Anne Stuart is officially the queen of the tortured hero, and this series is phenomenal. I have been consumed with Benedick and Melisande. Each of them is unique and yet Ms. Stuart has found a way to make me adore them both. Benedick is similar to the other Rohans (and Lucien) in that his lifestyle has led him to live the rest of his days in a nihilistic, apathetic stupor. To top it off, he's had the worst run of luck with wives, losing three women to either madness or childbirth. He is determined to get his heir and a spare in spite of that. But he is equally determined not to fall in love. Bwahaha!!! Fat chance of that! Lady Melisande is more than a match for him. Warning: slightly spoiler-ish, quote ahead. (If you don't read much romance) "Benedick lay on his back in the slowly gathering dawn. his body felt so richly sated that any move made on his part would require superhuman effort, and he had no intention of attempting it. he felt...he could think of no adequate word for it. Confused was inadequate, shattered too emotional when he was a man who eschewed emotions. He lay in his own bed, the bed he'd never shared with anyone, and listened to her breathe... Ah, Melisande captures the heart of yet another Rohan rake. The Heavenly Host is once again a large part of the story, though their depravity is much worse than is has been in the previous books. I do wonder what's going on with the youngest Rohan brother, Brandon. There is a definite side story involving him and the infamous madame that Melisande has befriended, but the book ends just when I thought that something would come to light between the two of them. I'm hoping that this means that there is another Rohan book in the making. I know that I am a lifelong fan of Anne Stuart's. I absolutely adore her heroes and their rakish ways, their introspective minds, and their completely sappy hearts. Each of them is laid low by their women, in near perfect ways. I recommend this series, once again, to any HR readers who love the tortured hero, the reformed rake, and the quietly strong, wonderfully outspoken woman.
