The Countess Conspiracy

Courtney Milan

The Countess Conspiracy
Courtney Milan
2013

The Summary
"Sebastian Malheur is the most dangerous sort of rake:  an educated one.  When he's not scandalizing ladies in the bedchamber, he's outraging proper society with his scientific theories.  He's desired, reviled, acclaimed, and despised--and he laughs through it all.

"Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, on the other hand, is entirely respectable, and she'd like to stay that way.  But Violet has a secret that is beyond ruinous, one that ties her irrevocably to England's most infamous scoundrel:  Sebastian's theories aren't his.  They're hers.

"So when Sebastian threatens to dissolve their years-long conspiracy, she'll do anything to save their partnership...even if it means opening her vulnerable heart to the rake who could destroy it for good."

The Good
After the cataclysmic rupturing of their friendship in The Heiress Effect, I really didn't expect to read a romance novel about Sebastian and Violet.  I mean, I loved them in The Duchess War and I liked them in The Heiress Effect.  But would they really make good romantic material?

Answer:  yes.

Sebastian and Violet have been friends for many years and they have hatched plots for just as many.  Together, they made mischief as children and, as adults, they made the most scandalous scientific discoveries to date.  They made a great team and they shared a sense of humor, a witty intelligence that made them seem inseparable.

While I was bothered by Sebastian's violent reaction to Violet in the previous novel, I grew to love the guy.  Violet is intelligent, head-strong, and witty, which I appreciated.  I love strong, smart heroines, especially when no one expects them to be; however, I think I appreciated Sebastian for his complete and utter loyalty to Violet more than anything.

Sebastian is a goof.  He's the Regency equivalent of a class clown, and he doesn't really grow out of it.  And yet he's probably the most stable relationship that Violet has ever had in her life.  She's dealt with the death of her father and then her husband; she's a woman of science in a world that scoffs at intelligent women; she's endured a tumultuous childhood under her chilly, reserved mother.

And Sebastian has always been there.

He's like the other piece of her heart and mind, even if she doesn't realize it.  When she's consumed by her experiments, focused so keenly on planting the next seed and documenting her latest discoveries, he's by side handing her a ceramic pot filled with soil.  Don't ask me why, but I found that to be one of the most romantic things I've witnessed.

He's memorized her routines; he knows what she needs, even without her asking; he understands and encourages her to explore, to experiment, to be whoever she wills herself to be.  Their relationship is far from perfect, I know, but I just love how Sebastian is always there.  He makes her laugh, encourages, he supports, and he appreciates her--and I absolutely loved that about him.

The Bad
No complaints.  I enjoyed The Countess Conspiracy almost as much as I enjoyed reading The Duchess War.

The Ugly
Violet is damaged.

Not only was she hurt by her father's unexpected death, she endured a terrible relationship with her husband before he died.  Abuse is ugly, no matter the circumstances, and it was rather distressing to read about what she faced.  It makes her chilly, reserved manner and her inability to connect in intimate relationships more understandable.