Rules of Attraction
3 Stars

Synopsis
Dougald Pippard, Lord Raeburn, has been waiting for nine years to satisfy his need for revenge against Hannah Setterington but now that the moment is upon him, the desire that always raged between them flares once again and Dougald may have to put aside his goals to fulfill an even greater need for love.

Review
Enjoyable premise but the hero is completely domineering, manipulative and obsessed with revenge for most of the book.

Dougald and Hannah have a compelling and steamy relationship but their constant bickering becomes tedious after a while and their chemistry cannot compensate for the sudden reversals in their behavior - succumbing to passion one moment and rejecting each other the next.

The flashback scenes provide some insight into Dougald and Hannah's earlier relationship but they are too brief and many details are left out, which leaves the reader wondering why they got together in the first place. Moreover, the resolution to their romance is very sudden and stems more from their sexual compatibility than any real affection.

The murder mystery is the best suspense plot in the series so far and has real promise until the moment it fizzles out because the killer is predictable and the motive absolutely incomprehensible.

In sum, this series is hit and miss for me but I'm still persevering because I enjoy Dodd's writing style. ( )

The ending redeemed this, but that redemption came after so many painful chapters---and so many moments when I almost put the book down---that I can't in good conscience rate this book higher. ( )

Rules of Attraction
3 Stars

Synopsis
Dougald Pippard, Lord Raeburn, has been waiting for nine years to satisfy his need for revenge against Hannah Setterington but now that the moment is upon him, the desire that always raged between them flares once again and Dougald may have to put aside his goals to fulfill an even greater need for love.

Review
Enjoyable premise but the hero is completely domineering, manipulative and obsessed with revenge for most of the book.

Dougald and Hannah have a compelling and steamy relationship but their constant bickering becomes tedious after a while and their chemistry cannot compensate for the sudden reversals in their behavior - succumbing to passion one moment and rejecting each other the next.

The flashback scenes provide some insight into Dougald and Hannah's earlier relationship but they are too brief and many details are left out, which leaves the reader wondering why they got together in the first place. Moreover, the resolution to their romance is very sudden and stems more from their sexual compatibility than any real affection.

The murder mystery is the best suspense plot in the series so far and has real promise until the moment it fizzles out because the killer is predictable and the motive absolutely incomprehensible.

In sum, this series is hit and miss for me but I'm still persevering because I enjoy Dodd's writing style. ( )

What a great story! I laughed and cried many times! Such wonderful writing and really engaging characters!! I love this authors work!!

I am currently on a Regency kick and this one was terrific!! ( )

This story is a murder mystery and I wasn't really sure who was committing the murders until almost the end of the story. This story is also the end of the first story arc for this series. Ms. Hannah Setterington finally meets her match in this tale of unrequited love and a husband's lust for revenge. There are a few twists and turns in this story and a few of them surprised em. I remember reading this story so many years ago. The basic plot has stuck in my mind over the years. I am not sure that I have read another story with this setup. Now I haven't read every romance novel that has been written but I have read a good few. The basis for the story is that Hannah is married and her estranged husband has inherited a title. No one knows that Hannah is married and Hannah has tried to forget about her husband. Her problems arise after she sells the Distinguish Academy of Governesses. She receives correspondence for the Lord of Raeburn needing a companion for his elderly aunt. The job in is the district where Hannah thinks she has family so she accepts the job. Little does she know that her husband is about to spring a trap. Lord Raeburn, Dougal Pippard, is what all males during this period seem to be. He is arrogant, intelligent and successful in business. He is from an old distinguished family that has been wanting a title for generations. He is also tall, dark and handsome. He is willing to see that he has made mistakes with Hannah and wants to fix them. He doesn't realize most of this until closer to the end of the story though.

Hannah Setterington is also intelligent, successful, and very caring. She has a way with older ladies and most people in general. It is one of the reasons that she is so successful with her academy. She is patient and understanding and compassionate. She also loves her husband and is shocked that he tracked her down and drew her to his home. I enjoyed watching her spar with Dougal. Her interaction with the aunts is amusing and lovely.

The aunts are like so many older people. They no longer worry about convention they speak their minds and keep everyone on their toes. They provided some much needed laughter thus keeping the story from becoming to gloomy and sad. I loved how they all came to live at Raeburn Castle and how Dougal has taken care of them since he inherited the title.

There are also several other characters in the book that make this an enjoyable and intriguing read. It is a show of how well Ms. Dodd can write that she has you wondering who has been killing of the Lords and why. The answer was a surprise to say the least. It isn't what anyone would have thought. Ms. Dodd does a very good job of keeping you turning the pages and wondering what is going to happen next. There is always some new intrigue or some mischief from the aunts or one of the other occupants of the castle. This is a good story and definitely worth the time to read it. ( )