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Angels, Devils, Rebels & Rogues #3
Seductive Caress
A DANGEROUS PASSION.
The gaslit streets of Victorian London were no place for a lady like Jessamyn Forsythe. There was a madman on the loose. He had killed before. He would kill again. But she was determined to find her missing sister. She disguised herself as a common working girl and followed her only clues into Whitechapel's darkest alleys and darkest secrets.
Devlin Burke didn't have time to find her sister--he was on the trail of a killer. But as the two cases began to intertwine, he was drawn to this dark-haired lass who was not at all what she seemed. Then, Jess is the killer's next target, and Devlin must protect her at the same time Jess boldly reveals her identity in a dangerous scheme to expose a murderer who moves in the highest circles of London's aristocracy.
The gaslit streets of Victorian London were no place for a lady like Jessamyn Forsythe. There was a madman on the loose. He had killed before. He would kill again. But she was determined to find her missing sister. She disguised herself as a common working girl and followed her only clues into Whitechapel's darkest alleys and darkest secrets.
Devlin Burke didn't have time to find her sister--he was on the trail of a killer. But as the two cases began to intertwine, he was drawn to this dark-haired lass who was not at all what she seemed. Then, Jess is the killer's next target, and Devlin must protect her at the same time Jess boldly reveals her identity in a dangerous scheme to expose a murderer who moves in the highest circles of London's aristocracy.
550 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1992
23 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 17, 2017
This flashy, trashy Zebra has an identity crisis: part Dickens, part Scooby Doo, & part bodice-ripper.
I really liked the unusual setting (Ripper-era Whitechapel). Simpson is clear from the get-go that this is pure fiction; Jess, the heroine, blithely arranges for Sherlock Holmes to make inquiries into her sister Linnie's disappearance, while 'Mary Kelly' is a pseudonym for their secret correspondence. The murder scenes, too, are inaccurate, though the story touches upon a number of popular theories: upper class killer, Royal Conspiracy, secret clubs, police involvement in the crimes. One thing that isn't fantasy is the author's admiration for Inspector Abberline -- the man practically walks on water in every scene he cameos, & I suspect Simpson developed an intellectual crush on this unfairly maligned figure in the Ripper case.
I also liked Jess. She's rich & outspoken but not bratty or stupid. Her painting is a significant aspect of her character, not just a token Difference(tm) from her peers, & her tenacious search for Linnie was admirable despite the implausibility of her scheme. Minor characters also stood out, like Abberline himself, Maude the sassy prostitute, Mickey the young hoodlum, & Toby the TB-riddled informant (poor Toby ;___;).
Ironically, hero Devlin is the one I disliked. He's one of those genre boneheads who was wounded by a past female & therefore all women in that same mold are evil incarnate. In Devlin's case, his rich-bitch mother abandoned him -- therefore poor women are saints & society women are disloyal, malicious whores. He constantly belittles Jess' search, derides her aid as useless, & labels her as fragile & spoiled (because being born into wealth is apparently her own fault). It takes him 400 pages to learn that Jess LIKES caring for others & isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty with midwifery or damaged orphans. *eyeroll* Anyway...I don't see how this HEA can possibly work in the long-term, & the fact that Jess turns her back on inherited comfort to ease his pride really fried my chips.
Be warned: there's a lengthy pastoral section with a utopian farmhouse/orphanage. The whole thing ties into Jess' painting (& even my crusty heart was touched by the art therapy of Dickens-esque mute Mary Margaret)... but the shift in setting is like whiplash. I also lol'd at bitchy Jillian's antics, i.e., a rescued 15-yr-old prostitute who tries to intimidate Jess into leaving Devlin. My take: Jess should've taken heed, dumped his ass, & rescued TB Toby instead. >:P
This is one of those hardcore Zebras, more of a throwback to their 80s stuff; the sex is sometimes angry, but not dub-con. There's a spanking scene (which I hate), but this one wasn't because Jess deserved it -- instead it showed how Devlin was a dense bag of dicks who needed an asskicking. (Then again, maybe I'm biased. >__>)
Overall, though, good stuff. I'll be reading this author again.
Strong 4 stars.
I really liked the unusual setting (Ripper-era Whitechapel). Simpson is clear from the get-go that this is pure fiction; Jess, the heroine, blithely arranges for Sherlock Holmes to make inquiries into her sister Linnie's disappearance, while 'Mary Kelly' is a pseudonym for their secret correspondence. The murder scenes, too, are inaccurate, though the story touches upon a number of popular theories: upper class killer, Royal Conspiracy, secret clubs, police involvement in the crimes. One thing that isn't fantasy is the author's admiration for Inspector Abberline -- the man practically walks on water in every scene he cameos, & I suspect Simpson developed an intellectual crush on this unfairly maligned figure in the Ripper case.
I also liked Jess. She's rich & outspoken but not bratty or stupid. Her painting is a significant aspect of her character, not just a token Difference(tm) from her peers, & her tenacious search for Linnie was admirable despite the implausibility of her scheme. Minor characters also stood out, like Abberline himself, Maude the sassy prostitute, Mickey the young hoodlum, & Toby the TB-riddled informant (poor Toby ;___;).
Ironically, hero Devlin is the one I disliked. He's one of those genre boneheads who was wounded by a past female & therefore all women in that same mold are evil incarnate. In Devlin's case, his rich-bitch mother abandoned him -- therefore poor women are saints & society women are disloyal, malicious whores. He constantly belittles Jess' search, derides her aid as useless, & labels her as fragile & spoiled (because being born into wealth is apparently her own fault). It takes him 400 pages to learn that Jess LIKES caring for others & isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty with midwifery or damaged orphans. *eyeroll* Anyway...I don't see how this HEA can possibly work in the long-term, & the fact that Jess turns her back on inherited comfort to ease his pride really fried my chips.
Be warned: there's a lengthy pastoral section with a utopian farmhouse/orphanage. The whole thing ties into Jess' painting (& even my crusty heart was touched by the art therapy of Dickens-esque mute Mary Margaret)... but the shift in setting is like whiplash. I also lol'd at bitchy Jillian's antics, i.e., a rescued 15-yr-old prostitute who tries to intimidate Jess into leaving Devlin. My take: Jess should've taken heed, dumped his ass, & rescued TB Toby instead. >:P
This is one of those hardcore Zebras, more of a throwback to their 80s stuff; the sex is sometimes angry, but not dub-con. There's a spanking scene (which I hate), but this one wasn't because Jess deserved it -- instead it showed how Devlin was a dense bag of dicks who needed an asskicking. (Then again, maybe I'm biased. >__>)
Overall, though, good stuff. I'll be reading this author again.
Strong 4 stars.
April 5, 2020
Maybe even a 4.5 stars? I really enjoyed this one. A good mix of mystery/intrigue set against a time period/setting of Victorian London and the Jack the Ripper Murders with a good slow burn romance (well slow burn for a Zebra, this isn’t one of the Zebra Historical Romances where the characters get it on in the first 50 pages....its closer to halfway through😉).
Really enjoyed the characters and the plot and I even didn’t mind the sort of weird bucolic/pastoral interlude in the country. At first I thought i was going to be bored with that - i’m generally not a fan of authors who pull the characters out of the main setting for these offshoots (especially in the last half of the book) as it typically ruins the rhythm or mood they’ve already got you set in and can also disrupt the suspense of the story - that being said I actually got right into this more sentimental portion of the story. She kept me engaged in what could have been the slump of the book.
Her twist on the Ripper Murders was a little different too which was cool.
Bottom line: over analytical minds and “true to history” buffs may find bumps in the road In believability in few cases...but this is a Fiction novel with a capital F and the STORY here is a good and entertaining one 😊
Really enjoyed the characters and the plot and I even didn’t mind the sort of weird bucolic/pastoral interlude in the country. At first I thought i was going to be bored with that - i’m generally not a fan of authors who pull the characters out of the main setting for these offshoots (especially in the last half of the book) as it typically ruins the rhythm or mood they’ve already got you set in and can also disrupt the suspense of the story - that being said I actually got right into this more sentimental portion of the story. She kept me engaged in what could have been the slump of the book.
Her twist on the Ripper Murders was a little different too which was cool.
Bottom line: over analytical minds and “true to history” buffs may find bumps in the road In believability in few cases...but this is a Fiction novel with a capital F and the STORY here is a good and entertaining one 😊
September 10, 2024
5 STARS, HISTORICAL MYSTERY MURDER & ROMANCE
Carla Simpson has slowly shown with her outstanding work such as this well written & exciting storyline of 5 STARS for her Series: Angels, Devils, Rebels, & Rogues plus provides a BLURB for the book. She is good in the department of the descriptions of the characters' person, actions, plus the wonderful way she gives the reader the description of environment complete with sounds & smells. I could a!most smell the unwashed sweaty bodies of the men that Jess encountered at some of the Pubs & at the Metro Police Department Offices.
Jess a lady from the well to do side of town, had been educated and probably could speak basic French or even other non English languages, & where one has maids, cooks & Butlers. These type of the Ton are carefree enough to be allowed to fritter their time away just painting; because women simply can't sell art. Women don't have the understanding of art or the emotional aspect to portray the feelings or emotions onto a canvas with paint. They also can't handle their own money because they don't have the capacity t invest wisely or spend wisely as well. This was the consensus of most of the gentlemen of the Ton, Business Men class, & average village or city men that owned their own establishments.
It isn't any wonder the women marched for the rights to vote & just about every right men had. Jesse's sister, Allison, Lady Rushmore had disappeared & she had hired Sherlock Holmes, but her husband, Jason, dismissed him from the case. Then she got a letter from their imaginary friend from of childhood and knew she wasn't safe & she needed her help. Jess also knew to continue with the imaginary name. Her sister was in danger & needed her. Unfortunately for her she had to go to White Chapel in the St Giles slums and showed up at the flat where Jack the Ripper had claimed another victim. In her frantic desperation she thought it might have been her sister but it wasn't. She used information she overheard at the metro office to go to the location.
Jess using her alias & drawing ability ends up employed by the Police Department to make composite drawings of all of the witnesses accounts of the killer. She is assigned to Devlin to watch for while there.
This story is fast paced. I gave it 5 STARS even though the character of Jess really irritated me several times & created situations where there shouldn't have been any. I could forgive her the first time for her mistake but she kept making the same one. By doing so she was saying that she thought Devlin wasn't capable of solving the case, finding the murderer, locating her sister while still alive and to top it off that she was obviously better getting information from people & could save other prostitutes from being slaughtered. She was above Devlin & Aberline, after all socially.
RECOMMEND
Carla Simpson has slowly shown with her outstanding work such as this well written & exciting storyline of 5 STARS for her Series: Angels, Devils, Rebels, & Rogues plus provides a BLURB for the book. She is good in the department of the descriptions of the characters' person, actions, plus the wonderful way she gives the reader the description of environment complete with sounds & smells. I could a!most smell the unwashed sweaty bodies of the men that Jess encountered at some of the Pubs & at the Metro Police Department Offices.
Jess a lady from the well to do side of town, had been educated and probably could speak basic French or even other non English languages, & where one has maids, cooks & Butlers. These type of the Ton are carefree enough to be allowed to fritter their time away just painting; because women simply can't sell art. Women don't have the understanding of art or the emotional aspect to portray the feelings or emotions onto a canvas with paint. They also can't handle their own money because they don't have the capacity t invest wisely or spend wisely as well. This was the consensus of most of the gentlemen of the Ton, Business Men class, & average village or city men that owned their own establishments.
It isn't any wonder the women marched for the rights to vote & just about every right men had. Jesse's sister, Allison, Lady Rushmore had disappeared & she had hired Sherlock Holmes, but her husband, Jason, dismissed him from the case. Then she got a letter from their imaginary friend from of childhood and knew she wasn't safe & she needed her help. Jess also knew to continue with the imaginary name. Her sister was in danger & needed her. Unfortunately for her she had to go to White Chapel in the St Giles slums and showed up at the flat where Jack the Ripper had claimed another victim. In her frantic desperation she thought it might have been her sister but it wasn't. She used information she overheard at the metro office to go to the location.
Jess using her alias & drawing ability ends up employed by the Police Department to make composite drawings of all of the witnesses accounts of the killer. She is assigned to Devlin to watch for while there.
This story is fast paced. I gave it 5 STARS even though the character of Jess really irritated me several times & created situations where there shouldn't have been any. I could forgive her the first time for her mistake but she kept making the same one. By doing so she was saying that she thought Devlin wasn't capable of solving the case, finding the murderer, locating her sister while still alive and to top it off that she was obviously better getting information from people & could save other prostitutes from being slaughtered. She was above Devlin & Aberline, after all socially.
RECOMMEND
November 11, 2019
Started off with lots of potential, then went off the rails and never made a return. Civilians who insist on "going it alone" or "investigating" during a really serious *cough jack the ripper cough* murderous rampage are stupid. Anyway, the romance was hot...H was a block head and the h was annoyingly stubborn. Oh well, can't win them all! Onto the next!!
October 22, 2024
A Missing Person/An Inspector/Murder!!
Trying to find her sister is easier said than done-she disappeared & the only clues are murders. And a chief
Inspector who makes everything very complicated- as the trap is laid out to catch a killer & then there is a strange visitor with creepy eyes!!
Trying to find her sister is easier said than done-she disappeared & the only clues are murders. And a chief
Inspector who makes everything very complicated- as the trap is laid out to catch a killer & then there is a strange visitor with creepy eyes!!
May 12, 2024
Could have been a 5, but the ebook either had missing scenes that later in the book still referenced or they weren’t in the book and it made it seems just like she wrote things referencing a draft. That made for not knowing parts of the story including a big part of their relations.
January 17, 2019
Good book. It's a romance surrounding the Whitechapel murders
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
December 29, 2021Note to self: I own the 1992 edition. This is on Kindle -- when I read this I want to compare to see if hte Kindle edition was neutered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2022
This was a book that I've had since high school (all the pages are yellowing!). I don't read this genre too much any more, but I do have some favorite characters and families that I like to revisit. This was has a well-integrated "Jack the Ripper" plot that supercedes a lot of the romance elements of the story. Reading through as an adult, it was interesting to see how much of the storyline was taken from the actual events.
The romance is your classic enemies-to-lovers/boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks story with a heavy theme of using your natural talents and being scrappy to overcome societal disadvantages and oppression to achieve your goals and get ahead in life.
The romance is your classic enemies-to-lovers/boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks story with a heavy theme of using your natural talents and being scrappy to overcome societal disadvantages and oppression to achieve your goals and get ahead in life.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews