Discreet Destruction (Guardians of the Bones Book 1)

Declan Rudderton has enough on his plate being a business king in London, and yet, he’s received an influx of random men trying to kill him in dark alleyways. Declan suspects there must be more to the story, but he’ll soon find out that his maid, Verity, is mixed into the mess. Verity Jones cautiously gained Declan’s trust over the last two years, pretending to be a mute maid, while working undercover as his guardian. The only problem is her feelings for the man she’s had since the beginning. Will Declan catch her through her lies and never forgive her, or will the two find a connection when they work together to discover who’s after Declan?

Reading this book is like falling into a sweet pot of honey—it sticks to readers so they can’t quite shake it out of their head, slowly tempting them to get addicted to its sweet taste and stay wrapped up in every scene. The main romance trope is “she fell first, but he fell harder” and the author portrays it perfectly, keeping readers completely invested. This plot has a unique take on this historical era in which a woman gets to act as the protector instead of the damsel-in-distress. There were some parts that just felt too sappy and didn’t quite fit the story’s overall tough demeanor. However, the author does a great job of keeping the romance relatively realistic, building up the connection and not throwing the two characters together. Everything about this book from its historical accuracy to its creative descriptions is enticing and every reader should get a taste of it.

Austen Grace