#BookReview – “My Lady Quicksilver” by Bec McMaster

Blurb

Determined to destroy the Echelon she despises, Rosalind Fairchild is on seemingly easy mission. Get in. Uncover the secrets of her brother's disappearance. And get out.

In order to infiltrate the Nighthawks and find their leader, Sir Jasper Lynch, Rosalind will pose as their secretary. But she doesn't count on Lynch being such a dangerously charismatic man, challenging her at every turn, forcing her to re-evaluate everything she knows about the enemy.

He could be her most dangerous nemesis—or the ally she never dreamed existed. 

Review 

In the third book in the London Steampunk series, Rosalind Hucker is the humanist revolutionary known only as Mercury, and she’s willing to do anything to fight for the rights of humans in London. After she’s falsely blamed for an act of terrorism, she and her outlaw band of freedom fighters have gone into hiding. While on a mission aboveground, she runs afoul with her greatest adversary and the only man worthy enough to revive her frozen heart.

Sir Jasper Lynch, Guild Master of the Nighthawks (the police force that patrols the city), has only three weeks left to find and capture Mercury, or he will be executed. He’s also a rogue blue blood (a person illegally infected with the craving virus) and has kowtowed to the Echelon (the London aristocracy of blue-bloods) for years. He finally tracks Mercury down but never expected the humanist leader to be a woman. After she seduces him and escapes, he vows not to be made a fool of again, but then he hires a new secretary at the office, not realizing that the secretary and Mercury are one and the same.

Wow! I absolutely loved these characters. Rosa is a remarkably strong woman. Whether she’s acting as the sexy kickass Mercury or the intelligent, seductive Mrs. Marberry (the secretary), she wrapped the stoic, coolheaded Lynch around her little finger. Lynch was immensely attracted to both women, and he was constantly fighting with himself and feeling guilty for each time he furthered his relationship with each woman. Though he wasn’t technically cheating on either of them, he was in his mind, and it threatened to tear him apart. Both Rosa and Lynch have tragic pasts, which shaped them into the dedicated, stubborn people they’d become.

I enjoyed the cast of secondary characters, especially Garrett and Perry, two of Lynch’s fellow Nighthawks, whose book is coming up next. Leo Barrons was awesome as always and is my favorite character throughout the series. The main characters from the previous two books didn’t play much of a role in this one, which was disappointing, but I understand why there weren’t around. I liked how this book painted the Nighthawks (whom are mostly rogue blue bloods) in a positive light since not all blue bloods are cruel and vindictive, even the ones in the Echelon.

Though the story ends with a HEA, I’m surprised there hasn’t been a mention in any of the books I’ve read so far about the differences in the H/h’s lifetime expectancies. Blue bloods are kind of like vampires and they do age, but at a slower rate. For example, Lynch has been a blue blood for 40 years, infected with the virus at age 15, so he’s technically been alive for 55 years. He looks as though he’s in his 30s. By the time Rosa grows old and dies, he’ll be middle-aged.

Anyway, Ms. McMaster’s writing is strong and concise with enough description that doesn’t overpower the plot. There are some fragment sentences, but each fragment is actually a continuation of the previous sentence. There aren’t many sex scenes in this series (all occurring in the second half of the books), but sexual tension sparks hot between the H/h in each story.

5 Stars

Disclaimer – I borrowed this ebook from the library. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.