The Secrets of Mia Danvers

Dangerous Liaisons #1

by Robyn DeHart

A lone witness finds her protector…

Since losing her sight in a childhood accident, Mia Danvers has resided in a small cottage on the vast Carrington estate. Thought to be dead, Mia lives a life of virtual seclusion—until one night, while walking home, she happens upon a horrendous crime.

Alex Foster, Eighth Duke of Carrington, lives according to society’s expectations for him. He’s never met the woman who lives in the cottage at the edge of his property. But when she arrives at his door in the pouring rain terrified and claiming she has witnessed a murder, she seizes his attention.

Mia is determined to help the authorities track down the culprit, even though the only person willing to accept her aid is the handsome, arrogant duke. Working closely together proves difficult as Mia’s beauty and independence tempts Alex to ignore convention and follow his desire. But what neither of them know is that this murderer has struck before in Whitechapel, taunting the British press only to vanish—a ruthless killer who knows that Mia is the only living witness to his crime…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adult, Victorian

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2013

About the author

National Bestselling author, Robyn DeHart’s novels have appeared in the top bestselling romance and historical romance lists. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages. Her historical romantic adventure series, The Legend Hunters, were not only bestsellers, but also award-winners, snagging a Reader’s Crown and a Reviewer’s Choice award. She had three releases in 2013 and 2014 will see four more, all set in the popular historical romance Regency and Victorian eras.

Known for her “strong dialogue and characters that leap off the page” (RT Bookclub) and her “sizzling romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been featured in USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. A popular writing instructor, she has given speeches at writing conferences in Los Angeles, DC, New York, Dallas, Nashville and Toronto, among many others.

When not writing, you can find Robyn hanging out with her family, husband (The Professor) a university professor of Political Science and their two ridiculously beautiful and smart daughters, Busybee and Babybee as well as two spoiled-rotten cats. They live in the hill country of Texas where it’s hot eight months of the year, but those big blue skies make it worth it.

You can find Robyn online in a variety of places.
Sign up for Robyn’s newsletter www.robyndehart.com/newsletter/
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What others say about Robyn’s books.
“Robyn DeHart’s vibrant characters sweep the reader into a clever and sensual romp that is not to be missed.” – Julia London, NYT Bestselling Author
“Robyn DeHart proves that falling in love is the greatest adventure of all.” – Teresa Medeiros, NYT Bestselling Author
“Sizzling romance…DeHart makes the romance believable and enticing.” - Publishers Weekly
“DeHart is a genuine treasure.” – Booklist
“Robyn DeHart has become one of my favorite authors…where she shines is in creating character…. DeHart’s romances are tender and adventurous, and funny enough you may laugh your nethers off.” – FreshFiction
“One of the best historical romance authors writing today.” - Shana Galen, National Bestselling Author

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Eyre meets Pride and Prejudice meets Anne Perry.

This book has everything I ever wanted in an HR. Wonderfully complex main characters, a supportive, likeable supporting cast, all with varying degrees of depths. The bad guys, the rakes...there is no black and white here. Things happen for a reason, people are good/bad for a reason, there are no Disney-like villains here.

The mystery is actually an integral part of the plot. Imagine that! This is no thinly-veiled excuse to write a bodice-ripper. People get hurt, people die. There is danger, there is sleuthing, the mystery unwinds slowly and rationally, as it should in this time period, and given the severe limitations of 19th century methods of criminal detection. Make no mistake, there is steam, there is attraction, there is sex, but it builds up so gradually. The tension is just seething beneath the surface. It's a slow foreplay. A little touch, a little contact; the appropriateness of the Victorian era is on display here, and the strict restraint of it is is more well done and satisfying than any Regency cop-a-feels could ever be.

Mia Danvers is nearly blind. Abandoned by her callous family at the age of 16, she lives in a cottage on the Duke of Carrington's estate. Alex is a good man, trying to do his duty as the new Duke, and when Mia claims she witnesses a murder on his estate, he has to take care of it in a discreet manner as to not sully his family's reputation and name. As the murders escalate, he and Mia find themselves working together to solve a mystery of a notorious killer that has struck before. The suspect might be closer than either of them know.

What this book thankfully lacks is stupidity. Our damsel in distress may be mostly blind, but she ain't stupid. She's not putting herself in foolishly dangerous situation despite her disability, and I absolutely loved that about her. I can find very little not to love about this book. Mia is such a harrowing character. She is so pitiable, so sympathetic. For me, she is comparable to Jane Eyre. After her father's death and the accident that nearly killed and blinded her, her family abandons her in order to spare them the cost of caring for her. Instead, they leave her in a miserable little cottage, alone but for the faithful governess Rachel, who chooses to stay with her for a pittance of pay, while her sisters debut in society and make successful marriages to peers; even worse, they spread the rumor that she is utterly mad, and has died from the accident.

"'And they told everyone she had died in the accident?' he asked, unable to believe such a thing. 'Why would they do such a thing?' he asked, despite knowing the likely answer.
'It was for the best of everyone,' his mother said.
They'd hidden her away rather than having to care for her, financially, the rest of their lives. But they hadn’t even given her a chance to meet a man and to marry. Certainly there was someone out there willing to look past her affliction and take her to wife. 'The best for everyone but Mia.'"

She supports herself with the little she earns from her art; despite her near-blindness, she sculpts. Mia has since given up any dreams that life would be different. She does not pity herself, but she does not have any starry-eyed fantasies that life will drastically change for her. She just endeavors to live, day by day, a peaceful existence is all she can ever hope for, given her circumstance. Due to her blindness, her other senses are heightened, she has a superior awareness of details that the eye does not detect. She notices sounds, smells, nuances in voices, small details that would escape an average person familiar with the use of sight to notice details. Due to this, the information she provides is of enormous use, despite her blindness and assumed inferiority as a believable witness. Mia knows that people underestimate her credibility as a witness, however, she is determined to see justice served. Despite her determination, she is not so foolish as to ignore danger when she detects it.

"'Did we forget to lock the door?' Rachel asked softly.
'I don't believe so,' Mia said. Cautiously, she stepped inside the cottage and immediately the hairs on her arms stood on end. The acrid scent of that tobacco still hung on the air. Her heart pounded and she grabbed for Rachel's hand as she walked backward. 'We need to leave, now,' Mia said. 'Someone has been in our cottage.'"

Lord Alex is the epitome of a proper English lord. Far from being a rake, he is the model of propriety. His father and grandfather were...unsavory characters, and he is determined to rebuild the family name. When we meet him, he is absolutely straightlaced, even priggish, full of propriety and self-importance. He initially dismisses Mia, believing the rumors about her madness, but he comes to know her and her intelligence, her bravery, her capability, and she slowly becomes beautiful to him. Alex is so determined to do the right thing that he fights his attraction to Mia, knowing that he can do her no good. He is determined not to pursue her, not even as a dalliance. There is no droit-de-seigneur here.

"He was the worst sort of man, wanting to take advantage of a poor defenseless girl. Once her virtue was destroyed she’d truly be a ruined woman because no man could marry her. She was damaged, and she had no men in her life to protect her. Here he was the closest thing she had to a male guardian and he was thinking lascivious thoughts about her."

He is self-flagellating in his desire to do good. And he is utterly determined to do right by Mia, bring her justice, make everything right for her.

"Perhaps no one else knew Mia Danvers was still alive, but Alex wouldn’t ignore her upbringing or her family name. She deserved the same treatment as the other Danvers sisters had received. Hell, she deserved to be treated as any lady of the Ton."

Their mutual respect turns into attraction, then love. It's gradual, believable, well-written. And not without its hiccups along the way.

"'You are proposing to me? Marriage?' Mia asked. She shook her head. 'Even though you freely admit that I am not duchess material.' She came to her feet. 'I suppose I should be flattered, but I am not. That was a terrible proposal and I kindly decline. Good day, Alex.' And with that, she turned on her heel and left the room."

Well ok then, Mr. Darcy.

The main characters do not fall in insta-love. They do not hate each other, there is no revulsion, there is no antagonism, no antipathy. There is no screaming, no pouting, no fighting in spats and fits. There is initial distrust, wariness, but both characters behaved appropriately, as they should given their status in this era. This book just feels accurate. The characters are always...in character. There is no 20th century colloquialism, exclamations, clichés. The speech, the characters' actions all befit the time period. There are a lot of characters, some of the characters have their very own minor storyline. I sometimes have a problem with large casts, it's difficult to build character and a believable story behind everyone. There is no such problem with this book, the minor characters all have their role, their distinct personality, even the blandest characters like the supposedly perfect Juliet is more than what she seems to be, more than a a character "designed specifically to be an Englishman’s wife." The bad boy brother is not who he seems, his actions are self-destructive not without reason, and we come to sympathize with him just as much. I absolutely loved this book and greatly look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Delirious Disquisitions · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%. Despite the overwhelming good reviews this book is just not for me. I was bored out of my mind reading it. The characters felt very bland. There is almost instantaneous attraction between our main characters that just felt very contrived. Also, I'm very much put out by the fact that the Duke and our protagonist Mia start almost immediately calling each other by their maiden names! You just met each other! That's the height of impropritary in Victorian times. I cannot believe no one would be scandalized by this and just take it in stride. Even Alex who is a freaking Duke for fucks sake! He's offended she asked him to fold a rag. Yet doesn't bat a lash at her calling him Alex literally a couple of days after meeting him. Smh.

The disability aspect was also something I was looking forward to exploring specially in light of the setting. But Mia's blindness is treated very arbitrarily in this book. She seems to be pretty perfectly normal as in the author doesn't mention many details about how her blindness has changed the way Mia lives or behaves. How does she take precautions when she lights her candles? How does she move around in her cottage without bumping into things? Has the furniture been moved around or modified for her convenience? How does she pour her tea? Does she put her finger in the cup to measure out the amount? How did she not bump into more things at Alex's house when it's clearly unfamiliar grounds for her? There's just so much detail you could put in about the way her disability sets her slightly apart from other women of the times and still show how she hasn't let that hinder her in her day to day activities. Rather, Mia's blindness just seems to exist for the mystery.

The mystery is a little intriguing but not enough to hold my attention.

[Bonnie-Anne Carmichael (Love Triangles Are Fucking Stupid.) · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a lot of things that bothered me about this book but in the interest of not going into a big rant I'll just list the major problems I had.

Alex, the duke, is in the processing of courting a girl named Juliet. They have been arranged to be married since he took over the position of Duke, after his brothers death. It is not a love match but it is still a courtship and then later on a betrothal. Juliet is such a lovely girl, and he thinks she'll be a wonderful wife but he finds her very boring because she is so nice and polite. He tells you this a lot.

He then meets Mia, a woman who has stayed in a cottage on his estate for many years, but who he's never seen before. Mia was in a riding accident when she was younger that resulted in her losing her sight. She witnesses a murder and Alex quickly places her under his protection. They are drawn to each other but he insists nothing can happen because of the scandal it would cause. What scandal? She's from a good family, and her sisters both married well. Apparently though he feels her being blind would cause a match between them to be scandalous, and there have been enough scandals in his family. Also because she is blind he thinks she would make a terrible duchess. But they still flirt, kiss and carry on even though he is courting Juliet and is unofficially engaged to her.

At one point he half heartedly proposes to Mia, not because he actually wants her to be his wife but because he wants to have sex with her so bad. His proposal states that she would need a lot of help to manage things because she wouldn't be any good at being a duchess. She declines because it was a pretty crappy proposal.

Eventually he officially becomes engaged to Juliet. He then starts having sex with Mia. Whether it was a love match or not he was engaged to a sweet girl that deserved so much more respect.

Then it's get worse. Mia decides she wants to be his mistress. As in she wants to knowingly and enthusiastically be cared for and have sex with a married man. I'm guessing it's supposed to be alright because he doesn't love Juliet, but a marriage is a marriage. I felt so sorry for Juliet. Not that it matters because he doesn't want her as a mistress anyway. He declines her offer. Her family had hidden her away on the estate due to her blindness, and told everyone she was dead, but everyone ends up discovering who she is. He decides it would not be a good idea now to have her a mistress as she can now go into society again. Never mind that he had taken her virginity which meant that she'd probably never find a husband, on account of society being a bunch of idiots.

One night he goes to the opera with Juliet and Mia goes with her sisters. Whilst there she senses the killer and runs to Alex. He makes it obvious he has feelings for her in front of his fiancé, and Juliet ends up excusing herself and attempts to go home by herself. But she gets attacked by the killer, who cuts her face, and tries to kill her.

The next day Juliet calls off their engagement because she is worried about her scar, and Alex rushes over there because he is still adamant about marrying her because she would make a great duchess. He tries desperately to get her to still marry him. He tells her he doesn't care about her scars and it's okay because she still has her virtue. This is at 94%. She tells him she realises that she wants to try and find someone to love, and she completely cuts of their engagement. If she hadn't he would have married her.

He then decides in the last 5% that he is madly in love with Mia and runs after her and they end up together. We also get an epilogue that lets us know that's she is really good at running a household so she makes a good duchess after all. <\spoiler>

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This author lures you in with interesting sounding plotlines and inoffensive to writing phrasing but someone , preferably a book editor with minimal knowledge of the subject,should take over the writing of her dialogues. They simply stink up to high heaven. No ear and no sense of the time and place she chose to set her story in. They all sound and behave like suburban 21 st c. Americans or Canadians or Australians but certainly not British (and it is so easy to copy and
lampoon the contemporary version of the latter!).

All the dialogues are straight out of reality TV and I found them terribly oppressive in their shrilly, hysterical adherence to the ridiculous idiom of such culture (there was even an ‘anyways’ that gouged my eyes out). The characters that should have been interesting ended up tedious, repetitive and less than hollow (calling them hollow would still endow them with a depth they don’t even aspire to) pretty early in the story. Needless to add, the repertory of complacently and deliberately (to satisfy those who never venture beyond the comfortable land of current idioms and cliches) ignorant errors is present in its pristine glory: Alex the duke (why not ‘Al’?), who has servants who adore him as their chum; Second sons of dukes who never wanted to be dukes and never ‘trained’ to be one (how ignorant you must be to ignore so blissfully the rigid class system of the time and the fact that all heirs and spares would partake of similar education and privileges and self-beliefs); Victorian women who prefer to work as governesses to pay the gambling debts of their fathers (apparently a Victorian governess made as much as Super Nanny makes from her TV shows) than marry earls; Victorian women blind, ambandoned and impoverished who speak to arrogant dowagers as if they are both members of a Housewives of Mayfair TV show; Victorian women brought up to marry dukes and officially engaged to one who walk out of a ball unchaperoned and offer a man a lift in their carriage (why not chew gum and wear headphones?), the stifling idiocy of contemporary projections goes on and on. Given the oppressive contemporary voice that chokes the life out of any ability to imagine the past, I wonder what kind of readership profess to ‘escape’ or ‘relax’ with such dreadful crap (the question is, naturally, rhetorical).

[E.G. Manetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a unique and page-turning spin on historical-romance, this novel features a blind-heroine who deftly manages to live her life and help the handsome nobleman hunt a killer. Set in the Victorian era, it's nicely spooky while adding sufficient quirks and twists to keep the reader guessing. The only downside was the hero's ongoing angst about being torn between 'doing the right thing' and meeting parental expectations in his choice of wife or following his heart. Our hero was otherwise both honorable and heroic, the dithering went on too long for the otherwise decisive character.

On the other hand, blind Mia who stalwartly insists on pursuing a killer she can't see, is a brilliant, multi-dimensional character who deserves a sequel.

[Liz F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

I. Loved. This. Book. I think that this is the most unique and interesting historical romance that I've ever read. Ever!

First off, lets discuss characters. Mia Danvers, our heroine. I loved her. She's blind due to a childhood accident. That, in itself, is a new one for me. I don't think I've read any historical romances where the heroine has any kind of "disability". I wouldn't say that blindness is a disability and for sure, it isn't for Mia. I would say that its more of a bump in the road for her. She still lives a full and happy life but she has the benefit of not having to worry about what society thinks of her. Sure, it can be lonely at times, even though she has her governess turned friend, Rachel, by her side. But she's never been to a ball, never been courted by a man, never been kissed. On the other hand, she is an accomplished sculptress and people are actually buying her work! I don't think that there was one thing that I didn't like about Mia. She seemed very real to me, in every way. She was a little angry at her family for dumping her at the cottage so that they could go and continue on with their lives but it wasn't really anger... it was more sadness tempered with understanding. I didn't love that because I would be raising holy hell if I were her. But it was completely believable that she would be so forgiving to her awful mother and sisters because Mia is such a kind and forgiving person. She expects nothing from people and she's genuinely pleased when someone does something for her. For example, her mother fully intended to leave Mia at this cottage by herself, with the promise of a servant to come check on her once a day. Mia quietly agrees but Rachel puts her foot down and says that she will stay with Mia since they have no idea if this servant really will come or not. There is a discussion between Rachel and Mia's mother about how Rachel won't be paid and Rachel saying that she didn't care, etc. Mia feels absolutely guilty that Rachel won't have any income but she's happy that someone will be with her and she's happy that its her governess/best friend, Rachel. So, you see, Mia didn't ask for anyone to stay with her and was ok with being there on her own but she was still happy that Rachel insisted on staying, albeit guilty as well. To me, Mia (and Rachel) seemed like normal, real people who really came to life on the page.

The cottage that Mia and Rachel live in is on the edge of the Duke of Carrington's large estate. There is a new Duke since the previous one was killed in an illegal duel. The new Duke is Alex Foster and he doesn't love his new position. He was a military man and had never really planned to be the Duke. I loved Alex. I mean, sure, its easy to love a Duke, right? They're all rich and somehow they're all handsome and rather intelligent. So sure, it was easy to fall for him as our hero. He's all of those things and he's also got this really strong sense of commitment... no, that's not the right word. Well, when he says he'll do something, he does it and he does it to the best of his abilities. Like the Dukedom... he's inherited the title and somehow, it came with a fiancee. A perfect woman who will be a perfect Duchess. And trust me, the Carrington title needs a little perfection after all of the scandals the previous Dukes had been involved in! So even though Alex doesn't know this woman, he meets her and decides that although they don't have much in common, she seems a good and kind woman who is beautiful and who has been trained to be a Duchess and he could do much worse. He continues on with courting her, even though she was betrothed to his brother, the former Duke. Maybe it sounds harsh of me, but I loved that Alex would follow through on something that he didn't REALLY want just because it would be good for the Carrington name and because someone else had kind of pledged his title to her. Does that make any sense? He's just trying to do the right thing and I thought he was awesome for it!

Alex and Mia meet after she witnesses a murder next to the Carrington estate. She hears the whole thing happen and since she wasn't able to help the girl that was murdered, she figures the least she can do is help the police catch the villain. She goes to the main house to speak with the Duke and that's where they meet. Alex is kind of entranced by Mia. She's beautiful, of course, but she's kind and free thinking and has absolutely NO problem speaking her mind! Since that's pretty rare in London in the 1800's, Alex is taken aback at first but quickly comes to enjoy spending time with Mia. Mia has never had the attention of a man before and this is all new and exciting to her. Needless to say, sparks fly and neither one of them are the same! For a historical romance, this book was really hot! Whew! Who knew that kissing could be so steamy!?

I know I'm not doing this book any justice but trust me, its awesome. Mia is a great heroine. She lets nothing get in her way; not her blindness, not society, not convention. She's honest and straightforward and forgiving and kind. There's nothing to dislike about her. Alex is sexy and strong and he could learn a couple of things from Mia. I loved whenever these two were in a room together! Now, I was saving this for last but I said that Mia witnesses a murder, right? Well, the mystery of that murder is one of the central points of this book and its really great and super interesting. See, this book takes place right around 1888.... in London... do you see what I'm getting at?? YES! JACK THE FREAKIN RIPPER makes an appearance!! Holy crap!!! My god, I love this damn book!! Oh and Jacky Boy doesn't just make an appearance, he.... well, no I won't tell you. You NEED to read this book. The Sexy Time was great, there was humor and maybe possibly a tear or two and then the mystery! Gah! Too much awesomeness! I'm going to check out Robyn DeHart's other books since this one was so much fun!! I highly recommend The Secrets of Mia Danvers!!

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started so well! I mean, Jack the Ripper in Historical Romance? signed me up. I enjoyed it, but then it got tedious... too long and with a cliffhanger. The whole plot is not resolved and it leaves you hanging for the next book in the series. The romance was alright, I think it was the line that saved the book.

[Kusanagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est un 4 parce que la romance est plutôt classique.... alors que la façon de raconter l'histoire non. Pour une romance s'entend ^^

Ici on a une histoire à plusieurs voix, situer 2-3 mois après l'arrêt de meurtres à Whitechapel. Plusieurs voix, celles, classiques des héros... celles de certains des personnages secondaires qui vivent la romance secondaire.... mais celle aussi.... et là ça apporte son lot de pertubationnage, du tueur. Et d'un "suspect".
Et je dois avouer que se retrouver dans la tête de Jack l’Éventreur, quand on lit une romance, ça perturbe. Même si c'est un développement imaginaire des crimes de l’Éventreur....
D'autant que les héros, touchés au premier plan par ce retour du criminel, passent beaucoup de temps eux, à classiquement s'interroger sur leur sentiments et leur attirance réciproque.... (ceci dit ça peut être aussi justifié par leur propre histoire)

Donc d'un côté nous avons Mia Danvers, abandonnée à l'âge de 16 ans (oui, oui) parce qu'aveugle, par sa famille dans un cottage à la limite de la propriété londonienne du Duc de Carrington, parce que celui-ci en devait bien une à sa mère. Vous comprenez une jeune aveugle ça n'a pas de perspective d'avenir (aka mariage) donc c'est un boulet pour ses soeurs. Et pour faire bonne figure dans l'amour familial, sa famille l'a fait croire morte.... Neuf ans plus tard, notre jeune aveugle "assiste" si on peut dire au premier crime de l'Eventreur hors de Whitechapel, dans une contre-allée de Mayfair sur la propriété du Duc. Et elle va le prévenir...

De l'autre Alex Foster, Duc de Carrington en titre donc.... qui n'était pas sensé hériter, mais comme son frère s'est fait tuer en duel, ben c'est lui qui a le poste. Alex était militaire et manifestement des fils Foster, c'est le plus droit, organisé, capable. Alex est très sensible aux règles, à la bienséance et à ce qu'il doit faire pour le titre...
Même si sa mère est une morue. Avec lui encore ça va, mais c'est une morue (et il en est parfaitement conscient)

Bref, ça va être déjà la rencontre entre ces deux là et ça reste assez classique....

L'intérêt dans cette histoire réside surtout du côté thriller.... oui, parce que qui dit Jack l'éventreur dit victime, et l'auteur n'édulcore pas son propos.... des victimes il y en a et pas de héros chevaleresque qui sauve inopinément les gens...

J'ai commencé le tome 2 et je dois dire qu'il est encore mieux, plus sombre.... et je pense qu'il va y avoir un tome 3.... je pense même savoir qui en seront les héros ^^

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to read The Secrets of Mia Danvers. I thought the premise was amazing. I loved the idea of blind heroine involved in murder mystery, and Mia certainly proved her capability in aiding the investigation. However, when it came to the romance I was left feeling like I’d been tossed all over the place.

As a witness to a murder, Mia knows she has to share what she overheard with someone. The logical choice is Alex Foster, the Duke of Carrington, who is essentially her landlord. She has never met the Duke, and her first meeting does not go well. Alex initially dismisses Mia, partially because his mother has told him that the woman who lives in the cottage is not sound of mind. Once Alex realizes that Mia is merely blind rather than mentally unstable, he’s forced to consider what she has witnessed and the fact that it has put her in the killer’s sights.

To start, I loved this plot. I liked the fact that this has more than a hint of mystery and intrigue in it, and it really contributed to keeping the plot moving along. What actually did not meet expectations for me was the actual romance. I just didn’t really like Alex. This is a romance, so basically you need to love the hero, but I couldn’t really get behind Alex. I didn’t like the way he initially treated the heroine and then offered to make her his mistress because of course, a blind woman couldn’t be his wife. What made it worse was that he still continued to pursue Mia when he knew he would be marrying someone else. And the icing on the cake? The fact that Mia offered to be his mistress because she was so desperate for Alex. Ugh, I was so disappointed with Mia. To me, she started out as such a strong character and just weakened throughout the plot. Overall, I just wasn’t crazy about their relationship and the fact that neither of them seemed to know what they wanted from the other (mistress? Wife? It’s all the same right?); it was frusterating.

What I really liked in the book was the introduction of Alex’s brother, Drew. He’s your typical dissolute rake in need of a good redemption plot (I see a sequel in the future!). I thought he made a great character, and he will be why I’ll be returning to this series. However, there was kind of an important reveal about a connection between Drew and Mia and NO ONE EVER TOLD EITHER OF THEM ABOUT IT! The fact that Drew and Mia are brother and sister was rather significant, but neither of them knew. I just want to know why Alex never thought to mention this. I really felt that this relationship was glossed over and I think it deserved more attention.

Overall, I did enjoy the book more as a thriller/mystery than as a romance. The mystery behind the murder is never solved, so I will be back to find out “whodunit” and to see Drew clear his name in the next book in the series.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Rashika (is tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure any words I have will do this book justice so I am not going to attempt to write a review.. but I am going to write a(n unorganized) collection of thoughts.

This book is very filling and really just invokes a lot of emotions. Unlike most other historical romances out there it is not full of fluff and humor, yes there are bits that will make you smile but this book is more of an emotional read.

These characters are so well-developed with so much depth. Their emotions become your own, their weaknesses become your own and their difficulties (with reference to Mia's sightlessness) become your own.

My heart was in my throat for most of the book. I was worried, on the edge and really really hoping that these characters would get a happy ending.

The mystery remains unsolved and I am completely fine with that because that's for the sequel, which I might read because Drew is a very intriguing character. I think one thing that really sets this apart from most dulogies (or series)is the fact that you can tell the author has thought this through, the next book will not simply focus on another character but there is a purpose for it. Drew's story will have a major role in the catching of the killer.

The romance was heartfelt. There is lust but there is also love. The two characters aren't always trying to rip each others clothes off, they seek to comfort one another and share true companionship instead of just, well LUST. I'll be the first to admit that I felt it had a sense of insta-ness to it but once it started developing it was beautiful to read. Their difficulties were genuine and didn't read like angst. I didn't want to tell them to get over themselves and get together, I had fun watching them come to the realizations on their own because there are things some people should realize on their own instead of having people push it on to them.

The mystery did NOT take a back seat to the romance, at all. You could sense the danger in the atmosphere and the characters' fear and the need to figure out what the hell was happening. You could feel Alex's need to protect Mia but at the same point prove his brother's innocence.

One of the drawbacks was the secondary romance. It didn't bother me in the least until well it was slightly accelerated.. perhaps the author could have taken a little more time to develop it.

This is definitely a book I would recommend to fans of historical romance looking for something that has more depth than just the romance.

[Joy (Cheery♡Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The day I bought this was also the day I finished it. So bloody good, thrilling and frustrating. You know, I didn't know anything about the author and the existence of this brilliant story. I read about it in my Heroes&Heartbreakers' subscription and it was these two main factors that drew me to get it:

1. The Murder - Yeah, I'm a sucker for murder and mystery stories/plot.

2. Blind Heroine - I know right? I've a penchant for blind, deaf, bluestocking and disabled one way or another heroes and heroines. They just somehow draw me in. Every single time.

To me, the beginning of the book should already hook me in because my mind can start to wander if it doesn't and Mia Danvers brilliantly succeeded. The characters were awesomely fleshed out and I LOVE that the murders and main arc for the series are centered around the infamous Ripper. I have always been fascinated by this unknown serial killer. Love his POV in the story as they added a creepy and thrilling feel to the whole thing. Really kept me on my toes.

I'm so glad that the side characters got their HEA while Alex frustrated me. At a certain point, I felt like slapping Alex awake but when I think back about the whole situation, it was understandable why Alex behaved and reacted the way he did.

As a conclusion, The Secrets of Mia Danvers is a great start to a brand new series by Robyn DeHart. I'm so glad to have found another historical romance author and series to love. Now, I simply can't wait to read Drew's story. I really feel for ya, darling. If no one wants you, I do ♡

Thank you Robyn for this wonderful book :D

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. I really did, but I would rate it 4 and 1/2 stars.

Because there was something about that I found missing. I really cannot point my finger at what it was exactly, but still…

The story is solid and I enjoyed the blind heroine and her strength. She was awesome! She was so unconventional in everything she did. She’s a sculptor in spite of her blindness. She’s independent. She’s smart. She’s a realist and knows the limitations the society imposes on her. She’s courageous and admits her desires. She’s not afraid of anything, but she’s not stupid in her actions. I loved her!

I also appreciated the fact that the hero is admiring her too.

Maybe the missing part was related to the hero. I found his behavior to be very true to those of the period, but I like my heroes more unconventional (as the heroine was!). I would have liked him better if he realized (as he do at the end) that he’s a duke and therefore he doesn’t have to account for his action to anyone (besides Queen Victoria, as he himself admits often).
I wanted to scream: “If you realize that being a duke is an almost God-like position, why don’t you tell your mother to fuck off???!!!”

I really hated his mother! Heartless bitch!!! She was a prototype of a social climber and had all the arrogance of that type of person. I wanted her humiliated!

Another, but it is small complaint, I kept wondering why the title was The Secrets of Mia Danvers. The secrets were not hers. SWhat were her secrets? In my opinion she didn't have any...

At the same time I can appreciate how the story was really very well connected with the historical period!

[Cheryl Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! What an amazing twist on the "Jack the Ripper" story line. Mia Danvers is a blind woman who has been on her own since she was very young. Alex Foster is the Duke of Carrington whose family responsibilities are tremendous. And then there's Jack, who inadvertently brings these two people together with mysterious plot twists and turns. This is the first book in the "A Dangerous Liaisons" series and it was AMAZING! I absolutely love Robyn DeHart's style of writing and I can't wait to read her next book!

[romancelibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a background in Criminology and needless to say, I have an interest in unsolved cases, especially that of Jack the Ripper. When I found out about this book - a romance novel that features Jack the Ripper as a character - I could not resist. I dived right into it.

This book had so much potential! The author had such an interesting concept that she could play with, but unfortunately, the execution did not work well for me.

Spoilers below~
I don't feel like writing a lengthy review, so I will try to summarize my complaints as concisely as possible.

The Hero:
I didn't like the hero, Alex, from the very beginning. Like everyone else, he was prejudiced towards Mia. I couldn't fault him for that given his privileged upbringing and the society that he lives in. However, even after he slowly got to know Mia, implicit bias was noticeable through the way he constantly described Mia as "damaged", "delicate" and "thin." He also pitied Mia a lot (Ex: about her family leaving her and when he first kissed her).

Moreover, he did certain things, like visiting Mia's sisters, without letting her know beforehand. He also never told her about the letter the Ripper left behind on that barmaid's body. Sure, Mia already knew she was in danger. But she was clearly not aware of the severity of that danger because that letter specified her by name.

The core of my dislike is based on the fact that Alex may be one of the stupidest heroes I have ever come across in romance novels. This guy clearly knew that Mia was in danger and yet he went around telling people that she was a witness. First, he told Drew and really I don't care if Drew is his brother, it's not Alex's right to tell Drew something confidential. And then, he told his friend, Edward, who could have easily been the Ripper. (Frankly, I would have given this book 3 stars if the author revealed Edward to be the Ripper. That would have been quite the twist.) Alex was going on about how he was going to keep Mia's testimony a secret, yet started babbling about it not 2 seconds after.

Not only did this jeopardize the investigation, it also increased the danger to Mia. Of course, Drew went on to spill the fucking beans to his two loser "blokes he trusted," Richardson and Thompson. Drew, being the smart ass that he is, went on to tell them that the killer could be himself, one of his friends, or one of the men who are part of their social circles of rakes. Not only did he tell these two losers about Mia, he also did that in fucking public among those same rakes, one of whom could potentially be the Ripper. Are you shitting me right now?

When the Ripper made it clear that Mia was his next target, then Alex was like "Christ, I should keep my mouth shut." Well, no fucking shit, you colossal idiot.

Even till the very end, when Mia told him the Ripper was at the opera, you would think Alex would let Simon know. Hell no! Nor did he even try to question Juliet when he went to see her.

Lazy writing and plotting:
The author tried so hard to make us believe that Alex and Drew are supposed to be smart. Yet, she has these so-called smart characters act stupidly just to advance the plot and let me tell you, this is one of my biggest pet peeves EVER. It's lazy writing, plain and simple. Characters do stupid things all the time and sometimes I relate to these characters because I have done and continue to do stupid things in my life. But when it comes to things like murder investigations, this is just beyond fucking stupid. This is the point where the story going downhill for me because I could easily predict the rest of the story. I saw everything coming from that point on and nothing surprised me. So much for the mystery(ies)~ Also! How convenient for the plot that Drew and the Ripper use the same flavour of tobacco *sarcasm*

On top of that, I found a couple of grammar mistakes, wrong word choices and so much repetition, which annoyed me further. Mia kept going on and on about how she doesn't care about his title. Alex also kept going on and on about how much Mia intrigues him because she doesn't treat him any differently as she would treat a commoner. ENOUGH! It was all, "Blah blah blah omg I am not impressed with your title!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111" Alex also kept hovering between desire and duty and I shit you not, he did that for the entirety of the fucking story. Even after Juliet broke things off and told him that she wanted to marry for love, he was all like "But omg!!! We're perfect together!!!" acting all noble and shit, like he really cared about her. Bitch, are you kidding me right now? You are clearly relieved that she set you free and she even gave you an explanation so that you wouldn't feel guilty about "breaking" your promise, and yet you persist?

The author had such an interesting concept to work with: Jack the Ripper changing his pattern by going after servant girls, but unfortunately, it was poorly executed. Furthermore, I had a hard time believing that the Ripper would go after Juliet just to hurt Alex. The Ripper had been solely focused on Mia ever since he found out she witnessed one of his killings. It was out of character for him to just go after Juliet so he could piss off Alex. The fuck?

And the fact that Alex did not try to question Juliet about her encounter with the Ripper. It's clear that Juliet saw him, yet nothing came out of that. It's like the author needed a way to get rid of Juliet so Alex and Mia could have their damn HEA.

Also LOL...how the fuck did the Ripper survive??? Unbelievable! He got shot and he fell down from quite a height.

The Heroine and the romance:
Mia was okay for the most part, but it was hard to believe that she never realized someone was watching her while she sculpted outside. Her other senses are supposed to be very acute, yet she did not feel the Ripper's presence while he was watching her and nor did she recognize his voice in the end.

I thought it was extremely gross when she wanted to sex Alex up even though he was engaged. He was equally at fault here. And they kept dancing around the whole ~mistress~ topic even though she slept with him and he bought her dresses and shit. Moreover, she called him by his first name in front of everyone!

The romance was ridiculous, stupid and annoying and I just wanted the Ripper to kill both Alex and Mia, mostly Alex LOL

In all seriousness, I was definitely into the romance in the beginning, but that completely changed when I realized how fucking stupid Alex was. Then I was like, fuck no. I can't ship any woman with someone this stupid.

The series:
Overall, this book was way too fucking long. A good part of the story was filled up with repetition and a dragged out plotline that was going nowhere. Mia and Alex barely investigated anything together, as the blurb would lead you to believe. He only made her smell some things here and there.

To be quite honest, I doubt the Ripper's identity will be revealed in the next book because according to the author's website, she has one more book to write for this series (I'm assuming it will be Simon's book). Clearly the Ripper will need to get rid of his witnesses, so will he try killing Mia and Juliet in the next book or will he go after Anna, the heroine, just for the plot's sake? I don't even know if I want to read the next book now.

Wow, I wasn't supposed to write this much, but clearly this book pissed me off. But I am not giving up on the author; one book is not enough for me to make a judgement on her writing. I will just ignore any of her books that have a little mystery to them.

[Christal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

I don't read a lot of historical romance, but The Secrets of Mia Danvers was the perfect read for me. I loved how the romance didn't overshadow the mystery and that Mia wasn't the typical HR heroine. This is a series I definitely intend to continue with and I can't wait to find out who The Ripper really is.

Mia Danvers is a blind, young woman whose family has abandoned to a carriage house on the Duke of Carrington's property. She lives a quiet life there with her friend Rachel and sells her sculptures for a little bit of spending money. Alex Foster recently became the Duke of Carrington after his older brother was killed in a duel. He finds being Duke a little off-putting as her was previously a soldier, but he is trying to do right by his family name. When Alex and Mia meet, they can't help but be a little fascinated by one another and of course there is the mystery of the murdered woman on Carrington property to be dealt with. As they begin to work together to solve the mystery, they become closer in other ways as well. Can they overcome the pressures of society and be together or will it drive them apart?

Mia was a wonderful character and I don't think I've read very many books where the main character was blind. Robyn DeHart was able to make Mia's other senses come to life with her writing and it became easy to imagine how difficult Mia's life could be. I loved the friendship between Rachel and Mia; they were so sweet and supportive to one another. That was contrasted by how terrible Mia's sisters were and I just do not trust them. Mia was very strong and capable, even though society looked down upon her, and I loved that she knew what she wanted out of life and wouldn't settle for anything else.

Alex was a little difficult to connect with at first because he came off cold and aloof. He began to warm up as he grew closer to Mia though and I came to really like him. He has a horrible mother and his brother is definitely what you would call a problem child, but I liked seeing the gentleness Mia brought out in him. I wasn't super excited by his betrothal plotline, but it made sense for that to be in place for a newly minted Duke.

Alex and Mia were wonderful together and though they stumbled along for a while, it was nice to see them finally realize the truth of their feelings. Mia never let her disability hinder her in any way, especially when it came to Alex. She met him wit to wit and taught him that she had a fire and passion that he hadn't found in other women. I thought they complimented each other well and Alex truly treasured Mia for who she was.

They mystery was also a very interesting aspect of The Secrets of Mia Danvers. When The Ripper learns that Mia "witnessed" the murder on Carrington property, he begins hunting her with the intent to kill her. Even after he learns of her blindness, he still plans to murder her and she becomes something of a trophy in his head. Alex tries to protect her, but there is only so much he can do. I liked the twist with The Ripper framing Alex's brother for his crimes and I am interested to see how the events at the end of the book play out.

The Secrets of Mia Danvers balanced historical romance and mystery elements perfectly to create a unique and completely readable tale. Mia and Alex were terrific main characters with a believable attraction and they were surrounded by interesting secondary characters that elicited a range of emotional responses. I am very excited to continue on with this series, though I will miss Alex and Mia in the next book. I am hoping that we will at least get a little cameo from them, but I am also eager to learn more about the Duke's brother and the lady he comes to love. Highly recommend this one to historical romance fans looking for a read with minimal swooning and a good mystery!

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Day 2 of The Great Historical Romance Reading Binge

I came in with high hopes and it may have led me to the downfall of this book.

After reading a few reviews and the intriguing mystery that was offered in the summary, I had already decided that I would probably like it and I eagerly endeavored to finish it. It was only when there was a few chapters left that I realised why I was beginning to feel irritated. This whole fucking book read like a checklist for a formula of an agreeable book.

Everyone loves a good mystery, especially when its the driving force of The Plot. Initially, I really enjoyed how it was being presented and how the author allowed her readers to speculate. However, it began to feel really thin when the murderer's narrative began to reflect a cartoon villain level of insidiousness. Which is even more tragic considering the author decided to pay homage to Jack the Ripper, a murderer that has become more myth than a person. Instead of imagining the criminal that had disembowelled many vulnerable women, I saw a generic villain from Scooby Doo with a ridiculous sense of ego that needed constant reassurance that yes, he was very scary and his lurking skills are A+. It didn't help his case when the author would forget about him for about 3 chapters and would bring him back in when she realises that there was a plot to be had. The transition between canoodling (or the urge to canoodle) and this book's version of Jack the Ripper going "nyehehehe" gives me a bad case of whiplash.

I really admired how steadfast Mia was. She can hold her ground and refuse to compromise her sense of self for love. She's a character worthy of respect and admiration, truly. If only she had a flaw beyond her disability. Human beings are so very imperfect. We get angry when we should be patient, we get hurt and lash out. Yet, Mia seem to float beyond that level of ugliness and continue to present herself as a paragon of good virtues. She never covets, she never dispair (at least, not too much that it was unseemly), she never angers (again, not too unseemly). Despite being shunned by her family, labelled as a madwoman, and announced as dead to the rest of the world, thus leaving her with absolutely nothing, Mia doesn't bat an eye and continue to glide through life with effortless ease. To despair and to enrage was unheard of, since Mia's got superhuman abilities to detect everything. It was irritating. While the author tries continously lecture her readers that Mia was beyond her disability, I was already racing to know who she really was. In the end, the lesson that I understood was that ultimately, Mia is absolutely perfect and that she was designed to be liked. I felt cheated. Alex, meanwhile, was a man who couldn't make up his own mind and would gladly dither around until the life takes its course and force his hand. At least you have your conscience, Alex. Despite his irritating ability to not make a decision, Alex was the most evolved character in the book. Their romance was... as picturesque as Mia. I don't know how to explain it but whenever they were together I kept thinking that it just felt so manufactured. It had everything that I like in any romance- they grew into each other, slowly and eventually. Yet for the life of me, I couldn't bring myself to care all that much.

You know what, let me just stop there and just summarise it because this book already robbed me of time. Heroine develops mythical powers of observations, continues to astound the rest of London and becomes a legendary duchess. Will probably ascend to sainthood after death.

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mystery and a dull romance.

Lady Mia Danvers lost her eyesight when she was young. Her family, having lost her father, the Earl, and having to leave the family's estates to the male next-of-kin, find themselves destitute. They make the reproachable decision to abandon Mia in a cottage bordering the estate of Alex, the Duke of Carrington, and move in with a wealthier cousin.

Years later, her mother dead, and her sisters comfortably married, Mia still lives forgotten in her cottage.
One night, returning home, she witnesses Jack the Ripper committing a murder. Only Mia, being blind, is a very peculiar witness.
As soon as it's safe, she runs to Alex's estate to report the crime.

The mystery is extremely compelling. The author did an amazing job giving us Mia's POV, considering she is blind. Mia experiences the world by touch, by sound, and most importantly, by smell. She could recognise the killer's scent anywhere, and now he is on the hunt for her.

I really couldn't feel the chemistry between Mia and Alex, though. For most of the book they frequently mention feeling lust for each other - to me it was told, not shown.

There was an awkward leap from lust to love, it felt unbalanced, somehow... There wasn't a natural progression. Alex feels a need to protect her, and Mia is attracted to him... and suddenly it's love?
Alex was too distant to be likable, and Mia was too absurdly defiant or meekly compliant, by turns.

Also, I don't know if it's just my copy, but I found the text to be littered with grammatical mistakes, odd syntax choices, and a few homophones instead of their correct counterparts.

Harder to ignore are the mistakes regarding form of address. Alex is often called Lord Carrington, when he should always be addressed as "Your Grace", and Mia is always addressed as Miss Danvers, when she should be addressed as "Lady Danvers". Both Alex and Mia start addressing each other by first name out of the blue, and in the company of others, which was also odd. This is inexcusable in a historical romance, it's basic research...

But the mystery is worthwhile, so give it a try!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel reminded me of how good Robyn DeHart is at plotting her stories, and how well she writes her characters. As usual, she creates her heroines as strong, independent women and her heroes are just as strong and determined men.

The story opens up with Mia literally being abandoned by her family, and at sixteen years of age this young woman was such a wonderful and courageous soul that the scenes made me cry and wish to pummel her mother.

After nine years of living in a small cottage, off of Eighth Duke of Carrington’s property, with her faithful governess-turned-companion who never abandoned her, she was finally forced by circumstances to face the Duke and let him know that she was the witness to a crime that occurred on his property.

And that’s where this story becomes a mystery worth reading. I’m not a fan of Jack the Ripper only because I don’t like to read gore scenes, but Ms. DeHart knows her audience and keeps those scenes only at a periphery of my mind and leaves it to my imagination rather than writing it all out.

The story was enhanced by the heroine’s blindness as we had to be put in the dark as she was and ‘feel’ rather than ‘see’ the world in which she lived in. It also created an interesting dynamic between Alex, a man who always did what was expected of him; a man who needed someone like Mia to pop into his life and ‘open’ his eyes to the world beyond the one he grew up in.

And when it comes to villains, this one is sick, vile and slippery son-of-a gun. I’ll be so glad to watch him get his in the next book.

If you’re looking for a fast paced romance with a mystery in it, oh and let’s not forget sensual, don’t look further. I highly recommend you pick this one and I promise you’ll read it in one sitting. It is not to be put down before the last page is read!

Mel for b2b

*Book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Sloane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I'm not normally a huge fan of historical romance. Mia Danvers is a strong heroine who speaks her mind and is not afraid to stand up to a Duke even though she's blind. The Jack the Ripper storyline and Mia's determination to build a life for herself in the face of a disability is fantastic. Kept me turning the pages. Took me 8 hours, but I read this book straight through - my first vacation read and I still have a week to go!

I will definitely be downloading another Robyn DeHart book. There's nothing better than starting a book and not wanting to put it down. Ms. DeHart writes page turners!

[Fangirl Musings · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: 25%

Nope. Couldn't do it. Flat characters with badly paced dialogue that sounded like 21st century conversation is just the tip of the Nope Train. Once the insta-connection started to rear its head, I read some reviews and WOWZA our dude pulls some He Ain't No Hero bullshit right up to the 95% mark in the story.

Thanks but no thanks.

[Clementine · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 25%

So I can't shelve this under "disabled characters" because this is not how a blind person would act. Heck, this is without a doubt the worst depiction of a blind person I have ever read.

Plus it was cliché and historically inaccurate. And I'm so fucking done.

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

[Dabney · Rating 3 out of 5]

this review was originally published at DearAuthor.com

Dear Ms. Dehart:

The Secrets of Mia Danvers is implausible. It features Jack the Ripper as the villain. The heroine is beautiful, blind, abandoned by her family, and a stellar sculptor. The high and mighty hero pursues another woman while seducing his true love.

These elements should have made your book a chore to read but, surprisingly, they didn’t. The Secrets of Mia Danvers won’t make it onto my list of ballin’ bodice rippers (my favorite historical romances), but I enjoyed it. Readers looking for an easy summer read probably will too.

The book opens with a mother behaving badly. Mia Danvers is sixteen years old and was blinded in a recent accident. Her mother (and two sisters) essentially abandon her. They take her to a small cottage near Hyde Park on the edge of the Duke of Carrington’s land where they leave her to live out the rest of her life alone. Mia is saved from utter desertion by her governess Rachel who, after taking the mom to task for her egregious behavior, announces she will stay with Mia as an unpaid companion.  The evil mom and sisters drive away and Mia begins her new life.

Boom: six years have passed. Mia’s become not only able to navigate her life in the cottage, she’s a successful sculptress, and can make her way around the estate. It would have been intriguing to see how Mia learned to do all this, but that information isn’t shared with the reader. I rather wish it had been. It would have been interesting to see Mia adapt.

One night Mia is out taking one of her regular walks about the estate when she hears a murder taking place. She can tell by the sound the killer has slashed the woman’s throat. She also takes in the very distinctive smell of the tobacco he smokes. The killer walks away whistling, unaware there’s a witness to his crime. Mia goes straight to the current Duke of Carrington to inform him of the crime committed on his property.

The Duke, Alex Foster, is new to the job. His elder brother was killed in a duel over the wife of a Marquess. Now it is up to Alex to carry on the Carrington mantle. First thing on his now-I’m-a-Duke-to-do list is to marry a worthy Duchess. He’s already got one in mind, the lovely Juliet Beckinsale who was his brother’s intended.

Alex is contemplating his responsibilities when Mia is announced by his butler. He is at first displeased to see her. It’s late and she’s dripping on the carpet.

“Madam, what is it that you think I can assist you with? I do not like being disturbed this late in the evening. Nor do I appreciate you soaking everything in your wake.”

She blinked and took a few shuffling steps forward. “My Lord, my name is Mia Danvers, I live in the cottage at the edge of your estate.”

“My God.” He’d never met her before, at least he did not remember if he had, but she’d lived on their property for nearly eight years. An agreement between his late father and her parents, an agreement that had been written into his father’s will. Alex remembered his mother saying once that the poor girl was mad. But up until now they’d never had any trouble with her. In fact, she’d kept to her own and out of sight, so Alex had never questioned her living arrangement. He studied her now, taking in the frantic, almost crazed, expression on her face. It might be time to reexamine the situation, search for a way around his father’s odd demand.

“Miss Danvers, what are you doing away from your cottage?” he asked, voice firm and authoritative. She needed to know this sort of behavior would not be tolerated, regardless of what his father had agreed to.

She craned her neck awkwardly to the right, then moved in that direction, heading straight for the fire crackling in the hearth. But she ran right into a chair. With her hands she felt around the piece of furniture, moving around it as she did until she stood directly in front of the fire. She silently warmed herself for several moments before she spoke.

“I witnessed a murder tonight. On your property.”

Alex thinks she’s nuts. He tells her obviously she couldn’t have witnessed anything and dispatches her back to her cottage. However, when three hours later, the body of a young woman is discovered on the edge of his property, he begins to believe her. He summons her the next night and is taken aback when she, using her highly developed sense of smell, deduces he’s been out on the town.

“I can smell perfume on you, a couple of varieties as well as scented waters for hair rinses. Decidedly feminine smells so it seems logical that perhaps you’d danced tonight,” she said.

He stopped walking, just stood still. The fact that she could know that simply by the smell of him felt awkwardly intimate. As if he stood before her an open book ready for her to peruse and discover any of his secrets. Not that he had any. He lived a reputable life. He was a good man with very few vices.

This is one of those plot things you just have to buy into in order to enjoy this story. Mia has a Sherlockian ability to identify smells. The book is full of revelations like the one above. She can identify almost any smell, even when many are combined.

Mia thinks Alex is a bit of an ass. He seems, to her, arrogant, rude, and a bit of a prude. He’s just the sort of man she might have had to marry had she not had her accident which, somewhat unbelievably, makes her almost glad it happened. Mia is completely in charge of herself and she has no interest in anyone telling her what to do.

Alex thinks Mia’s hot. When he learns of her pedigreed background from his mother, he wonders what if she’d never been blinded.

She was a Danvers, a well-bred lady. That fit. She was lovely and graceful. And had she not been denied a Season of her own, she no doubt would have had her selection of suitors. Perhaps he would have thrown his hat in her ring. She was different enough to be interesting, but of good breeding to ensure she could have made a good duchess. He shook his head. It was a futile thought. Blind girls weren’t the stuff of duchesses.

(Wanna bet?)

Alex and Mia spend time together trying to track down the killer whom the reader realizes is Jack the Ripper. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of The Secrets of Mia Danvers although if Ms. Dehart’s new series (this is book one in Dangerous Liaisons) continues to revolve around the famed killer, I’m not sure I’ll keep reading. I have a limited tolerance for entertainment based on the Ripper.

That said, in this book, the plotting is sound. The Ripper continues to kill even when he learns there’s a witness to one of his murders. The suspense ratchets up as Alex and Mia hunt the Ripper who, in turn, stalks Mia. The killings are vividly described but not gory and each time the Ripper kills, he leaves behind more clues for Mia and Alex to track.

I was less enthused about the relationship between Alex and Mia. Alex is all lust lust lust for Mia even as he tells himself he’s better than that. He courts his putative fiancée even though he’s rounding the bases with Mia. For her part, Mia is seriously sexually assertive. She figures since she hasn’t a future with any regular guy, she might as well go for broke with Alex. Their interactions are steamy and well-written but lack the emotional underpinning needed to ground their relationship. And while it’s cool that Alex, for most of the book, treats Mia as his intellectual equal, I found the disparities in their power structure disconcerting.

The better romance which is given far few pages is that of Rachel and Edward, the Earl of Fairbanks. Rachel rejected Edward years ago for reasons she’s always regretted and has never loved another. Edward is a close friend of Alex’s and thus again encounters Rachel. In the few pages Ms. Dehart devotes to their love story, she shines. I’ve rarely read a romance so sparely etched that has such lovely resonance.

The Secrets of Mia Danvers is a pleasant way to while away a few hours. Even with its stubborn blind heroine, the novel plays out along expected lines. However, it does what it does well. It gets a B-.

Sincerely,

Dabney

[Tin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure:I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes. Many thanks to Robyn DeHart and InterMix for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

Thought to be dead, Mia Danvers, the youngest daughter of an earl, has lived quietly with her companion on the edge of the Duke of Carrington's estate. When she was brought to the cottage by her mother nine years ago, she was told never to be a burden or a bother to the duke's family -- and Mia has abided by these rules.

Until Mia witnesses a gruesome murder on the Carrington estates and Mia has no choice but to approach the duke for help.

Alex was never supposed to be the Duke but his brother's untimely death has forced Alex into the forefront, taking on the responsibilities of the dukedom and as head of the Carrington family. The first thing he must do is abate the scandal surrounding his brother's death -- and to do so, Alex must marry well -- and the perfect wife has already been chosen for him.

When Mia arrives at his doorstep, he is surprised to discover that his family's unwanted/overstaying guest isn't mad as his mother had said she was and is in fact, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and clear-minded people Alex has ever met in his life, but the news Mia brings is unwelcome, threatening to bring an even bigger scandal that would truly ruin the Carrington name.

A servant of the Carrington household is found murdered, her body cut open. Is this the work of Jack the Ripper? But he has been quiet lately and Mayfair is worlds away from Whitechapel. When more women turn up dead and, when Alex's brother, Drew, becomes the prime suspect, Alex does everything he can, including trusting Mia, to protect his family.

There are two reasons why this book is unputdownable: (1)Robyn deHart's spin on the Jack the Ripper mythos and (2) the love story between Mia and Alex.

Robyn DeHart has written about mysteries in her Ladies' Amateur Sleuth Society series and I remember reading that series and enjoying deHart's gift for weaving in romance with investigations and detective work. With her new series, deHart is taking on mysteries once again -- but, not just any mystery, she has decided to frame her new series with one of the greatest mysteries of the 19th century: Jack the Ripper.

DeHart contributes to the body of Jack the Ripper fiction by writing about new murders that happened during the lull in Jack the Ripper's killing spree in 1889. It's also interesting that she has moved the setting of the murders to Mayfair.

In fiction, the Ripper is a captivating character and DeHart gives him a very sinister persona and voice.

The Ripper was waiting.

He picked up his pace, the girl looked behind her shoulder at him, then turned back to the front and sped up. He would catch her. She was a petite little thing and her stride would have nothing on his. He proved that very thing when he caught up with her in three long steps.

"Where are you going so quickly?" he asked.
- p. 184

Here's what we know about DeHart's Jack the Ripper:
1. He is either a gentleman or a lord, definitely someone who belongs in aristocratic circles and moves around easily in society.
2. He smokes and he whistles.
3. He is angry that there are witnesses (Mia is one of them) and vows to silence them.

Will Robyn DeHart eventually name her suspect? How will she resolve the Jack the Ripper mystery? I'm definitely following this series to find out. ^_^

Then there is the love story between Alex and Mia.

What begins between Alex and Mia is something of an anti-love story. Neither one wants to be involved in the other but there is an undeniable chemistry between them.

Alex is set to marry his older brother's intended, Juliet, who is a very a good match from a very proper family. It is a marriage that will secure the Carrington name and keep them out of the scandal sheets. Before Alex met Mia, he was already in the midst of courting Juliet and was very close to making a formal offer.

Mia is happy with her life as it is, though she would wish she had more money to pay Rachel. When she approached Alex, all she wanted to do was to report the incident and inform him that she would cooperate with the investigation. I love how Mia bristles when Alex kept calling her back to the main house for further questions because she had expected to work with the authorities and not with Alex, but because of Drew is the main suspect, Alex has no choice but to follow the same leads, hoping they would lead to a different person.

I also love that Mia wasn't dazzled by Alex's title or wealth. She never dreamed to be whisked off from her simple life and made queen of the universe. It is very telling that, even when she had moved to Alex's house, she never once requested for better clothes for herself and continued to wear her very drab, very itchy woolen gowns. I consider her an anti-Cinderella -- she doesn't need Prince Charming to whisk her away and give her a better life because she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

"I have to keep you out of harm's way," he argued.

"No, you don't." Though she longed for him to continue to do so. Did that make her weak? Ultimately she knew that if he did pawn her off on her sisters, it was likely she'd never be near him again. And that, for reasons she didn't care to examine, scared the hell out of her.

"If I don't, who will?" he countered.

"I will. I've lived on my own, with nothing but the assistance of Rachel and we've managed quite nicely without you or my sisters." She stepped over to where she knew he still sat. Without another thought she reached out and jammed her finger into his solid chest. Whether she craved his protection or not, she'd be damned if he'd treat her as some sort of invalid. "What gives you the right to think you can order me about? Simply because you've inherited some prestigious title and now everyone around is to bow to your every whim? Well, let me tell you one thing, Alex Foster, your title means nothing to me. I'm not impressed by who you are, and I'm most certainly not intimidated. As far as I'm concerned, you're no different than any other man on the street. Well, with the exception that you want to control my life." She stopped talking long enough to realize she was actually winded.
- pp. 144-145

Mia's blindness isn't a disability but an ability for Mia, who is very efficient in navigating the world. Because of her blindness, she was able to get to know the man and not the duke. (And she was not impressed with the duke but she is very, very impressed with Alex, the man.)

When they started their affair, Mia offered herself as purely an expression of her love for Alex. She never set out to entrap him into marriage and she was very realistic about her prospects.

"No one knows."* Mia's entire existence is a secret and she is willing to keep one more secret: her and Alex. I saw this as something sad but, at the same time, amazing. How utterly selfless Mia was -- but, how she balances it all with her courage. She stands up to Alex's mother (read p. 166) and to her sisters and she stood up to her affliction: rather than being defeated by blindness, she worked around it.

This is a book with substance, a book that I see myself re-reading again in the future, a book that I would highly, highly recommend without hesitation.

The Secrets of Mia Danvers is the first book in Robyn DeHart's Dangerous Liaisons series. The second book, The Temptations of Anna Jacobs , will be released in November 2013. Very, very, very excited for it. ^_^

[Ki · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Originally posted on doingsomereading)

So this is the first book in Robyn’s new series Dangerous Liaison! I’m telling you, I’m loving it so much that I’m going to email her about how great it is!

This is a mystery romance thriller-ish book base on the ever terrifying unsolved cases of the Jack the Ripper trope.

We have the hero, Alex Foster, Eighth Duke of Carrington who lives by the rules of society. An former army man and now the new Duke after his elder brother’s unfortunate and scandalous death, Alex is determined to not bring any scandal onto their name like many relatives before him. But that is quite difficult when you have a younger brother who’s always drunk, angry, rake-ish and trying hard to break away from the family. While preparing to propose to a lady, whom was promised and trained to be the Duchess to the next Duke of Carrington, Alex’s well ordered world came to a halt when the mad (and pretty) girl who lives on the edge of his property came knocking on his door.

The heroine, Mia Danvers, third and youngest daughter of a Viscount, and blind lives quietly and peacefully at the edge of Danbridge Hall. With her governess turned companion, Rachel, she lives quite happily sculpting sculptures and not having to live by the rules and proprieties called by the society. That is until one night she encountered a gruesome murder and became a witness and target of Jack the Ripper. Not knowing who to turn to she asks the help of the Duke of Carrington to help her find the killer, as she is the only one to bring him to justice.

This story caught my attention right away from the first page. The prologue introduced you to Mia being escorted to the cabin in which she’ll live in for the Rest of her life (by her self!). At this point we got to see how she was treated by her mother and got to see how caring and loving Mia’s governess, Rachel is at disregarding Mia’s mother’s order to leave Mia alone in the cabin and decided to live there with her. How can any mother do that! But thankfully Rachel stood her ground and protected Mia from the harsh world.

As the first chapter came along I was thrown into a world of murder and mystery. I was super excited and in thrall at starting the book with a murder! I couldn’t get enough of it. From here we got to see hear what Mia witnessed and I sure was loving it. All mystery and not seeing who the killer is….. Fabulous!

Meeting Alex was fabulous too. He’s not really an Alpha male in my eyes, or at least how I saw him, but he is kind, caring, rational, agreeable, stubborn, and very protective. We got to see how he changed throughout the story and how he started to see and feel things differently after meeting and getting to know Mia. Seeing how she lived being blind but perfectly mobile and independent really intrigued him and taught him a lot about her. He also started seeing how society was at the fault for many things by making rules and judgments for and of people. But he most definitely likes the ideas and opinions of others in conversations. You got to Love that in a man! Swoon~ :D

This is a line that I found fascinating (as in very agreeable) from Alex:

A path wound through the gardens, then darkened, allowing some reckless couples privacy for trysts. It was amusing to him that a society who claimed to truly be scandalized by people’s behavior seemed to do everything they could to create perfect scenarios for said behavior. And then the rest of them would stand around and discuss the carnage.
(Kindle Locations 2319-2322)

Mia is loveable. She’s caring, smart, independent, strong, opinionated, headstrong, stubborn, and determined. She has long thrown away proprieties. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and say what she know is right. She’s also not afraid to ask for what she wants and to hold back, especially when it came to her attraction and feeling towards Alex. She is also very independent and don’t like being pitied just because she is blind. I love her strength and power and how she held herself against those who thought little of her. I guess that says a lot about her character and personality.

The things that kind of bothered me was how openly they used each others’ Christian names. I found it really surprising that no one thought it strange or weird, and most definitely inappropriate of them to call on each other by their names and not titles. I especially thought that Alex’s mother would have said something or vexed or had a fit at them about it but yet she said nothing. She hated Mia and still she nothing! That really bothered me.

Another problem was Alex and his brother, Drew’s relationship. There are so many misunderstanding that stood between them that I just couldn’t help but heave huge sighs and bulge my eyes out every time they talked and said nothing of what they thought (in their minds!). Yes, siblings have problems, everyone does but still, I felt like if some of the things were said their problems would have been solved much quicker. It would have changed to story a bit but still, I frowned and clench my teeth so much that I’m afraid one day they will all crack under the pressure.

But the story over all was fantastic! The plot and everything. The sisters were well written and their relationship with Mia (even though they we not well liked for what they did) was well executed. The relationship between Alex, Drew and their mother was also well formed and you can really feel the tension and unsteadiness of it. I love the back story of why Drew acts the way he does (So many secrets and surprises there). The relationship between Mia and Alex was lovely. I love the tension there and how Alex tries to play the right cards but always find an secret way through it to sabotage his plan. The secondary love story for Rachel was fabulous! I was glad to get a short story in-between the larger one so that I won’t have to wait for a novella and it really helped the whole story wrap up at the end.

I definitely love the way Robyn pulled at my senses and brought on a whole bunch of tension to the story and mystery of who Jack the Ripper is and how they’re going to find him and what not. I find it fascinating that Robyn can play with it to make it seem real. But it brings up my question of: did she do research, by covering her eyes herself to see how it felt like? She sure did a great job at it though.

This was a fabulous and very engaging story. I highly enjoyed it very much. It has a lot of action, mystery, sexual and thriller tension, love, forgiveness, and second chances.

I can not tell you how excited I am for the next book in the series, The Temptations of Anna Jacobs, starring Drew Foster!!!

This was bought as Kindle copy of the book.

[Joey Berube · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Mia Danvers. She was a strong, resourceful, and caring heroine. I also loved the way her blindness made her unique, giving her a different way of taking in the world. I also absolutely loved the last 25% of this book. The way all the different threads wove together was very satisfying. And Robyn DeHart is always at her best when writing action, adventure, or the suspense finally paying off. I'm very excited to read the next book about Drew. Especially based on where his story left off...

[Adria's Musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on Adria's Romance Reviews


I've read Robyn DeHart's books before and enjoyed them but none so much as The Secrets of Mia Danvers. Romance, mystery and danger made this book difficult to put down, especially at night!

Mia Danvers is one of the very few historical romance novels I've read that contains a disabled heroine who DOESN'T have the benefit of social rank or money to protect her from the slights of society. At the beginning of the book, she is basically being told by her own mother that because of her blindness, she is a burden and will never find a husband. Mia must remain in seclusion in a cottage on a neighboring Duke's estate while her older sisters are to be sponsored by their mother's cousin because they are "intact." Mia is to be left helpless and alone. In an act of defiance, her governess turned companion, Rachel, refuses to leave Mia even though it means she will no longer be paid.

Nine years pass for Mia and Rachel in which Mia learns to become semi-independent, returning to her love of art to help her get through her days. One night while returning to the cottage alone, Mia witnesses a brutal murder and rushes to the only person she feels can help her: Alexander Foster, the current Duke of Carrington.

Alexander Foster hasn't had enough time to adjust to being a Duke before he has to deal with a murder and an intriguing woman all in one night. He's stuffy, arrogant but fair. When he finds out that Mia did not imagine the murder he begins to investigate himself, which means he spends more and more time with Mia. When the murderer targets Mia, Alex does everything in his power to protect her and begins to see that she just might be what he needs in his life.

With all their ups and downs and people conspiring to keep them apart, Alex and Mia keep finding their way back to one another. It's terribly romantic but not sugary sweet. The Secrets of Mia Danvers didn't waste time engaging my attention or my emotions. If you're going to read one book by Robin DeHart, make it this one. Another great piece of information? This book is the first in a new series by the author. I can't wait to read the second book, which focuses on Alex's younger brother Drew.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the plot very much. The premise of a blind woman witnessing an attack by Jack the Ripper was an excellent hook, and I liked that the author gave us glimpses of Jack's POV, something that added an extra layer of creepiness to the story.

I liked the main characters, although I have some reservations about the way the secondary romance between Edward and Rachel was treated. I felt it was far too rushed and wrapped up too quickly.

There was also an issue that continually threw me out of the story: the hero is the Duke of Carrington, yet he's repeatedly improperly addressed as Lord Carrington by various characters. However, at times those same characters also address him properly as Your Grace. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for the alternating forms of address. The heroine is the daughter of an earl, yet she's always incorrectly addressed as Miss Danvers rather than Lady Mia. Those are Historical Romance Writing 101 level issues, and they're something an editor should have caught and corrected early in the editing process.

Also, it turned out that Mia and Drew are half brother and sister, yet that revelation was just dropped with no further mention. Since that was a surprising revelation, it made no sense that it went absolutely nowhere.

Something else that made no sense to me was that Alex was so worried about Jack the Ripper that he moved Mia into his house to keep her safe and assigned footmen to guard her, but suddenly she's going to the opera, and all he does is tell her to be safe? That strongly went against his characterization up to that point.

I don't mean to imply that I didn't enjoy the book overall, because I did. But with a little extra effort, this could have been a five-star book for me, and I'm somewhat disappointed that extra effort wasn't made. Still, I did enjoy the plot, and I've already ordered the next book in the series, since I'm interested in reading Drew's story.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the benchmarks I use when deciding if I really like a book is if I care about the characters and in this book I started caring in the prologue! When you meet Mia Danvers she is going through what would eventually be the low point of her life. I was instantly entranced by what would happen to this woman.

When the actual story begins 9 years later I was happy to see that Mia was doing much better than anyone expected. She's as independent as can be expected. She has a wonderful friend in Rachel and she's making a living selling her sculptures.

When we first meet Alex he has just gone through a major upheaval in his life. He had never thought that he would be the Duke of Carrington, but that's what he was. Alex was also an instantly likeable character who was easy to care about.
As Alex and Mia are flung in to an unexpected friendship things get really interesting. Alex has conflicting responsibilities to his family, the law and to Mia. Mia has to weigh the price of independence vs her safety.

The back story revolves around Mia "witnessing" a violent murder. The repurcussions of her being in the wrong place at the wrong time sets in motion a complex list of complications. The killer's character is written in such a way that you not only hate him, but you feel that you don't know if there is anything that he is not capable. No one is safe. This adds greatly to the suspense of the story.

Another thing that I liked about this book was that I cared about ALL of the characters including Rachel, Alex's brother Drew, their mother (although maybe not in a good way!).The resolution of the different characters' storylines were all done in a realistic way. I like that in a book.
This was a wonderful book that is not your typical historical romance while still retaining those aspects of a "romance" that I like. I really look forward to the next book in this series.

Epilogue Whore Alert: This book has a short but very satisfying epilogue! Yay!

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SECRETS OF MIA DANVERS by Robyn DeHart is an exciting Regency Historical Romance set in 1889 London. The first in a new and exciting series, "A Dangerous Liaison"novel. Mia Danvers meet Jack the Ripper and survived! While, Mia is blind her other senses are not,she hears,Jack the Ripper killing one of his victims and reports the event to Alex Foster, Eighth Duke of Carrington,the owner of the estate she has been secluded on for the past nine years by her family after a tragic accident left her blind. Filled with suspense,danger,mystery,secrets,and passion. Fast paced and action filled,you will not want to miss a moment of "The Secrets of Mia Danvers". This author's autistic voice and with Jack the Ripper on the lose and after Mia, his first ever witness, makes for some exciting,hair raising reading. Does leave you to wonder,the question as to who the Ripper is and a few other unanswered questions. But the plot will have you wondering who he really is and why he chose to cut his victims as well as why servants, except for one aristocratic Lady. The characters are engaging as well as realistic,the depth of Mia's blindness,her seclusion,and her heightened other senses are explored. I am eager for the next installment in this exciting series. Ms. DeHart has written another winner with her intriguing plot,her vivid details,and her multifaceted characters. Oh, did I forget to mention the passion and the love aspect,well let me tell you that is not missing either. Loved it! A must read and highly recommended for not only historical readers,or romance readers but for suspense readers and mystery readers as well. Received f or an honest review from the publisher and Net Galley.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More