Redonk Nutshell:Marriage of convenience turns into a marraige of attractionRoselyn Longworth has gotten herself into a deplorable stuation.  She believed herself in love, but instead the Lord who had brought her to his bawdy party was now trying to sell her in an auction amid whores.  When Kyle Bradwell steps forward and buys her she’s both relieved and enraged.  Rose couldn’t believe herself to fall any farther than she already had, no thank to her brother and his hairbrained scheme that landed her penniless and him a fugitive.  When Kyle makes it clear he has no intention to “collect” on his purchase, Rose relaxes a bit.  They spend a brief bit of time together, enough so that they each become curious about the other, but afterwards they more or less go their separate ways.Until Kyle shows up a few weeks later with a proposition – marriage.  Kyle is a laborer, an architect that worked his way up from the mine into the office.  Rose is a lady, albeit a lady ruined.  An alliance between the two would allow Rose to gradually work her way back into society and also allow Kyle some leaway.  He’s delicately honest about the terms, and Rose appreciates him for it even though she’s skeptical.  She’s forbidden to have conatct with her brother, a term she struggles with.  What she doesn’t know is that several of her brother’s victims still seek retribution for his crimes, and any association with him will likely bring her down as well.

I found Kyle & Rose’s story sweet and sultry, though fairly predictably and unremarkable.  It’s more or less a standard regency romance.  It was nice having characters that were fairly forthcoming with each other.  I enjoyed Secrets, but it’s not going to stick with me.

Secrets of Surrender by Madeline Hunter, 416 pgs, 5/20/08

Rating: C

Romance: 4/5               Raunch: 3/5