Reviewed by Buffie Johnson
Publisher:  Avon
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Consumed with thoughts of revenge, Lord Sorrington is poised to ruin Lord Candover.  Anthony believes Lord Candover is responsible for the untimely death of Anthony’s mother several years ago.  Believing financial ruin is the place to start, Anthony engages Lord Candover in several card games.  During their last card game, Lord Candover wages his niece in the bet and loses her to Anthony.  The next step in Anthony’s revenge is to bring social ruin upon Lord Candover and his family, and winning the girl in a game will help in this endeavor.   But when Lord Candover informs Anthony he cannot produce the girl as she has run away, Anthony once again tries to engage Lord Candover in more card games only to have Lord Candover resist the temptation of cards.  But Anthony knows there is one area where Lord Candover never resists and that is in form of sweet pastries.  Determined to bring down the man who took his mother away, Anthony employs a pastry chef in the hopes of luring Lord Candover with sweets and then destroying him in cards.   What Anthony did not anticipate is the immediate distraction of one pastry chef.

After learning her uncle, Lord Candover, has wagered and lost her in a card game, Jacobin de Chastelux flees her home.   After spending years learning the tricks of the trade from her uncle’s French chef, Jacobin finds employment as a pastry chef in the Royal home in Brighton.  Only Jacobin has disguised herself as a man, Jacob Leon.  After working undetected for a several weeks in the Royal home, Jacobin finds herself on the run again as her uncle is poisoned by a pastry dish during a banquet.  Using her skills of disguise, Jacobin turns herself into Jane Castle, the cousin of Jacob Leon, and takes the position of patissiere in Lord Sorrington’s kitchen.  Jacobin is not sure she has made the right decision – to hide from her uncle in the very house of the man who won her in a card game.  But as she spends more time in the company of Anthony, she begins to believe that Anthony is one she should fear because the feelings she is developing surely are against the law.

I believe Miranda Neville has produced a wonderful debut novel.   I became attached to the characters and their personal stories rather quickly and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Anthony and Jacobin evolve into one full of love and trust.   Jacobin is not your typical virginal heroine.   She is passionate and not afraid to express her emotions by touch.   This is a pleasant reprieve from the normal heroine.    Miranda Neville has also added a nice touch to the beginning of several chapters in the book.    As Jacobin loves to make pastries, Ms. Neville included several time period pastry recipes.   Since I am a person who loves to cook and bake, I enjoyed seeing all that was involved in these recipes.    I definitely recommend this book and am looking forward to more works from Ms. Neville.    So don’t resist the temptation – pick up the book!