THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART by Stefanie Sloane

Publisher: Ballantine
Date published: April 24, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-345-53114-8
Historical Romance
Paperback
Obtained by publisher
Reviewed by Lynne


Dashiell Matthews, Viscount Carrington, is a clandestine spy for the Young Corinthians organization. A tragic murder destroyed his happy childhood, so he has spent much of his life seeking the one responsible, a dangerous man called Bishop.

Brilliant, wealthy, and incredibly handsome, Dash has a love for puzzles yet chooses to appear stupid in the eyes of society in order to keep his many admirers at bay.

Miss Elena Barnes, the only child of Baron Harcourt, has left her comfort zone as a country bluestocking to go to London to bring home the collection of rare books bequeathed to her family by Dash’s late father, unaware she is about to fall prey to the masterful seduction of the most beautiful, stupidest man she has ever met. Beautiful and extremely intelligent herself, Elena soon finds herself helpless beneath her growing affections toward this addlebrained man.

Later, when she discovers Dash’s deception and secret mission, to bring Bishop to justice, she willingly risks everything, including her heart, to join him.

THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART by Stefanie Sloane is the fourth in the Regency Rogues series. An exceptional writer, Ms. Sloane has weaved a genuinely good story, fraught with plenty of mystery, romance, and spice.

THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART is the first book I have read by Ms. Sloane, yet found it a pleasure to read. The characters are a delight, especially Dashiell, who has to hide his incredible brilliance, even from the one woman he suddenly finds himself interested in.

The minor characters are nicely written and quite likable. Rowena and Mr. Bell bring a lot of support to both the hero and heroine of THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART. Also, it is nice to have such a good distinction between the good guys and the bad guys. Smeade was the perfect nemesis, and the one man the reader will grow to dislike greatly as time goes on.

Sloane’s ability to capture the essence of love is pure and unadulterated. I enjoyed how the Marchioness Mowbray was used to help draw Dash and Elena together and how the Furies, her sisters, were brought in later to add to that.

THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART seems a bit slow in parts, as the mystery of Dash’s mother’s death unravels, but all-in-all there is a good plot, great descriptions, and plenty to keep the reader happily turning pages to see if the villain will get his comeuppance in the end.

Sloane did a good job in showing both the inner and outer beauty of Elena, especially when involving herself with the Halcyon Society. The way she cares for her maid, Rowena, was a nice touch, too.

Sloane’s gift for writing and storytelling is clear in THE SAINT WHO STOLE MY HEART, and I look forward to reading more from this writer, as well as in this series.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW