An Affair with Mr. Kennedy by Jillian Stone

Wow, this book is so unique and fascinating!  First, our hero is not a duke, earl, etc...he is the son of one but he is not going to inherit and it is always nice to read a change of pace from that scenario.  Same for our heroine, Cassie St. Cloud.  She gained the Lady title by marriage but her husband is deceased and she prefers to be called Cassie.  She is the daughter of two prominent doctors in society and her mother is a strong advocate for women's suffrage which brings up another key factor in this story to set it apart--it is set in 1887 which allows for such things as the London Underground (laying electric work), women riding bicycles and bloomers.  Jillian Stone brings all this to life with a fresh breath of air that I enjoyed.

Cassie was such a bold female--she smokes cigars, rides bikes, and rents a flat next to a handsome man...that just happens to have a connecting door between the premisses.  Locked of course...but for how long?  She is a painter and she is accepted for all her uniqueness by not just her parents and friends, but also by Zak.  Zeno Augustus Kennedy, nickname Zak, works for Scotland Yard (does anyone else love saying that in their faux British accent?  I do, lol) and helped defuse a large bomb plot that has arisen again and Cassies former brother-in-law seems to be a part of the murderous group so Zak is determined to find out what Cassie knows.  However, the pair find themselves in a hot flirtation that soon leads to a hot affair and matters of the heart become involved all while trying to uncover the dangerous group know as the Bloody Four.

Overall, this is a fascinating piece of work!  I really hope we see more and more books set during this time period as it adds so much richness to the story.  I adored Cassie and Zak together and I appreciated that even though Cassie is strong and independent, she is also a female who wants the love of a good man to be known to her and will not accept anything else.  Nothing to major to complain about with the book other than it is long.  It is almost 400 pages so you will need to carve out some time to sink into this one and enjoy it.  The mystery aspect will keep you flipping the pages and I know my heart was racing in the final chapters!  Jillian Stone has delivered a strong story set within a unique setting with characters that are smart, sexy and perfect for each other mixed together with an intriguing mystery and wonderful supporting characters that will leave you anxiously awaiting the next story!  4 stars

Thanks to Pocket and Jillian Stone for providing me with this ARC!

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