With One Look

Sisters Duet, #1

by

Cheryl Holt

One of the best of the genre!

With One Look is the first of acclaimed romance author Cheryl Holt’s new duology, A Sisters Duet, and what a fabulous beginning it is! A young woman ponders her uncertain future in Regency London if she decides to dissolve a lackluster engagement to her stepbrother. At the same time, an injured career soldier, elevated to the ranks of the nobility, finds himself with too much time on his hands and no real purpose in life except gambling. With one look, however, both their lives are destined to change course forever. 

At 24 years of age, Theodora Cronenworth is sweet, kind, and somewhat naïve; her personality shaped by her mother’s abandonment when she was a small child and by her father’s subsequent cold neglect. She believed her stepmother’s claim that her father died without a will or making arrangements for her or her sister’s futures, and was dependent upon her for her every need. She and her sister are effectively estranged since Charlotte left home to take a teaching position at a boarding school. It is implied that Theo was denied the education she desired, but she is well-informed and favors a more modern life for women. The reality of her dependency and need to have a man in her life for protection or advocacy, a predicament for all women at that time, was really brought home. 

Sergeant Jackson Bennett, now the Earl of Thornhill by award of the King, spends his time gambling to support his long-time mistress, Lola, and his father, Cedric. The injury that ended his army career causes him constant pain and prevents him from riding; he’s a man without a mission in life. Jackson is kind to those less fortunate and an avowed bachelor for life. His continued relationship with Lola is strained, but he avoids ending things with her because their liaison burned her bridges with her family, and he knows he’s as much to blame as she is. 

Theo and Jackson have an immediate attraction to one another. While Theo firmly believes no good will come of their knowing each other, she is irresistibly drawn to him, guilt-ridden because of her engagement to her stepbrother, Arthur. Jackson is infatuated early and takes every chance to further their acquaintance (except to break it off with Lola). Sounds like a straightforward storyline, right? But plot twist after plot twist shocked and surprised me, and the basic story quickly became one of the best I’ve ever read in this beloved genre. Those who started as obnoxious but seemingly harmless characters turned out to be hiding devious pasts, self-serving agendas, and the potential for true evil. Surprising past connections among other characters were waiting to jump out at critical points in the story. I read the last 75 percent of the story in one sitting, and now I can’t wait to get on with the next book! 

I recommend WITH ONE LOOK to romance readers who enjoy suspense and a touch of spice in a Regency setting. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.