Fallen Angels Series by Mary Jo Putney Part Deux

I'm finally finished reading all the books in the Fallen Angels series and, I have to say, it's gonna be a mad scramble to get my hands on more Putney. The books mentioned in these condensed reviews aren't part of the series exactly (none of them are named after an Angel, fallen or otherwise) but they feature the sequel baits from the main books and they just spun off from there.. Click Here To Read More.. Angel Rogue:

Lord Robert Andreville, a master spy with the face of a fallen angel and a darkly heroic past, crosses Regency England with a half-Mohawk beauty. As they evade pursuers and circle each other in a dance of desire, their idyll is shattered by dark secrets. Only love has the power to heal the past.

Robin is noble, handsome (in a dandyish diletantte way), charming, intelligent, likable, and a surprisingly candid guy (although he lets the heroine think he's lying). If I liked him in Petals Of The Storm, well, I found him utterly charming in Angel Rogue. He finds a worthy heroine in Maxima (ugh) aka Maxie (not much better) who can be a pretty blood-thirsty wench when provoked ( my favorite kind!). The two are attracted to each other from the beginning and there are undertones of passion early on but it's not one of those wham, bam, I love you forever, let's get it on, thank you ma'm sort of things. They start as friends and things develop from there. From distrust to respect to friendship, to caring, and then eventually to love, the love story between the two just flows and takes it's natural course. In simpler terms, these two, genuinely like each other. The intrigue sub-plot throws Robin and Maxie together but it doesn't detract from the romance. I liked that the villains in this piece aren't necessarily villains but simply people who make honest mistakes rooted from noble intentions. I also greatly enjoyed the sub-romance between Robin's elder brother, Giles, and Maxie's aunt, Desdemonda. In Petals in the Storm Robin Andreville, no matter how likable, was merely sequel bait. In Angel Rogue he was a wonderful hero in a worthy story. River Of Fire:

In exchange for his subversive skills, a dashing sky attempts to find financial salvation through Regency England's greatest artist by solving a heinous crime. But he soon discovers that the greatest danger of all lies in the irrestible attraction to a woman who may prove his undoing. From the bestselling author of Dancing On the Wind.

We first meet Kenneth in Shattered Rainbows and, unlike the other Heroes in the series, he is the only one in the bunch who wasn't begging for a sequel. That didn't stop me from wanting to know more about him though. In River of Fire, Kenneth still brings with him all the emotional baggage from having seen war. He struggles for peace but is haunted by the past as well as the present. When a mission brings him to Seaton House, he is immediately attracted to his quarry's daughter, Rebecca. She is a somewhat temperamental artist who's rather hermitic due to a decade old indiscretion. Rather like Angel Rogue, their relationship evolve naturally from friendship and respect to love. They struggle through it occassionally but what couple doesn't? River of Fire is at times dark and angsty. Fortunately, it never crosses the line to downright depressing and is always compelling. Chalk it up to the vivid imagery of revealing a soldier's soul and an artist's insight. The intrigue sub-plot, again a device to throw the hero and heroine together, stews in the back burner and doesn't overwhelm the romance. Kenneth doesn't really actively pursue his investigation until later in the story but it provides a good backdrop for the romance. Even if this book is considered as the least important in the Fallen Angels series, River of Fire is definitely one of my favorites. One Perfect Rose:

Stephen Kenyon, Duke of Ashburton, has always taken the duties of his rank seriously-until shocking news sends him running from his isolating world of wealth and privilege to roam the countryside as an ordinary man. When he meets the lovely Rosalind Jordan, a foundling who has grown into an enchanting, compassionate woman, she stirs the deepest desires of his heart. Yet how can Stephen declare his love when he is haunted by the knowledge that made him flee his old life? And how can Rosalind risk loving a man who fulfills her secret dreams but can never be hers?

Stephen and Rosalind are two very nice characters. Unfortunately, that may be the reason why they are slightly less memorable than the other couples in the series to me. I do, however, remember thinking that Stephen is evidence that romance novel heroes don't always have to be growly broody alphas (although I occasionally have the taste for those too). The story chronicles Stephen's last months and his budding friendship and romance with Rosalind which was really very sweet but not overly saccharine. Rosalind's real identity bit made my eyes roll over though; I would have preferred it if she stayed as we had known her. Turning her into a French Countess + Heiress came off as contrived and unnecessary IMO although when Stephen's real identity was revealed, she didn't get half as pissed as I expected her to which I did like. Very refreshing cos they always always get pissed. The plot is less in depth as the other books in the series but it takes on a very serious subject; mortality. The read is surprisingly light, considering Stephen's death is always in the forefront, albeit slow. One Perfect Rose is certainly well written but it won't be gracing my keeper shelf anytime soon.