As a historical romance meant, I think, to be cast in the mold of Jane Eyre, this was...passable. I tend to prefer my historical fiction with a bit more history, and while I don't mind a romance running through the story, I prefer it to fit naturally within the tale, rather than have the historical setting act as a thin veneer over a fairly stock romance plot. Overall, I thought the story stretched historical credibility a bit, and it certainly lacks the finesse of one of Austin's classics, but it was a pleasant enough read.

This novel will keep you riveted from start to finish! I was hooked from page one and did not put it down until I finished it!

When Shauna signed up to be an indentured servant, she intended to escape from her past, not to enter into a madhouse, but that’s exactly where she finds herself. Her new master, Joshua Stewart, is an unkind brute who works her to the bone, his son, Colin, is in desperate need of a bath and a lesson in manners and his daughter-in-law Minerva is half crazy, half reclusive. Just when she thinks all is lost and she’s made the biggest mistake of her life, in walks the sexy, kind hearted Ashton. Upon seeing Shauna, he is immediately attracted to her and appoints himself her protector from the horrors of Stewart House. As they spend time together, Ashton and Shauna are unable to resist the attraction between each other and they enter into a sexual and romantic relationship. But all is not well, and things begin to go terribly wrong. As Shauna struggles to determine what actually happened to a previous servant, Sarah, she begins to put herself in danger. Everyone, except for Ashton, seems to have played a part in Sarah death, but who is ultimately responsible and can she and Ashton solve this mystery in time to save Shauna from her own untimely death?

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this novel. If you love romance with mystery then pick up a copy of this one today and get lost in the story! I know I certainly did! It’s perfectly written to keep you turning page after page, and I promise, you won’t be able to guess the ending…so if you’re looking for a great romance story with a whole lot of action, drama, and mystery then this is your book!!! I loved how Ashton was on the road to self-destruction until he felt like he needed to get his life on track in order to save Shauna and start a life together. Minerva’s character was superbly written and you never really know when she’s going to flip out and lose her composure, which is great for keeping the suspense going! Colin’s character is rather detestable and in my opinion, all great novels need someone you can just absolutely loathe! I enjoyed Joshua’s character, the way he was harsh and demanding at times, yet other times seemed very vulnerable and unsure of himself and the life around him. The ending was wonderful! Tied up all the loose ends very nicely and of course, gives the happy ending that we all crave! Definitely a MUST READ!

Rating: 5

Heat Rating: Wild Ride

Reviewed by: AprilP

Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More ( )

The title of this novel is "Dangerous Indenture" and there was very little about the plot that lived up to its name. It never felt like Shauna was in real danger, especially not after Ashton was in the house. Even before then, though, her supposedly cruel master (who is little more than unreasonable) did take steps to keep her safe. Shauna was also blessedly self-sufficient, so she was able to take care of herself a good deal of the time. I do appreciate a self-sufficient heroine, but it did make it hard to believe she was ever truly in danger. Also, Shauna was not long an indentured servant before her circumstances were softened and eased.

And now, my view of the sex. Sex in literature is something I do not object to, but if it is to be there, I want it to be done well. This book's depiction was not my cup of tea. First and foremost, the language was off-putting. The two most common words used to describe the male anatomy were "prick" and "meat." These were unappealing at best, however I recognize that that - more than any of my other opinions - is personal preference. Second, I HATE female exceptionalism and this book was rife with it. The "exceptional female" is one who enjoys sex (unlike most women), who orgasms (unlike most women), who likes "dirty" fiction (unlike most women) and who takes care of herself (unlike most women). I don't know about you, but that attitude infuriates me. As is proven by the genre that this book belongs to (a genre written for women, in the main), women enjoy sex and sex fantasies. There is NO reason for the "exceptional female" to exist any more - women have been open for PLENTY long about their enjoyment of the act - but especially no reason in a genre made for women. Shauna is ashamed of her desires and passions and that made it really hard to relate to her, because we're told - both by Shauna AND her lover - that the same desires we're supposed to be sharing with the main character are abnormal and shameful. UGH. Third, oral between consenting parties is not dirty or a punishment. And using it as such, even in a joking manner, isn't okay. Fourth, the sex fiction within the romance novel. Ooof. I don't even know where to begin on this one. It felt unnecessary, it had the same unappealing language in it, and felt like a male power fantasy which, in a novel that seems to be aimed towards women, was off-putting.

I really think this story had legs. Shauna was self-sufficient and outspoken. She had her own sexual desires and needs and expressed them. THAT I liked. But the reformation of the "bad boy" and the "deep, dark family secret" that wasn't much of a secret were just tired tropes that stole the legs from under the heroine. I would have enjoyed a little more Shauna-centric story than an "Ashton rides in to save the day" story. Ultimately, I wanted more than I got.

C- (Strong female lead, undercut by hero male, off-putting sexual attitudes) ( )

*A couple of plot spoilers are mentioned in this review.*

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Shauna. She seemed rather rough around the edges, now whether that’s attributed to a rough upbringing in Ireland or if that was just part of her character I’m not sure, but she wasn’t a typical main female character in a few ways. I sort of liked that she wasn’t the usual innocent character and wasn’t afraid to admit when she wanted Ashton and definitely wasn’t afraid to speak freely. It was a little irritating that she was so impatient and this nearly ruined the scenes when Ashton was trying to slow down and romance her, because if he hadn’t and had just taken her she inevitably would have been offended with that too. That annoyed me, but it thankfully didn’t last long. She wasn’t very delicate in that manner and that was a change of pace to read. However, her varying levels of courage when speaking to Joshua confused me a bit. She was afraid and barely said a word sometimes, but in the next breath was standing up to him. And the same goes for Joshua, he was yelling at her with little thought for the majority of the book but then after her relationship with Ashton was made clear to him, he was ‘afraid’ of Shauna’s temper? He had been a formidable character for much of the book and had no problem with yelling at or threatening Shauna for the majority of that time; varying between him attempting not to upset her and treating her with his usual dismissiveness was inconsistent. Some of the times she was angry at Ashton seemed more convenient for the direction that the book was trying to take, instead of being genuine reasons. For example, when she and Ashton were intimate downstairs and Joshua nearly caught them, Ashton headed him off but Shauna was still upset that he couldn’t stay and linger. She irrationally computed that with what had happened to her in the past, despite Ashton showing her none of that behavior and explaining why he had to leave so suddenly.

I liked that Ashton wasn’t the usual overconfident, devil-may-care male character as well; he was actually a shy, sensitive man who simply wanted his father’s approval but wasn’t getting it. He behaved the way he did because at that point, nothing more was expected of him anyway so he figured why bother disappointing. It also was a change in pace from the attitudes of most male protagonists in these books. I enjoyed that we couldn’t tell whether the problem was Colin or Minerva for much of the book as well. Instead of there being random attacks all through the book and it later being revealed to be someone close, the danger was always lurking, and we had a good idea of who it could be the entire time. The relationship between Colin and Minerva was clearly not one of love, but we also could not immediately decipher who exactly was doing what. Minerva was unstable and angry, which made her being the killer believable, but Colin wasn’t nicknamed Colin the Creep in the book for nothing, so that shifted blame to him as well. Because neither of them were the best people in the world, it also seemed entirely believable that they were both guilty at some level, save for Minerva’s brief moments with Shauna in which she warned her to leave. I enjoyed that and seeing how the danger factor would be upped as the book progressed.

Most of my complaints with the book are character or consistency related; the plot itself seemed to be well thought out, well-written, and accurate for the time period it was written in. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more reads by Kelli Wilkins. ( )

If you love the romantic novels from authors like Jude Deveraux, in all probability you will love this novel too. This romance from Wilkins is about a strong heroine in an historic setting.