Bought but never read. I have this on audio so will "read" it that way, release this copy and report back with comments later.

Publishers Weekly
This slow-moving addition to Beverley's Company of Rogues series (St. Raven, etc.) fails to hold the reader's attention, despite its likable protagonists. Laura, "Lady Skylark" to the London elite, was a dazzling 18-year-old when she married Hal Gardeyne, the heir to the Caldfort estate. Six years later, Laura, now a widow, finds herself a virtual prisoner at Caldfort, kept there because she can't leave her son, Harry, in the hands of Hal's forbidding family. Worse, she suspects that Harry may be in danger because he's next in line to inherit Caldfort, and if something were to happen to him, his possibly malevolent uncle Jack could claim the estate. When Laura discovers a mysterious letter implying there may be a missing heir to the estate, she teams up with her old friend, Stephen Ball, and devises a plan to whisk Harry to safety and uncover the secret behind the missing heir. For much of the novel, Laura and Stephen secretly pine for each other as they share close quarters in a little seaside town, but their scruples prevent them from acting on their shared passion. The mystery, which hinges precariously on some overheard phrases and unfounded suppositions, develops just as slowly, and readers may have a tough time holding out for the denouement.

I started this book on the drive into work today and so far it's managed to hold my attention. The heroine, Laura, is a widow with a three year old son. She's afraid to let her son out of her sight and secretly fears for his life as he stands to inherit Caldfort estate which is coveted by her grasping brother-in-law whose wife has just birthed a son.

Into the picture comes a long lost childhood friend, Stephen, who once proposed to an already engaged Laura. When Laura spies a letter stating that their may be another heir to the estate, she pairs up with Stephen to locate him in order to save her child from danger. Here the book begins to slow down and lose me. Laura, so worried about her little child, leaves him with relatives because he whines that doesn't wish to travel with her. Laura acquiesces after agonizing for a minute or two about leaving him while danger is in their midst. She figures he'll be safer with the relatives anyway. Eh the kid is 3, if you're so worried, MAKE HIM GO WITH YOU DUMBASS. She only tells one person the predicament and leaves him behind. How convenient . . . now she's free to travel kid-less with Stephen who, now that's he's all grown up, successful, important and sexy, she finds irresistibly attractive.

I'm finding Laura difficult to like. One moment she seems intelligent but the next her head is in the clouds and she's sighing about how sexy she finds Stephen but fears she'll quickly tire of his quiet stability. Her honesty makes the love story a bit difficult to believe in and not helping matters is the fact the story is flat out boring. Laura and Stephen have spent the last million pages snooping through others correspondence and listening through doors. Boring. Did I mention that already?

Later: Will it never end? That was my continued inner monologue as I listened to this on audio. I did finish this one but sadly zoned out through most of it as it was deadly dull. Towards the end there is a surprise relationship that is revealed (I can't reveal more without spoiling something). I wish the author had taken the time to write a novel about this pair instead but I guess the traditional publisher would've given it a pass. Too bad because it was anything but the boring, standard stuff that filled most of the pages of "Skylark". Sigh, on to the next one . . .

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing off to a potential new bookcrosser via .

I got the book at goodwill just finished it today plan to donate it to redrock book

CAUGHT IN RIDGECREST CALIFORNIA U.S