With This Ring, by Amanda Quick

I'm lazy, I know... still haven't posted my travelogue. I've been too busy trying to catch up at work, but I'll do my best to do it soon, otherwise I just know, it'll never get done. Or I'll forget many of the details and impressions and it simply won't be very good. BTW, I thank all of you who've e-mailed me for your interest :-D

Meanwhile, a little something about Amanda Quick's With This Ring, which I read during the week.

Beatrice Poole, a widow and the author of gothic-style popular fiction, needs help. Her uncle spent his fortune on an ancient artifact called the Rings of Aphrodite, then died under mysterious circumstances. She must find the rings because the money spent for them was earmarked for her cousin's dowry. Beatrice seeks out Leo, the reclusive earl of Monkcrest, because he is an antiquities expert, deliberately ignoring his reputation for delving into the supernatural. Leo is intrigued by Beatrice and decides to participate in the search. As they try to solve the mystery of the rings, their personal lives become entwined and start resembling one of Beatrice's wild novels.

I liked this, it's a B. Yep, it's different from the earlier Amanda Quicks, and I do like these a bit better, but it's very much an enjoyable read.

I loved Beatrice and Leo, especially the fact that both were mature grown-ups. Their banter was delicious, and their relationship believable. However, it did not have the sense of intimacy present in her earlier works. And call me shallow, but a couple more love scenes (or a bit more detail in the ones here, especially the second one), would have improved the book.

I also liked the cast of secondary characters, especially Clarinda, and found the mystery appealing.