Review/Giveaway–Love’s Revenge (The Worth Brothers #1) by Joan Avery

          Published March 10th 2014 by Entangled: Scandalous – Add it on Goodreads

St. Louis, Missouri, 1879

Heiress Kate Barker thought she'd met the man of her dreams the night the mysterious English viscount swept her off her feet at the masquerade. Until his real identity is revealed - the cold, calculating scoundrel is really there to rip her world apart.

The only things that have kept widower Stephen Worth alive for the past two years are the pomise of revenge against the man who framed him for murder and the love for Andy, his son, who was taken by the beautiful but vexing sister of his dead wife. He didn't know what to expect when he met Kate, but it wasn't undeniable desire.

Torn by attraction, driven by hatred, tempered by their love for a child, Stephen and Kate fight their growing feelings across the country to the wilds of Colorado. If he cannot convince Kate to trust him before she learns the truth about his past, he could lose Andy - but his demons are all the ammunition she needs to keep the boy for good.

I really enjoyed this book and not just for the yummy romance and damaged but goodhearted hero, Stephen. I liked it because it made me reevaluate some long held beliefs. I was always a firm believer in leaving the child with the caregiver that the child feels safest with. In this instance is that what was really best for the boy?  Well, this is a book with an HEA so everyone gets what they need and deserve. But in a time period when communications could take months and frontier justice was often no justice at all, lines can be smudged. Ignorance of other cultures and financial bias was rampant, with very little recourse left to injured parties. Thank goodness, out heroine Kate was, though a bit quick to jump to conclusions, still in the end was an intelligent and open minded woman.

I really liked the fact that this book incorporated a great many touchy issues of the time, when it could have easily been a formulated but perfectly adequate historical romance. This was an extremely diverse book and the main characters were noticeably well developed. I really, really wanted more of Stephen's back story. The few bits and pieces we were given made me absolutely rabid for the rest of the tale. It was an ingenious way for Joan Avery to insure that those not already sold on the series would be more than ready to delve into the next Worth Brothers book.

It is a rare feat indeed for me to indulge in a historical that has no paranormal or kilt wearing elements, but I am just tickled that I rolled the dice on Love's Revenge. It made me think, groan, cuss, but best of all it made me smile. Well done, Ms. Avery, brava.

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Joan Avery has spent over thirty five years in advertising and advertising related businesses including over fifteen as a producer of Radio and Television commercials for companies as diverse as Cadillac and Whirlpool.

She discovered the joy of writing after switching from full-time to part-time employment with the birth of the first of her three children. They joined her two older stepsons to make a fairly large family. She lives with her husband in a Detroit suburb and enjoys traveling.

She believes that nothing opens your eyes like seeing a whole new culture with different tastes and values. The only thing that remains the same is love.

It is a universal language.


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                                             A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Pump Up Your Book and Robyn and Joan are teaming up to give away 3 copies of Robyn’s Forbidden Love series and a $25 Amazon Gift Card!