Darius

The new Regency-set Lonely Lords series from bestseller Burrowes (Lady Eve’s Indiscretion) begins with a decidedly unusual hero. Scorned by his parsimonious father, Darius Lindsey keeps his head above water by accepting payment for his extremely discreet intimate services. When elderly Lord Longstreet offers Darius an immense sum to father a child and solve Longstreet’s succession problem, Darius decides it’s the perfect opportunity to achieve financial security and freedom. Complications ensue when Lady Vivian Longstreet warms Darius’s frozen heart and his regular clients refuse to relinquish their boy toy, forcing Darius to dodge, duck, and play dirty to reach his happy ending. Burrowes creates her usual intelligent characters, exciting chemistry, and flowing dialogue, but readers may be slow to warm to Darius, and Vivian is underwritten. Still, Burrowes’s skillful balancing act makes this unconventional redemption-and-reward story work, and the role-reversal adds a fresh twist to the “hooker with a heart of gold” trope. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency. (Apr.)