THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ENGLISH ROSE - Donna Kauffman
Unholy Trinity, Book 3
Kensington Brava
ISBN: 0-7582-1729-3
ISBN-13: 978-7582-1729-5
August 2008
Contemporary Romance

New York City, New York and San Francisco, California - Present Day

Finn Dalton finds it both amusing and ironic that the first time he sees Miss Felicity Jane Trent after two years, she’s tied to a bed. Ironic because, two years before, he left Felicity tied to the bed they’d shared in Prague. Of course finding her like this -- while arousing -- also clues Finn in to the fact that, once again, he and Felicity are on the trail of the same priceless treasure. Finn is looking to return an antique sapphire to its rightful owner, but Felicity, heir to the Trent fortune and ancestral holdings, administrator of the Trent Foundation and well-known British socialite, is also a jewel thief. While Finn has crossed paths with her before and they’ve spent some very enjoyable time together, he wants this time to be different.

Felicity knows that Finn believes her “hobby” is just that -- stealing priceless artifacts just to own them and for the adrenaline rush. The truth is something that she has kept hidden from everyone, and she has no intention of cluing in Finn now. Despite the fact that he’s the only man to hold her interest, she will keep her secrets. That doesn’t mean, however, that working with him is not without its advantages. True, she usually works solo, and when they do find the piece, it will be a battle to keep it in her possession, but teaming up for this one mission will have its benefits...and not all of them in bed.

As Felicity and Finn follow their lead from one coast to another, the forced proximity will give them a chance to learn more about one another and to try to unravel a mystery that is becoming more confusing by the minute in THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ENGLISH ROSE. In spite of the fact that their previous encounters have been passionate and somewhat short-lived, Finn and Felicity don’t immediately fall into bed once they are reunited. Unable to get her out of his head in the two years since they last met, when Finn sees Felicity again, he decides that he wants to get to know her better, and not just carnally. And, while Felicity has also had trouble forgetting Finn, the need to keep her secrets prevents her from opening up initially. The sexual tension simmers between them throughout the book, but when they do come together, it’s not just lust.

The third book in the Unholy Trinity series can be read on its own. Readers familiar with the first two books will enjoy the chance to have Finn’s story, and catch up a bit with Mac and Kate, and Rafe and Elena, but the book revolves around Finn and Felicity. An entertaining tale either way, check out THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ENGLISH ROSE.

Jennifer Bishop