Rating: 
Summary: Wanting the fairytale, but not getting it.
Review: This author may have fairytale endings to many of her books, but fairytale is far from what this author lives. In a description of what this author likes to do with her spare time, she states that she likes to spend time with her two sons. She also has two stepsons who she will not even consider her stepsons, and this is quite evident to both of them in their young lives. She writes of the finer things in life, but money and material things will not make you happy in real life, Ms. McKinney.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This is the first novel I have read by Mrs. McKinney. It is unfortunate that the jacketcover intro did a great job of wetting the appetite only to have the storyline fall short. The premise and characters had great potential yet fell flat after their inital meeting. Characters carefully designed to perfection somehow dissipate leaving one to wonder if they deserve one another or if it was even worth the hassle. Again great plot and characters quickly becoming....boring....
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This is the first novel I have read by Mrs. McKinney. It is unfortunate that the jacketcover intro did a great job of wetting the appetite only to have the storyline fall short. The premise and characters had great potential yet fell flat after their inital meeting. Characters carefully designed to perfection somehow dissipate leaving one to wonder if they deserve one another or if it was even worth the hassle. Again great plot and characters quickly becoming....boring....
Rating: 
Summary: Three words Romantic, Witty and Sophisticated
Review: What can I say, this one is a keeper. If you liked Lions And Lace, you will love MBH. I also loved Fair Is the Rose (my fave Mckinney so far but MBH is a close second with L&L.)A Man To Slay Dragons would be next. I give MBH a solid A. Nicely written, intriging, fun, great hero and heroine, excellent villain and secondaries. I just loved it, even good old Caro Astor. The book starts out with the heroine holding up the hero in his private coach in the Five Points district of 1880's NYC. And right from the get go the tension and attraction are there. This is no simpering miss and the hero a definite Alpha and he makes no bones about it. He could have given Trevor Sheridan lessons on ruthlessnes. I just loved him and I really, really loved this heroine.
Mystere is not a whiner, crier, or damsel in distress. Nope she takes the bull by the horns and does what she has to, to reach her goals. Same goes for the hero. They are both smart and driven by their goals. And their goals may not be altruistic, but they are very reasonable.
Well the heroine leaves the hero sans his clothing and money in Five Points and doesn't run into him until two years later in posh New York Society, where the Astors, Vanderbilts and new money reign. She and the villain are scamming the upper 400. Indeed, the heroine is a very accomplished jewel thief. But, the hero is on to her because he has been looking for her for two years and remembers even the tiniest nuances about her.
What I loved about this book was the Cary Grant/Grace Kelly rapport. The hero Rafe, was just so witty and Mystere was no slouch in that department either. This was one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time. And let me tell you something. Meagan Mckinney does New York Gilded Age society better than anyone else. Her depictions and scenes are really wonderful.
If I had to describe this book in three words, I would say sophisticated, romantic and witty. I highly recommend it, even though it is out in hardback. And I know a lot of authors are doing the sequel thing these days, but this is one book I can hardly wait for the sequel and yes oh yes it looks to be very good. I predict that it can't miss.
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