Beguiled

Beguiled

England is in a turmoil. The anti-monarchists are causing political furror and a mysterious killer is eliminating those who support the crown. If they could find out who A.Anonymous was, he or she would probably be on the killer's hit list, but the outspoken editorial writer lives in relative safety under their pseudonym. No one would guess the author to be Ally Grayson, a very proper, engaged young lady. Ally has dreams of being a great writer, ala Conan Doyle, but imagines her only adventures will be on paper until a highwayman kidnaps her and wins her heart. Unfortunately, she has an arranged marriage in her near future, and her fiance', Mark, is just not as exciting as the stranger. Or is he? Little does she know, the man to whom she is engaged is the man she loves and is trying to keep both England and her safe using his secret identity. Nor does she comprehend how much danger there is. Of course, Mark does not realize how much he needs her yet, either. .............. *** The idea of a 'love triangle' involving the heroine, the hero, and one or the other's secret identity is not a new one, but it is not common in historical novels. It is still an intriguing device, well combined here with a complex mystery and interesting historical insights. Ms. Drake's loyal fans will be pleased, and new readers should be as well. ***

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

AMAZING

I found this book entrancing. I felt that Shannon Drake wrote in a way that made me feel like I was realy there and I have recomended my friends read this book

Decent Enough.....

Alexandra Grayson is a ward of Brian Stirling, the Earl of Carlyle, and lives comfortably in small forest cottage with three lovable aunts. She possesses a plethora of close friends and guardians who wish nothing more than to see her married to a respectable gentleman. Ally, wishes that her friends and family would see her as the intelligent woman she is, rather than the marriage prize for some stuck up aristocrat. It is for this reason that she begins working as a free lance essayist under the pseudonym A. Anonymous. One day, while enroute to her own surprise engagement party, Ally's carriage is attacked by a dashing highwayman who charms himself right into her heart. He could not be more different than her stuffy fiance, Mark Farrow.....or so she thinks. Ally soon discovers that her handsome criminal, and her seemingly boring husband to be are one in the same. Mark in turn discovers Ally's secret identity as the controversial A. Anonymous. But when Ally's life is threatened by a madman who is murdering journalists who speak out against the monarchy Mark comes to her rescue. He opens not only his home to her, but his heart as well. They quickly fall in love and must fight to keep Ally safe from a deadly murderer. I was at first apprehensive about starting Beguiled because it received pretty mediocre reviews. I'll admit that even though I'm not raving about this book, i was nevertheless pleasantly surprised. Mark is an honorable and exciting male lead and Ally is rebellious but not irritating in the least. Despite the lovely characters in this book I found myself bored by the secondary plot involving the murders. The romance aspect took a back seat to longwinded interrogation scenes and boring investigations. The last sixty or so pages were pretty much pointless. Ally and Mark cemented their love for each other and I easily guessed the identity of the killer so there was really no excitement in the climax. I really can't say anything bad about this book, but all the same there was nothing particularly special about it either.

Couldn't put it down

This story was captivating. The interaction between Ally and Mark was quite comical in the beginning. Ally is a no nonsense girl ready to put her man in his place. Very refreshing.

A terrific historical romance

The English monarchy is in jeopardy from a growing opposition to a kingdom. Even more horrific is that someone is targeting supporters of the crown, killing anyone who even tenuously seems to support the royals. One person this serial killer would like to assassinate is editorial writer A. Anonymous who apparently thinks the monarchy brings something special to England.-------------------------- Most people assume A. Anonymous is a male royal, but instead the author is truly an anonymous proper female author with dreams of becoming a great writer. Ally Grayson is engaged to prim and proper Mark with no hopes for adventures except in her writings. That is until a mysterious highwayman abducts her. Whether it is the Stockholm syndrome or not Ally falls in love with her kidnapper. Unbeknownst to her, her captor is also her fiancé, who works secretly to keep their homeland safe from internal terrorists and his beloved from harm¿s way as the royal assassin has targeted A. Anonymous.-------------------- This is a terrific historical romance starring a brave heroine and a courageous hero inside an action-packed fast-paced plot. Mark is delightful as he loves his fiancée but hides his identity from her to his chagrin and jealousy Ally falls in love with his dashing alter ego. Fans will enjoy this delightful tale wondering how the lead couple will resolve their romantic entanglement as much as who is plotting to destroy the monarchy.-------------- Harriet Klausner

FANTASTIC!!

This is my first Shannon Drake novel, and I did not realize what I have been missing! Ally Grayson is the perfect feisty heroine, and Mark Farrow is the perfect noble hero. Shannon Drake definitely knows how to tell a story. 'Beguiled' has just the right amount of humour, suspense, drama, and, of course, romance. One of my favourite scenes include the encounters between Ally and the 'highwayman'. And one of my favourite aspects of this novel is the fact that heroine and the hero realize that they are in-love early on in the story and were not afraid to say so. After reading countless romance novels, this scenario is almost unique. Overall, 'Beguiled' is a fantastic read! I could not put it down and read it in one night!

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