A MOST IMPROPER RUMOR – Emma Wildes
A Whispers of Scandal Novel
Signet Eclipse
ISBN: 978-0-451-23958-7
March 2013
Historical Romance

England – During the Regency

Lady Angelina DeBrooke has become used to being the invisible woman in London. Formerly a darling of the ton , she is now known as the widow of two husbands who each died mysteriously, perhaps poisoned. Acquitted by the courts, Angelina has avoided going out in public except for small receptions held by the few friends who have stood by her. It was at just such an event that she met her lover, the first man she's ever loved, and he now wants to marry her. But Angelina knows there is something dangerous about being wed to her, and she hires another member of Society to try and find who hates her so much that they would murder her husbands.

Known for his deliberate and detailed detective skills, Benjamin Wallace, Lord Heathton is still somewhat surprised when the woman known as “the Dark Angel” hires him to discover who killed her husbands. Her information is spotty, and her friends few, so Ben has little to work with. His wife, Alicia, has just told him that she's pregnant with their first child, so he is a bit put out when she goes behind his back to do some investigating on her own. Ben knows that there is someone else out there whom he has been trying to bring to justice, and he doesn't want his wife put in danger. Known as an unemotional man, Ben is beginning to come to the realization that Alicia means more to him than anyone ever has.

Angelina and her closest friends give Ben as much information as they can recall from Angelina's two marriages. Ben immediately guesses who Angelina's lover is and quizzes him, but something is entirely too confusing about these deaths. If it wasn't Angelina, and Ben is certain it wasn't, who would be so involved as to want to dispose of her husbands? Alicia, of course, isn't one to be ordered around by Ben, so she does her own queries. When danger rears, however, who exactly is in the line of fire, and why?

A MOST IMPROPER RUMOR continues with the Whispers of Scandal series. Ben and Alicia both struggle with their relationship as he tries to remain the aloof aristocrat, while she continues to slowly work against his cool exterior. The mystery surrounding the beautiful Angelina continues to dog Ben as he moves ever closer to the answers. There is plenty of romance, but also some exciting scenes that will have readers turning the pages faster. Beautifully written with excellent, realistic characters, A MOST IMPROPER RUMOR is a terrific read!

Jani Brooks