Review: Strong Finish to the Series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 25, 2013
Book three, Beguiled, is all that I hoped for when it came to the murder taking more of a stronger role.  Layla was the wife accused from the beginning and stayed the police's chief suspect.  She had the most reasons to hate Jean Cuvier and she hates his lawyer, Drew Soulier, almost as much.  He is determined for his own reasons to represent her case and she is just as determined not to trust him.  Layla concedes the need for Drew's help since she can't afford a lawyer and is in a battle for her very life.  Everyone is keen on believing that Layla is the killer and the facts stack up high against her.  Even though Drew has his doubts about Layla's innocence, he is determined to get her acquitted both to further his political career and because of his long time attraction to her.  Layla and Drew are both repelled and attracted to each other making theirs a heated romance on more than one level.In this one, I was not as enamored with the heroine, Layla, as I was with the other books.  I have strong sympathy for her plight and I really want her to find happiness, but she does some really dumb things that hurt her own cause.  Drew wasn't forthright with her, but he gave her no reason for the amount of hate and distrust she bore him.  I loved it when he called her on her misconceptions and she was forced to see reality for the first time.  Go Drew!  The mystery was well developed and I loved how all the clues were there if you are looking for them.  I actually figured it out rather quickly, but that didn't make me grow bored because I loved watching it all unravel to the big ending.I did have a sense when the series was through that I wanted more of an explanation into the psychology of Jean Cuvier and his motives particularly when it came to Marian and Nicole.  Seeing all the widows get their stories did make for a satisfying epitaph to his life in a way knowing that his deeds lead them to true happiness.Lovers of American Historical Romance who don't mind a bit of murder mystery and spice to their romance should give this a try.  Read the books in order though.