The Hellion and the Hero

Sullivan’s stirring third League of Scoundrels romance (after The Rebel and the Rake) rekindles the lost love between a socially radical widow and a naval captain in Victorian London. When Lady Georgiana Arlington assumes control of her late husband’s garment factory, she implements reforms to improve the conditions of the workers—putting a target on her back with her competitors. Her brother, Reginald, contacts naval hero turned private investigator Henry Harris to get to the bottom of a series of threats made against his sister. Georgiana is staunchly opposed to this idea and Henry’s reluctant to take the case, still wounded from Georgiana jilting him to marry a viscount eight years before, but the money proves too enticing to resist. Forced into close proximity, Henry’s determined to ignore Georgiana’s charms. But he can’t help admiring her industriousness and commitment to protecting her workers, and a new understanding of why she left him starts to heal old wounds. As the threats to Georgiana intensify, so does the attraction between her and Henry, putting both their lives and their hearts in peril. Sullivan expertly exposes her characters’ emotional depths and keeps the pages turning with a steady undercurrent of mystery. Series fans are sure to be pleased. Agent: Amanda Jain, Bookends Literary. (Aug.)