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Average rating5
Notorious rake, Michael Drake, the Viscount Blackthorn accepts a Christmas wager to be the first to seduce the next lady to walk under the mistletoe, but the lady turns out to be none other than Holly Jenkins; a woman from his past, whom he has sworn to protect, but whose bold antics drive him to distraction...and temptation. Can he protect her from himself? Holly is living a lie. Forced to masquerade as a widow to keep herself and her sisters safe, she earns a living helping those being undeservedly blackmailed by using her lock-picking skills to expose the villains behind the schemes. Attending a ball, her clandestine work is interrupted by Lord Blackthorn, a man who is as vexing as he is sinfully handsome. A man who she's always had feelings for, which she understands are futile. Because everyone knows you can't give your heart to a rake...Or can you? But Michael has his own secrets, ones serious enough that could threaten any chance they have of a future together. After all, lies and deception. have a dangerous habit of unravelling when one least expects it...
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Stories starting with a bet usually end with a lot of annoying drama as the bet is discovered. This novella neatly sidesteps that trope as Holly leads Michael on a merry chase. I adored Holly's feistiness, which meshed well with Michael's (sometimes overbearing) protectiveness.