Review: TREASURE ME

By Robyn DeHart

The Men of Solomon's meet in secret, their very existence only a rumor among the best of Victorian society. They are treasure hunters, men of wealth and title, seekers of myths and legends. And no legend is as captivating as the Loch Ness monster . . .

Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore, has always been torn between his beloved Scottish homeland and his duty to the English Crown. Yet his is truly an adventurer's soul-and he's determined to find a long-lost stone hidden near Loch Ness.

Bookish Vanessa Pembrooke heads to the Highlands to prove the existence of the legendary beast. Instead she finds the first man who has ever shared her hunger for adventure. Soon Graeme and Vanessa are fighting a dangerous battle as well as their own simmering attraction. As their passion grows, so does the danger. Ultimately, they must risk everything to keep the cursed stone out of a murderer's hands. But can they survive without losing the greatest treasure of all-their love?

oOoOoOo

After finding her fiance in a compromising position with another woman, the scholarly Vanessa Pembrooke abandons her wedding plans and heads to Scotland in search of proof that the Loch Ness monster once existed.  After a precarious situation at a local pub, Vanessa suddenly finds herself "accidentally" married to Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore.

Graeme is a member of The Men of Solomon's, a secret group of treasure hunters who study myths and legends.  Graeme's quest is to find The Stone of Destiny, and Vanessa is thrilled to discover her new husband shares her love of adventure.  Hot on their tail is a dastardly treasure hunter called The Raven who has his sight set on acquiring the precious stone himself - at any cost.

Treasure Me was an exciting Victorian-era adventure with plenty of action, danger and a bit of romance along the way.  Vanessa was truly the star of the book.  She was smart, skilled and independent.  She was a scientist and a scholar, determined to be taken seriously in a man's world.  You have to respect a woman who sees calling off her wedding over a cheating fiance as more free time to search for fossils!  The story's main focus was on the quest to locate The Stone of Destiny, and Vanessa and Graeme's romance was somewhat overshadowed.  Still, there was a strong connection between the two characters, and it only grew stronger.

A fast-paced plot and interesting characters blended with Scottish legends made Treasure Me an enchanting tale.  This is the final book in Robyn DeHart's Legend Hunters trilogy, though it can be read stand-alone.  I have not read the first two books yet, and I never felt lost.  Of course, because I enjoyed this one so much, I have some catching up to do with the rest of the series!