Nowhere Near Respectable

Starred review from March 7, 2011
Putney's third Lost Lords Regency (after 2010's Never Less than a Lady) is rich with historical detail and multifaceted characters. Anglo-Hindu Lady Kiri Lawford is about to accept a proposal from an English gentleman when she learns that his racist, fortune-hunting relatives secretly despise her. Stealing a horse, Kiri rides for Dover and right into a den of smugglers. Gambling club owner Damian Mackenzie aids her escape and passion instantly flares between them, but they resist, knowing the daughter of a duke and an Indian princess could never wed an actress's bastard son. When Kiri visits Damian's club, foils a kidnapping, and gets involved in a covert investigation, their romance sizzles out of control. Kiri's striking beauty, mental acuity, and martial arts training make her the perfect match for charming rogue Damian in this "splendid joining of East and West."

Starred review from April 15, 2011

When she overhears a conversation maligning her biracial heritage, fiercely independent Lady Kiri Lawford flees from the estate of her fortune-hunting suitor and runs straight into a band of smugglers. When distraction arrives in the form of notorious but most observant Damian Mackenzie, Kiri escapes--and finds herself on the run with a sexy rogue who has not only rescued her but remarkably manages to save her reputation, as well. Separated by a vast social gulf (he's a bastard gaming club owner; she's the daughter of a Hindu princess and an English duke), Kiri and Mac fight the magnetism that crackles between them--until a bizarre, deadly threat to the throne takes them on an adventure that levels the playing field. VERDICT In Kiri, a strikingly beautiful, lethal warrior queen, Putney has created one of her most memorable heroines to date. She pairs her with an honorable, valiant hero and drops them into a fascinating, fact-based dilemma that thoughtfully and realistically addresses some serious social issues and is guaranteed to keep the pages turning. This third "Lost Lords" title is exquisitely and sensitively written. Putney (Never Less Than a Lady) lives in the Baltimore area.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2011
A lady always repays her debts. At least that is the rational that prompts Kiri Lawford to attend one of the infamous masquerades held at Damians, Londons most scandalous gaming club. All Kiri wants to do is pay Damian Mackenzie back the money he lost while trying to rescue her, but instead she finds herself helping to thwart an attempt to kidnap a member of the British royal family. Because Kiri is the only one who can identify some of the conspirators, Damian is forced to accept her help. He knows trying to stop the band of traitors is dangerous work, but he quickly realizes he may be in even more danger of falling for his new team mate. In the latest intrigue-rich addition to her Lost Lords series, Putney gives the classic Regency historical a few refreshing new twists, and the exquisitely sensual chemistry she brews up between her delightfully unconventional heroine and risky and sexy hero is as irresistible as the perfumes Kiri formulates for her friends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)