Review: 4 stars! London Lace, 1-5 (complete series). Enigmatic/bossy/mature/sexy Sir Todd embarks on affair that quickly turns complex.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 28, 2013
This is a series consisting of 5 parts that combined make a 340 page read.  I recommend reading as a set and thus I have reviewed as a set.  Please note this is the Omnibus.Hero: Sir Todd Montgomery/British/race horse breeder/aristocrat/40 years old approx./dark brown hair/blue eyes/6'1"Heroine: Eliza Keating/British/Business owner (Candied Locks)-milliner/29 years old/dark brown hair/brown eyesStory is told from Eliza's POV (in 3rd person).Eliza and Sir Todd are supposed to go on a blind date.  Instead there first meeting is a disaster.  After Eliza "tipsy calls" Todd in the middle of the night to tell him off he ends up stopping by for some hot sex.  What starts off as great no-strings-attached sex quickly turns complicated.  Todd's and Eliza's story ends up being bumpy one with anything from individual baggage to secrets, lies to vindictive exes and more.  Add to that the tabloids trying to find a juicy story.Sir Todd (well as it turns out Eliza is the only one allowed to call him Sir!) has many amazing qualities.  At first glance is very handsome and sexy and he is great in bed; bossy and all about aiming to please.  He is also enigmatic and brooding with darkness in his past.  He is very mature, but above everything I love the way he always knows how to handle Eliza and he says the most profound and insightful things.  And oh, did I mention he is Brit?!"He was a volatile combination of stubbornness, anger, impulsiveness, and virile grace. He was a seducer, but he was also a loner. He was reaching out to her, but also wanted to keep her at bay, at a safe, controllable distance. He was conflicted. Intense. Sure of himself but less sure of her. She knew she should be cautious, that she could get hurt..."Eliza is a "Rags to riches" story; coming from a poor upbringing and after making it as a milliner she has tried shut the door to her past. Career wise she has done really well for herself; she is strong determined and motivated.  It's evident early on that her unresolved past has plagued her relationships and they will play havoc on her and Sir Todd's.  Like so many heroines paired with great heroes, she managed to annoy me at times.  This is very much her journey of self discovery and closure."Beauty and pain are real. Together they show us we are alive. You are beautiful, Eliza. Eventually, your pain will heal." [Todd]That said, for some reason I did not connect as well with Eliza as I might have wished.  There was something about the 3rd person narrative that left me on the outside, wanting to connect better with her.  I might have also wished to get Todd's POV.  I liked so many qualities in him, but I feel like I missed knowing him better.The sex is off the charts:"I want you to know that kind of pleasure from me first because I want you to know that your pleasure, from now on, will be the first  thing I think about upon waking and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep, and in between I hope to be doing it more than thinking it." He gave her that look again, a glowering sexy look of untamed hunger."And their sex becomes a bit explorative with them venturing out...Catou Martine did a great job with Todd's and Eliza's story.  Despite the drama and turmoil it ended up very much being a "feel good" read so I am recommending their story!***Hero rating: 4.5 starsHeroine rating: 3.5 starsSex scenes rating: 5 starsSex scenes frequency: 4.5 starsStoryline concept rating: 4 starsStorytelling skills rating: 4 starsStory ending rating: 4 starsBook editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4 stars**************************************Overall rating: 4 starsWould I recommend this series: Yes.Would I re-read this series: Probably not.Would I read future books by this author: Yes.