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A private investigator and notorious womanizer, Barrett Stanbridge is no stranger to scandal. Yet even he's stunned when the dead body of his beautiful one-night stand turns up in an alley behind his house, naturally making him the prime suspect in the eyes of the police. Rescue comes in the most unlikely form of Isabella Dandaneau, his dead lover's cousin, who tells him a fantastic tale of lust, love and priceless treasure maps. Isabella offers to help Barrett if in return he'll help find her cousin's half of the treasure map.
This bold American woman tempts Barrett with her offer and her beauty yet he doesn't fully trust her until it becomes apparent that whoever killed the cousin is now after Isabella herself. Scorned by society, against his parents' disapproval and with only the help of his two staunch friends Carden and Aiden, Barrett and Isabella join in a race against time to find the treasure and catch the unknown killer(s). But their greatest challenge comes from their own growing feelings and soaring passion. Can these two people from two entirely different worlds overcome mutual distrust, personal betrayals and past secrets to come together in love?
Leslie LaFoy is a consummate writer who never fails to captivate readers with a story that's an enchanting mix of exotic, action and passion; so it is with this tale too. Isabella and Barrett are both individuals who're carrying a great deal of emotional baggage thanks to their checkered pasts. How they confront and overcome their deepest fears in the face of their growing feelings for each other and in the greatest of peril makes for a tender and tense tale. LaFoy has a gift for making characters and atmosphere come alive through her detailed narrative, filled as they are with authentic historical facts and so it with this tale too that takes readers to both historical England and a war-torn Louisiana. Together with a suspenseful and action oriented plot, a lot of pent-up passion and a treasure hunt to boot, "The Perfect Desire" is as close to a perfectly entertaining read as can possibly be.
Reviewed by Rashmi Srinivas
for The Road to Romance
February 7, 2005
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