d|k reviews The Lady and the Libertine

By Bonnie Vanak
Published by Dorchester
d|k Rating: 5 Triskeles

By chapter three I had determined that I'm an instant fan of Bonnie Vanak. The Lady and the Libertine is a rush of adventure. This is a love story between two lost souls who find redemption in each other's arms, set against a backdrop of the scorching Egyptian dessert and the cold society of London.

Anne, the illegitimate daughter of an English aristocrat, was hidden away with a tribe of Bedouin warriors in Egypt until she met Nigel Wallenford. This thief, liar, and libertine was posing as his twin brother in order to steal the ruby that - when inserted into a scorpion charm, which he already had - would unlock a map leading to a cache of stolen treasure as vast as King Solomon's.

Anne, known among the Bedouin as Karida, is the keeper of the ruby. She's sworn to protect it and the tomb of the mummies and will not be fooled by the replacement ruby that suddenly takes the place of the one she's worn for many years.

She follows Nigel back to England to steal back the ruby. It's a matter of honor, though she never expected to lose her heart in the process.

Both Anne and Nigel have old scars. Yet, while Anne exchanged a life of crime for one of honor, Nigel brandishes his like a shield to keep good souls away from his tarnished one. It will take all Anne once knew and everything she's come to learn to pull Nigel from the darkness that consumes him. For Nigel, Anne is the one light he can't let go of, and he finds that, for her, even the wickedest libertine is willing to change.

Visit Bonnie Vanak on the web at: www.BonnieVanak.com
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