Secret Nights

Mills does the historical romance genre proud with her latest offering. Tautly written and packed with suspense, the plot moves along at a brisk pace while engaging the reader in the moving love story of a refreshingly different hero and heroine. Elise Rand's father Bartholomew is set on throwing his daughter at successful trial lawyer Patrick Hamilton. Strong-willed Elise, however, refuses to be thrown in any direction save her own, and it is not until Bartholomew is accused of murder that Elise offers herself to Patrick--the only man who can save her father's life. The gradual evolution of the love shared by Elise and Patrick is wholly believable and at times poignant. As the story alternates between the lives of the privileged and the misery of the lower classes, the reader encounters secondary characters who prove that bad guys don't always wear black. Though the premise on the back cover blurb may seem hackneyed at first glance, Mills ( Texas Lily ) writes a story that is anything but generic. With a talent for evoking period atmosphere and her knowledge of the Regency underworld, Mills nips at the heels of Anne Perry's Victorian novels of crime and suspense. Author tour. (July)