Never trust a pirate

Everyone in London, including his own twin brother, Rafe, believes that Cade Cavendish is the black sheep of the Cavendish family. As it turns out, everyone is wrong. On the surface, Cade appears to be a feckless rake, but, as very few people know, he is also the infamous privateer and English spy known as the Black Fox. Currently staying at his brother's estate, Cade finds himself living up to his playboy reputation by flirting outrageously with his sister-in-law's new maid, Danielle LaCrosse. But what Cade doesn't know is that the lovely Danielle, with the irresistible French accent, has a few secrets of her own. In the latest addition to her Playful Brides series, Bowman (The Legendary Lord, 2016) puts her own sexy spin on The Scarlet Pimpernel. The result is an engaging literary treat for all romance readers who don't take their historicals (or themselves) too seriously.--Charles, John Copyright 2017 Booklist

Two rogues in disguise are bested at their own game after meetingand falling in love.In what reads like a sexy version of Les Misrables, Bowman's (The Legendary Lord, 2016, etc.) latest opens with a scene that will keep readers on the edges of their seatsand never relents for a page. Doubling the pleasure, the tale of Cade Cavendish (an alleged pirate and spy) and Danielle LaCrosse (a rogue investigator disguised as a lady's maid) also explores a mystery: why has Cade returned to London after 10 years, and why has Danielle been paid to spy on him? Bowman increases the tension of the story, and the future romance, by placing the protagonists in different social classesCade is the brother of a viscount, and Danielle serves as lady's maid to the viscount's wife. Both Cade and Danielle find it hard to trust other people, so when they share a bottle of wine one night in the viscount's parlor, they're shocked and intrigued to find themselves sharing a few secrets, too. Danielle reveals a snippet of her mysterious past in Paris and Cade suggests that his late nights out are more than just tavern visits. Is Cade the infamous pirate and jewel thief known as the Black Fox? While their conversation sometimes drags, most of the time their banter is entertaining. However, it takes a little more than suspension of disbelief to accept that Cade's brother, a former war spy, is so slow to discover his secret identity. Thrilling, delicious, and suspenseful. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.