Review: Well worth the money
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
This four book set takes place in the Bayou Teche region of Louisiana in the mid 1800's. Blake has done her research, the storylines and characters are believable and sometimes even likable, and suspense builds slowly and unalteringly toward the endings.  Once begun, they are almost impossible to put down. I really enjoyed the collection and am looking forward to reading more from this author.Book 1:  Silver Tongued Devil.  Angelina and Renold meet on board a riverboat.  She doesn't know him, but he knows who she is, the daughter of the professional gambler who cheated and stole Bonheur Plantation from Renold's beloved step-father, who then took his own life. Renold has sworn to get Bonheur back for his mother and step-sister, even at the cost of forcing marriage on Angelina, as it has become her dowry. Renold didn't expect her to be so beautiful, however, nor for the steamboat to blow up, injuring them both and leaving her father and fiance missing and presumed dead.  While she is in his care, medicated and dazed from a concussion, he has a priest marry them, or so he tells her when she recovers.  Angelina doesn't trust him, though, and every time she begins to believe in him, something comes to light that he has kept hidden.  How can they continue forward when they keep taking two steps back for every step forward?Book 2: Midnight Waltz.  The story revolves around Belle Grove plantation, residence of a widow, M'Mere, her son, Julien,  and his bride, Amalie. The marriage was arranged to produce an heir, but several months later, Amalie remains untouched and M'Mere must come up with another plan.  M'Mere  convinces her nephew, Robert, to act as a surrogate and visit Amalie in the dark of night, posing as Julien. The plan falls apart, however, when Robert realizes he is in love with Amalie and that she is pregnant with his child.  Then Julien disappears, and Amalie comes under scrutiny as a possible suspect when Julien's body is found in the bayou and rumors of an affair reach the ears of the police.Book 3: Arrow to the Heart.  Katrine's husband of six years, Giles, is in need of an heir, and will go to any lengths to have one. That includes hosting a tournament to which the victor goes a purse of gold and a secret prize, private time with  Katrine.  Rowan has come to Arcadia plantation not only to enter the tournament, but to uncover the events surrounding his step-brother's death the year before at the last tournament.  He blames Katrine because his brother wrote of her in a letter home. But she refuses to tell him what she knows. Then a series of accidents begin, and Rowan realizes the price for the information he seeks may be more than he can bear to pay.Book 4: Tender Betrayal.  Melanie and Roland meet at the plantation home of the governor in Natches, where her grandfather challenges Roland to a duel.  Roland deloped, but her grandfather is felled by a weak heart. On his deathbed, he demands that Melanie avenge him by killing Roland. She sets out to do just that, but instead is compromised, and eventually accepts Roland's offer of marriage when her fiance refuses her following her fall from grace.  Melanie has decided there is more than one way to make Roland pay, however, and that as his wife she will have ample opportunities.  Then Roland is recruited to join a campaign to liberate Cuba from Spain, and Melanie must devise a new plan to exact revenge.