listen, i'll tell you one thing, and that's for sure - amanda quick is NOT trying to be subtle here. an incredibly Proper Aristrocrat hero whose courtesy title is CHILLhurst?? and he's the opposite of his wild family, the title that he will inherit being FLAMEcrest?? jared enters olympia's family masquerading as a tutor to her three unruly nephews, determined to impose order and schedules (he does love a schedule), and despite all his protestations, olympia identifies the simmering passion beneath his starched cravat immediately. and, of course, in order to prove his commitment to her and her nephews, he must give up what best symbolizes his aspirations towards peace and calm: a watch.

this was fun, and aged remarkably well for a book that's older than i am. to me, it was humorous without being truly funny - i love the idea of dispassionate jared exasperatedly putting out fires and serenely escaping the attic in which his wife has locked him. i do think the pacing was allllll over the place, and their chemistry a bit lackluster, but this was a nice introduction to quick (and jayne ann krentz as a whole, maybe? i don't know that i've read anything by her).