A Scorching Dilemma (The Rue Alliance #2)

PARANORMAL/MYSTERY/REGENCY:  “A Scorching Dilemma” is book two in the Rue Alliance series. This Regency tale takes place in Victorian London. The Rue Alliance is a group of shifters who hang together, but keep day jobs to prevent using their skills for evil. Daniel Trenton doesn’t quite fit in, with his orphan roots and inability to shift totally. He can shoot flames from his hands, but is working on more. He’s definitely not a match for a daughter of a duke, but it doesn’t stop him from falling for Faith.

Heiress Faith Rosemary Went is not thrilled her father arranged her engagement to a man she’s never met. Worse, her fiancé’s family decides to kidnap her, putting her in the center of a decades-old mystery.  

“A Scorching Dilemma” is a unique twist on the standard Regency. Daniel’s character is likable while Faith is opinionated and willing to push the envelope as far as proper behavior. The chemistry between the two of them, while cute, lacks any real fire.

Some jumping back and forth in the narrative could be the result of trying to bring in details from the first book.  There is more telling than showing in the description, which slows the pace somewhat. The book relies on cliché expressions, stereotypes and wording that actually should appeal to a Regency fan since it is pure period speak.  Potential readers could benefit from reading the first book, “A Devilish Slumber,” which should explain the intricacies of The Rue Alliance.

Morgan Stamm