A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander, 306 pages

"London's social season is in full swing, and the Victorian aristocracy can't stop whispering about a certain gentleman who claims to be the direct descendant of Louis XVI and Marie Antionette. But he's not the only topic of wagging tongues. Drawing rooms, boudoirs, and ballrooms are abuzz with the latest news of an audacious cat burglar who has been making off with precious items that once belonged to the ill-fated queen. Light gossip turns serious when the owner of one of the pilfered treasures is found murdered, and the mysterious thief develops a twisted obsession with Emily. But the strong-minded and fiercely independent Emily will not be shaken. It will take all of her considerable wit and perseverance to unmask her stalker and ferret out the murderer, even as a brewing scandal threatens both her reputation and her romance with her late husband's best friend, the dashing Colin Hargreaves." -Jacket Cover

This is the second book in the Lady Emily Ashton series. I enjoyed it as much as the first. It's a light read - I read it in a day being stuck home with sick kids. There are a few mysteries to solve in this book and it's always fun to see how Emily goes about it. Emily and Colin's romance is fun and witty but not over-bearing or corny...after all, I HATE cheesy romance novels (the ones that might have Fabio on the cover!). People have criticized the social aspects of these books because apparently they're a little far-fetched as far as Emily's independence and what she gets away with socially but having never researched the period extensively I find her independent spirit refreshing and am not bothered by it. I think were you to really analyze this book you would probably find some flaws in the story line but I'm not going to analyze. I'm just going to enjoy. After reading reviews of A Fatal Waltz (the third book) it doesn't seem to be as good as the first two but you know I'm going to have to read it anyway!