SINS OF A VIRGIN by Anna Randol

Publisher:  Avon

Published:   August 28, 2012

ISBN:  978-0062025791

Genre:   Historical Romance  

Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

FOUR HEARTS

 

Madeline Valdan’s long awaited pardon in hand while she has freedom she has little else except her beauty.  For several months she entrances the men of the ton…always on a different man’s arm.  As the escort her here and there speculation abounds on where her future lies…or rather who will be her future.  Madeline has a plan—she plans to auction off her virginity.

But wait!  She is a popular and much sought after courtesan.  Seen nightly with a different man, always seductively dressed, always smiling up at the man of the evening.  A virgin? 

Bow Street runner Gabriel Huntford was born on the wrong side of the sheets.  Despite that he knew a family’s love from his mother and twin sister.  But that was stolen from him when his sister, Susan, was murdered.  Now another girl has been killed in much the same way as Susan.  But Gabriel’s boss orders him to stay out of it—he’s too close.  Instead Gabriel is assigned to a rather odd duty—guarding Madeline while the bids on her auction grow.  At first Gabriel is furious with the plan.  Seriously?  Guard a woman of no virtue’s virtue?  But then Gabriel gets a look at the bidders for her most precious treasure.  Many of them are the same as those who may have been associated with Susan.  Can he tolerate Madeline’s presence while using her auction to find the killer?  Or will the killer strike Madeline before the deed is done?

SINS OF A VIRGIN sat on my TBR for quite some time.  I kept meaning to pick it up and read it but this book or that caught my attention and it continued to sit.  Well!  I certainly deprived myself of a really good read for far too long!

Anna Randol has a great voice.  Readers are treated not just to a passionate and toe curling romance, but also a white knuckle mystery to be solved.  Ms. Randol has one foot solidly in a compelling romance and the other firmly in the world of mystery.  Die hard mystery/thriller fans may find themselves wandering into romance territory with SINS OF A VIRGIN and find themselves looking for more. 

Her characters are complex, fully fleshed out.  Madeline trusts no one and as you read her story and find out why it makes perfect sense.  Gabriel is a stubborn man of his time—all too aware of the class structure, which may cost him the love of a lifetime.  So caught up in his grief he almost misses his chance at true love. 

Secondary characters are an interesting lot as well.  I really liked Gabriel’s mother as well as Madeline’s compatriots, Ian and Clayton although my sense of them were older men. 

At times SINS OF A VIRGIN reminded me of the old TV show starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin with the various disguises and plots.  It added some great twists to the story.

If you’ve been like me and have been only thinking about trying out a Randol book, follow me and treat yourself to a great read with SINS OF A VIRGIN. 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.