Review: The Danger of Desire by Elizabeth Essex

Title: The Danger of Desire

Author: Elizabeth Essex

Published: November 29, 2011

Pages: 357

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Publisher ( Brava)

Rating: B

Reviewed by: Erica Lynn

Favorite Quote: "Have to be rich to have décolleté," she used to say. "The poor just have titties."

Book description from Amazon.com:  
Captain Hugh McAlden is working on a top-secret mission to bring down enemy spies living in England. After seeing a young woman perform a brilliant bit of pick pocketing on the London streets, he impulsively decides to hire her to help him. The only name she'll give him is Meggs, and she refuses to tell him anything about her background or how she ended up on the streets. But as Hugh tries to unravel her secrets, he also finds her harder and harder to resist...

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Erica Lynn's thoughts:

I love historical romances though I must admit the Georgian era is not one of my favorite time periods. Nor is England one of my favorite places for historicals. Still I enjoyed Essex' telling of what began as a simple business arrangement, between Captain Hugh McAlden and the larcenist known for most of the book as Meggs, that eventually turned into so much more.

Hugh McAlden is a naval man through and through. He's used to being at sea with men, he's used to giving orders, and he's used to the wind in his face and the smell of the salt on the air. What he's not used to is being earth bound due to an injury and in the company of women; young women specifically. A well traveled man, with extensive combat experience, Hugh is lacking a certain biblical knowledge.

Meggs, a money related alias, is a thief. She and her brother, Tanner, filch those that look like they can afford the loss in order to stay alive on London's streets. To quote Disney's Aladdin, "Gotta eat to live gotta steal to eat...." and Meggs is completely unapologetic for who she is.

Hugh finds out about a spy in his naval ranks, and he's commissioned to find out who is responsible. Of course if he's caught in the course of his investigations, the government knows nothing of his actions. He, himself is too conspicuous to do the job, so he sets out to find the perfect street savvy Oliver type to work for him. After seeing Meggs in action he knows she's the "man" for the job. Only Meggs has a strict policy that she won't work for anyone else.

Like McAlden, an unexpected injury and the need to provide for her brother has Meggs changing her mind. The two agree on a tentative bargain, not quite trusting each other in the beginning, but coming to rely on each other by the end.

Meggs really is a spectacular thief, actress, and street navigator, but as Hugh loves these traits for his professional use of her, his personal interest leaves him less impressed with her rough ways. The intrigue and spy work take up only a third of the book, and the rest is split between watching to see how much of a horses' ass Hugh can make of himself while trying to change Meggs and finding out that Meggs is not quite what she seems.

A lot happens in a short time; Meggs and Hugh meet, get it in, solve the crime, and party in the country. And while the danger doesn't completely permeate the whole of the story, there is desire that burns through.