*Starred Review* As far as Daniel Balfour, Earl of Ashford, is concerned, if E. Hawke, editor of The Hawk's Eye, is going to hold him up to public ridicule, the least he can do is to get his facts straight. One fact about Hawke that Daniel doesn't know, until he decides to storm the gossip rag's offices, is that the E. stands for Eleanor. Now, to keep Eleanor from snooping into another matter that could put a friend's life in jeopardy, Daniel offers her a deal. In exchange for allowing him to control exactly what she prints about him, Daniel will allow Eleanor the opportunity to experience his rakish life firsthand. Eleanor immediately says yes, but the more time she spends with Daniel, the more she begins to wonder if the smart business deal she has made with him is really a deal with the devil instead. Leigh (the pseudonym of best-selling romance author Zoe Archer) launches the Wicked Quills of London series on a high note with this fabulously fun Regency-set historical that superbly showcases the author's flair for mixing sharp wit and sexy romance.--Charles, John Copyright 2015 Booklist

Leigh's Wicked Quills of London series launch, set in class-conscious 1816 London, confidently pairs an accomplished commoner and a playboy aristocrat as wonderfully appealing soul mates. Eleanor Hawke is a brilliant writer and a savvy entrepreneur who overcame a difficult childhood to become publisher of a gossipy tabloid, the Hawk's Eye. One of her paper's favorite subjects, the notorious womanizer Daniel Balfour, Earl of Ashford, proposes that Eleanor accompany him around town to prove that not everything reported about him is true. After a visit to a gambling den, a steamy masquerade ball, and a wildly thrilling carriage race, the two are in love, despite the problem of their different classes. Eleanor realizes that Daniel is not just another idle aristocrat and that her life has lacked excitement; Daniel discovers that Eleanor inspires him. Smart women, clever repartee, an inventive strip limerick game, and searing love scenes make this historical simply irresistible. Leigh, who also writes as Zoë Archer (the Nemesis, Unlimited series), will win readers' hearts and minds with this opposites-attract tale that sets up a very promising series. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Daniel Balfour, Earl of Ashford, is fearful that his undercover search for Jonathan Lawson, his missing childhood friend and heir to a dukedom, will be discovered and ruin the family if the scandal sheet The Hawk's Eye continues to chronicle his every move. Now his only hope is in diversion-so he makes an outrageous proposition to the paper's editor, the lovely, canny Eleanor Hawke. Eleanor accepts Daniel's offer to accompany him on his supposedly outrageous escapades (to get the true story, of course), and the die is cast. Verdict An arrogant but honorable rake falls for a smart, pragmatic commoner in a fun, sexy adventure that is the first in a compelling series about bold women writers succeeding "before their time." (The second installment in the series, Scandal Takes the Stage, is due in November.) Leigh, who also writes romance as Zoë Archer (Skies of Gold), lives in Central California.-Kristin Ramsdell, librarian emerita, California State Univ.-East Bay © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.