From the blurb:

Lady Jessica “Jessie” Carville gave up on up men six years ago, after being deserted by Lord Hugo Duran, the man she loved beyond all reason. She has carried on with her life and . . . shockingly . . . with her career. Although most of Society frowns upon a woman in business, Lady Jessica is a natural at collecting and selling antiques. She’s put the past behind her until one night at an auction, when Duran shows up. He’s back in England, and he has plans that involve her. Can she resist what he has in mind? Duran, though willful and mysterious, is a gentleman—when it suits him. Yet he left his lover without so much a note saying why. Now he’s on a mission filled with danger. If he doesn’t succeed, he will die. Can he convince Jessica to help him without endangering her as well?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is compelling and exciting, and the plot is satisfyingly detailed and elaborate, making for an interesting, page-turning read. Much suspense is built up through the book – Lynn is an expert in drip-feeding information, making you keen to read on. She also writes dramatic scenes superbly; I was totally lost in the world she creates in the book.

I loved the characters, Jessie and Duran in particular. They feel realistic, and are immensely likeable, and I was rooting for their relationship from the start. They are both strong, independent, courageous people with inner vulnerability and the capacity for faithful, lasting love and passion that had me gripped. I love that the author moves between Jessie’s and Duran’s point of view, allowing the reader to really get to know each character and see the story from both perspectives.

For me, the best part of the book is its setting, in the 1800s, and connections with India. I love exotic settings, and the marriage of nineteenth-century England with India at the time was fascinating. Customs, politics, culture, traditions, artefact – all are a seminal part of the plot. My favourite was the opening, set in India itself, and the mystery and danger it sets up for the narrative.

Out of five? Six stars from me. A expertly written, compelling, highly entertaining read that will please any romantic.

The Golden Leopard is available now from Amazon; click on the book cover below to visit the store.