winner on her hands with this one. I hope there will be more Verity adventures. She has yet to meet Bea!
