BOOK REVIEW: To Capture a Rebel's Heart by Madelyn Grey

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

To be released on April 23! To Capture a Rebel’s Heart by Madelyn Grey is the first book in a new historical romance series, Heart’s Rebellion.

This novel caught my attention because it is set not in Georgian, Regency, or Victorian England but in Revolutionary War-era New York. The war, with its neighbor-against-neighbor strife and family divisions, makes for an adventure-filled background to the romance and for a nice change of pace for historical romance fans.

Benjamin Hoskins is a young patriot eager to avenge the death of his older brother who was hanged as a rebel and traitor by the British forces. When he learns his brother had been a spy, Benjamin is willing to step into his shoes, even though spying is considered a dishonorable business. His task is to infiltrate the home of a wealthy Tory family, pretend to be a loyalist, and ferret out as much information as he can.

Clara Boyd is the beautiful redheaded middle daughter in that Tory family. Clara has always been the black sheep, and has a reputation for having loose morals, a reputation she plays up in her desperate attempts for attention. Her elder sister is the family favorite, but she is away in Philadelphia where she has met the man she wants to marry, Philip Ashby. When a handsome stranger appears at the Boyds’ home, Clara and her younger sister assume he is Ashby, coming to request their sister’s hand.

Benjamin had a different alias in mind when he came to call on the Boyds, but being mistaken for Ashby works just as well. He is invited to stay with them and gets down to business. The only problem is Miss Clara Boyd, who seems determined to scandalize him with her boldness and frank allusions to sex. His attraction to her makes it difficult to pretend to be her sister’s fiancé. And her guilty attraction to him causes her to run hot and cold.

Clara is a loyalist, and Benjamin a rebel spy. Being on opposite sides of the struggle, they cannot truly confide in or to trust one another. And yet, the attraction between them makes it impossible to keep apart. As he gathers and passes along secret information, the war heats up around them and sparks fly between them. But things really take off when Clara finds out that Benjamin is not who he claims to be. Furious, she agrees to help the British side. And then, Benjamin is captured...

This steamy romance will delight readers of historical romance looking for something a little different.