Review: A Most Dangerous Profession by Karen Hawkins

Author - Karen Hawkins
Genre - Historical Romance
Series - Hurst Amulet #3
Format - Paperback (384p.)
Rating - DNF

AN ENTRANCING THIEF
For beautiful, seductive Moira MacAllister, the stakes have become terrifyingly high. Her daughter has been abducted and a priceless ancient relic is the ransom. Moira must acquire it at any cost, even if it means confronting the man she once duped and left, a man who still doesn't know she has a child… and that he is the father.

A DASHING RAKEHELL
Robert Hurst, an operative in the king's service, has never forgiven the mysterious spy who seduced him into marriage and then disappeared without a trace. Now, as he pursues the onyx box that will save his brother's life, their paths cross again. But Robert isn't sure which he longs for more—to satisfy his lust for revenge or to quench his relentless hunger for this bewitching woman.

A PERILOUS MISSION
When Moira reveals to Robert her long-kept secret, however, he realizes his burning desires must wait as a treacherous foe closes in, threatening all they hold dear… and their second chance at love.

~ What I Liked: The blurb sounded highly intriguing. That's about it :^/

~ What I Didn't Like: I didn't care for how each chapter began with a letter to some such person. Pointless and confusing. After the fourth one, I just skipped them altogether. Also, the dialog was awful and contrived, the pacing horrendously slow and the characters uninteresting. And—to a lesser extent—the book doesn't work as a stand-alone. I was so lost. It'd probably be a good idea to read the other earlier books in the series first.

Finally, the biggest wtfery belonged to the writing! Seriously, writing in accents of any kind is such a huge pain in the ass to read for me! So annoying and insulting and—ultimately—the cause of my DNF'ing this book. If you want everyone to have a heavy accent, then say so. I can apply it in my head, thank you very much. Do not do this for paragraph after paragraph…

"Lor' love ye, guv'nor, but ye'll no' catch her in a carriage. She dinna go down the drive, but tha' way." (p.29)

Or…

"So I think, madam. I make it meself, and I add cracked pepper, too." Her chin firmed. "Me husband's mither says I have too heavy a hand wi' th' pepper mill, but I use the recipe from me beloved mither, and 'tis a guid recipe." (p.144)

~ Final Analysis: Great potential, bad execution. This was such a waste of my time (good thing I DNF'd at the 38% mark). I won't be reading the other books in this series or any historicals from this author again. Apprehensive about trying the contemporaries from the same author as well. And this is by no means a slur on the author, I have mad respect for them. They're obviously very very good at what they do, but that writing style just doesn't work for me. I prefer convenience and simplicity over authenticity.

DNF