Reckless in Red by Rachael Miles is the fourth book in The Muses’ Salon Series. I wasn’t very familiar with this author, but the book was well written. The book was a little slow in the beginning but picked up after a chapter or two. The characters from the previous books were included in this book, but the author did a great job including the necessary information from previous books needed so it was a perfect standalone book. There were several twists and turns in the book and lots of surprises, which made it hard to put down.
Lena Frost was an independent woman who had survived by herself for a long time. She had no family or attachments and didn’t trust anyone. She was about to become a successful artist once her panorama exhibition, the Rotunda, was finished. She was two weeks from opening when her partner, Horatio, disappeared with all the money and a warning to RUN. She wasn’t sure who she was supposed to be running from, so when Clive Somerville comes to the office she acts like a patroness of the Rotunda. After being introduced to the Muses’ Salon, she agreed to paint Lady Wilmot’s salon ceiling. She needed funds to pay the workers to finish the Rotunda and the funds from Lady Wilmot would help her pay them. She was desperate to finish the Rotunda and make her name as an artist.
Clive Somerville is trying to locate Horatio after he had left Clive a message regarding his investigation into murders. Cadavers that have been murdered keep appearing at the surgery school he works at. When he appears at the Rotunda and saves Lena’s life, she agrees to help him try and locate Horatio. As their search continues, they encounter dead bodies and more clues that Horatio had left for Lena. Their attraction for one another grows as the danger to Lena increases. In order to keep Lena safe, Clive’s family (the women from Muses’ Salon) step in to help Lena complete the Rotunda.
The mystery of Lena’s past is slowly revealed, and she slowly starts to trust Clive. In the end Lena must choose between keeping Clive safe and the future of her Rotunda. Clive was the perfect hero for Lena. He was honest, caring, and patient. He realized that Lena was self-sufficient and stood by her and supported her when she needed it. The mystery of the murders wasn’t solved in this book, the Muses Salon hasn’t finished their work, which will hopefully lead us into the next book.
Book Info:
Publication: November 1, 2019 | Zebra Books | The Muses’ Salon #4
Brimming with vibrant, feisty characters, witty banter, swoon-worthy romance and a touch of mysterious intrigue, the fourth installment in Rachael Miles’s Muses’ Salon Series features an artistic heroine caught up in a Regency-era medical school’s body snatching business.
Lena Frost is a force to be reckoned with. A woman who has made her way in society without family or fortune, she’s about to realize her first big success as an artist… Until her business partner makes off with her money, leaving her with little more than her hopes—and a dead body in her studio. Now Lena is at the mercy of a strikingly handsome stranger demanding answers she dare not reveal…
Is it her seductive eyes, or his suspicion that she’s up to no good that have Clive Somerville shadowing Lena’s every move? Either way, his secret investigation for the Home Office has him determined to uncover Lena’s hidden agenda. But the closer he gets to her, the more he longs to be her protector. Is she a victim of circumstance? Or a dark force in a conspiracy that could destroy everything Clive holds dear? Discovering the truth could have dire consequences, not only for Lena, but for his heart…
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Sounds great.