Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however: If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend to tell the truth as I lived it.

It’s Brandon Wycroft’s duty as the Earl of Stockport to catch the “Cat.” a notorious thief who is stealing from rich local homes to feed the poor. Discovering that the Cat is a woman, he changes his plan of action — to a game of seduction!

But, over all it was not a horrible book. And if someone doesn’t mind something slightly predicable I would recommend it. “The Cat” is a fun character a bold heroine who has fun being the Robin Hood of her area. She steals from the greedy rich men and feeds poor families with her bounty. The Earl of Stockport takes a little bit to warm up to. He’s cocky, to full of himself and won’t even admit when he’s been robbed. Or at least that the woman broke into his house while he was in it.

As marriage proposals go, Charles Draysmith’s suit is as romantic as the moors in December. Emma Peterson might be only a vicar’s daughter, and the new Marquis of Knightsdale, and perhaps he would rather marry her than endure the marriage mart. But when he suggests how much he’ll enjoy securing an heir, well, a lady can only endure so much.

But the Lady is Passionate

There’s something about a woman throwing pottery at a man that piques his interest. Perhaps his proposal lacks grace, Charles thinks. But it does seem a perfect solution. He acquires a wife; his young charges have the mother they so desperately need, and Emma gains security and position. You see? Simple. Practical. Sensible– oh no, not the ceramic dog…

Not only do we meet a new cast of loveable characters, we also meet again with our Duke of Alvord James and his wife who is now expecting their first child, and Robbie the Earl of Westbroke. It is positively wonderful to see them again and even more so to follow the Marquis as he tries to win his ladies hand.

While Emma followed Charles around when he was a kid (along with Robbie and James) she is determined not to do so now. It was so bad when she was a child that the other boys nicknamed her Shadow. The story is fun, and also there are some hidden twists and turns. While the villain is again obvious exactly what he is up to is not obvious until much later in the story.

Only a month into her season debut, and Josie’s already a social pariah—thanks to the nasty gossip of a neighbor. With her chances of making a match growing slimmer by the minute, help comes in the form of a family friend eager to teach Josie the art of flirtation. But Garret Langham, the infamous Earl of Mayne, may not be the most suitable teacher….

The beginning starts out a bit sad, poor Josie the youngest of the sisters hates her body, and has been dubbed the Scottish sausage which is a horrible nickname. And of course there for the Ton all avoid her, no young men her age will ask her to dance and only the older men her sisters or chaperone can rustle up will dance with her. The biggest crime is that she sees herself as fat. And Josie is anything but. She’s not fat; she is beautiful like a real woman.

It’s a horrid corset she wears that makes her appear stuffed. Well, enter Garrett the Earl of Mayne. I loved him in the other books when he popped up. He is a rakehell who isn’t feeling like much of a rakehell anymore. He is engaged but none the less he kisses Josie, and shows her what its like to be a real woman. She taking his teaching well gets rid of the corset and indeed becomes a woman who leaves young men slavering after her. She has the body of a Madonna, and she has just a fun personality.

Follow this story is a true romp of fun, and finding love where you would least expect it. Mayne has had a little dabble in with all of the Essex’s sisters in one form or another. Who would have guessed that he would have one with Josie as well? There is a particularly funny scene in which Mayne believing Josie has been ravished picks her up while she is asleep. Josie wakes and proceeds to slug him, giving him a black eye. What a fine way to say hello to a gentleman.

Sarah Hamilton is not your typical heroine of a romance book. She is from America and goes to England when her father dies to see her uncle the Earl. Sarah finds out when she arrives that her uncle has died, and all she’s left with for family is her drunkard rake of a cousin. But don’t count Robbie as a complete sot yet he does come through in the end. Sarah is also older and very naive raised relatively sheltered life with some spinsters. But in the end that doesn’t stop her traitorous body from reacting to what she feels.

The Duke of Alvord is an even more of an unlikely person to find in real life let alone in a romance novel. As a 30 year old male, his nickname spread by his vicious cousin Richard is Monk, and shockingly well deserved. But I find these facts to be refreshing in a romance novel. These two people who are relatively innocent in the ways of the bed sheets find themselves unexplainably drawn to one another. It’s nice to see them fight and struggle with it, like a normal person would. Struggling to keep a claim on their morals when wanting to give into the desire that flames between them.

While I enjoyed the story of Maggie, and how she goes through her own self discovery. The painful finding out of just what her friendship with her now very skinny friend Olivia has come down to. The book does have some problems. I will state again that over all I did truly enjoy the story, it as heartfelt and funny at times and sad in other points.

That said some things can not be overlooked. The fact that Maggie really should have realized much earlier that her friend Olivia was not what she seemed is one of them. The other huge issue I have with this book is that the ending really is a non ending. You feel like your left hanging and going, “Now what?” when you finish it. I don’t think all books wrap up in a nice little package with a bow but they should wrap up. Even if you’re not getting a happy ending you need a proper ending.

Annabel is by far the most greedy of the Essex sisters, seeking to trade her good looks much like a courtesan does for a mans favor. Nevertheless, she is not content to be improper about it she will give her beauty only to a rich Englishman who will marry her. But she gets a shock when a handsome Scotsmen not only gets in her path but there is a scandal and she must marry him.

This book was so fun and so touching, I really enjoyed it and had a fun time reading it. The author even states that it is loosely based on Shakespeare taming of the shrew and I do not have a bit of trouble believing that. When you read it, you will know what I mean. However, in all honestly it is a very easy to follow read, in the historical romance genre Eloisa James stands out.

The writing has a fun flare to it, and you find some mysteries wrapped in. Nothing to deep but still a little something to make it fun. Moreover, the secondary characters of this story are just as fun to follow around as the main characters. If you are a fan of historical romance, and England and Scotland, you really do need to read this book. You follow the women around from country to country, and see just what Annabel ends up marrying for. Love? Money? Or both.

From that emotional beginning we move backwards and start where the evens would begin. We follow Ellen as she does the regular things we all do, she goes to the DMV and has a scuffle with the clerk about coffee. She goes shopping; she picks up her kids and listens to their demands. Don’t all of us do these same things everyday? And most of all she is looking forward to the yearly trip to the cabin. How she to know this was would be the summer all of it would change? How would any of us know?

You will cry when you read this book. You will cry as you watch Ellen make choices none of us would want to have to make about her youngest son and his death. You will cry when you see how she tries, and sometimes fails to be strong for her older son Daniel. Judy Merrill Larsen writes this book in such a way you can not help but picture it all. You can not help yourself but to feel the true raw emotion behind it.

Ellen also learns a lesson in that family is not always just blood. Her friends that’s she has known for many years stand by her through all of it. Anna and Sam are like rocks to her, and a friend she didn’t know could be made in a nurse named Laurie from the hospital. As the story continues the grief of fighting for a criminal trial introduces her to a wonderful lawyer named Bob. She feels guilty for her feelings towards him. Guilty that her sons death should bring her close to someone who might bring her happiness.

And I picked the right book to read. True Stories of Law & Order picks 25 of the better known stories to tell you. It gives you the “ripped from the headlines” look at how Law & Order played it, than tells you the real story. This book spares no details I the telling of each of these stories. While some of them are more exciting than others, I know I was riveted to the page every time I flipped it.

If you have a weak stomach I do not recommend reading this book. Many of the stories give the very grizzly details, and several involve young children. But if you can handle such details and are a fan of the True Crime genre this is a book for you. To me it was very interesting to get the true facts behind some of the Law & Order episodes I liked best. I also found it interesting to see just how much they changed things, or didn’t.