What happens when a cold-hearted government assassin is unwittingly foiled in his mission by a spunky, trouble-prone debutante? Why, he goes to “plan B” of course and sets out to kidnap the lady in order to bring his intended target to him. But, it seems he’s not the only one with a score to settle and when someone else snatches the prize first he has to tap into the hero, still lurking deep inside, to come to her “rescue”.
In Shameless, by Karen Robards, mystery, intrigue and passion collide beautifully. Neil Severin is the perfect “dark” hero with an empty soul that lacks compassion and a heart that is cold as ice—or so he believes, until he meets our flame-haired heroine Elizabeth Banning. Despite having a painful past herself, Elizabeth is full of life, courage and a heart warm enough to melt even the coldest heart.
Together they face down an isolated castle full of depraved men intent on an orgy of debauchery, perilous escape in a sinking boat filled with hysterical women, flying bullets, being buried alive, rogue assassins and an attraction that refuses to be denied, no matter the cost. To put it mildly, these two get put through the proverbial wringer, in turns saving each other before finding a balance in their hearts.
Shameless
This novel is my first from Karen Robards. It fell into my lap by way of the postman and a shipping mistake from one of the book club’s I subscribe to. Usually, when that happens I don’t even bother opening the box and kick it right back to them, but this time something told me to take a peek. In this case the old adage about not judging a book by its cover turned out to be completely untrue. The cover art is bold, rich with texture and just plain beautiful. The story that dwells inside can be given the same description.
This is the third book in the Banning Sister’s trilogy that began with Scandalous in 2001, featuring the eldest sister Gabriella and continued in 2002 with the release of Claire’s adventure in Irresistible. Shameless, marks Robards’ return to historical romantic fiction after eight years of bringing modern day heroes and heroines to life on the page.
After reading Shameless, you can bet I will be retracing the steps and picking up copies of the previous installments as quickly as possible. If the first two are as entertaining as Elizabeth and Neil’s story (and I’m sure they are), the Robards’ collection will soon be part of my personal library. In which case, I’m really going to have to start looking for some larger bookcases.
Scandalous
Irresistible
Written By: Staff Writer, Teresa St. Mary
Please Support the Author by Purchasing Their Books:
