Scent of Danger

Sinclair and Raven #4

by Wendy Vella

To save her from disgrace he offers a marriage of convinience, but soon realizes it is so much more.

Cam has been intrigued by the mysterious Miss Emily Tolly for years, even though theirs is a turbulent relationship. With her family she’s shy and timid, but with him, she’s anything but. He knows this kitten has claws beneath the quiet exterior and is sure she is hiding a secret. When she is compromised, he steps in to offer marriage to save their families from disgrace. What he doesn’t count on is the closer he and Emily get, the stronger their passion burns, and Cam finds himself wanting not just her body, but her heart too.

As the illegitimate sister of the Duke of Raven, Emily knows only too well how society judges a woman like her. She is fighting hard to rise above her past now her powerful brother has claimed her. The one person who can force her out of her shell is the annoying Cambridge Sinclair, her family’s protector, and London’s notorious rake… who also happened to save her life… more than once. When she is forced to wed him she finds another side to him. The side that melts her heart and has hope fluttering inside her that theirs could eventually be a marriage of love

As Emily sees the real man beneath the roguish reputation, her carefully guarded heart begins to believe and hope. Dare she trust the one man who could destroy her?

From USA Today Bestseller Wendy Vella comes an exciting Regency series about legend, love and destiny, with a hint of magic.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2018

About the author

Wendy Vella is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of historical romances filled with mystery, intrigue, unconventional heroines, and dashing heroes.

Connect with Wendy in her Facebook reader group facebook.com/groups/wendyvellareaders or sign up for her reader newsletter at WendyVella.com to get goodies, exclusive excerpts and behind-the-scenes peeks.


Wendy also writes small town contemporary romances under the name Lani Blake.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (10/12/18)!💝

Blurb:
She believes in duty, not love….
As the illegitimate sister of the Duke of Raven, Emily knows only too well how society judges a woman like her, and what a debt of gratitude she owes her family. She also knows the vital importance of maintaining independence, and how cruel fate can eclipse good intentions anytime. Certainly she’s not going to let her head or heart get fooled by the devilishly annoying Cambridge Sinclair, her family’s protector, and London’s notorious rake… who also happened to save her life… more than once.

He’s a reformed rake seeking redemption….
Cam has been intrigued by the mysterious Miss Emily Tolly for years, even though theirs is a turbulent relationship. With her family and others, she’s shy and timid, but with him, she’s anything but. He knows this kitten has claws beneath the quiet exterior and a whole lot of other secrets she’s hiding. But her passion and intelligence draw him irresistibly to her, so when he’s given the opportunity to rescue her once again, he grabs it with both hands. This rescue, though, takes the form of a hastily arranged marriage, which Cam enters into willingly for her sake and her family’s. What he doesn’t count on is the closer he and Emily get, the stronger their passion burns, and Cam finds himself wanting not just her body, but her heart too.

A destiny written in the stars...
It was meant to be a dutiful betrothal from the start, but it soon becomes something more. As Emily sees the real man beneath the roguish reputation, her carefully guarded heart begins to believe and hope. Dare she trust the one man who could destroy her?

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable story,
Cam and Emily have been arguing since they first met. Emily is compromised by a horrible man. Cam come to rescue her by offering her marriage. Lot happening in this story.

[Lucina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars (I skipped through the last 15%)

It wasn't as good as I expected, I missed the chemistry between Cam and Emily and I never really felt their romance. It happened unbelievably fast in the end. Additionally Cam's sense (scent) never really played a huge part of the story. :-/

[SynergyQuest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, what a wonderful read!

I have been a long time fan of Ms. Vella's. She has a real gift for the written word. While we can always count on her to give us a swoon worthy HEA and strong characters, I sometimes feel like I want just a bit more story. I want to know the characters' deeper thoughts, passions and aspirations. I want a word picture with all the trimmings (greedy of me, I know). I'm greedy because I have read Ms. Vella at her best and with Scent of Danger she really delivers.

In this read I got everything I could have ever asked for. There are the romance and familial connections that we expect from Vella's Sinclair and Raven families, but she also paints the vast and full dimensions of Cam and Emily including that they fear and why. How that fear manifests itself in each of them. The role that family plays in their ease or hesitation to show genuine emotion and the slow building of trust and truths that lead to acceptance and security.

Oh, it was so good. You just have to read it for yourself!

[Juliana Veale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lacks grammar and coherence

This is terrible. No sense that this is a Regency romance. Just badly written historically inaccurate novel with a hackneyed plot and terrible characters

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scent of Danger Wendy Vella by Wendy Vella is book Four in the A Sinclair & Raven Series. This is the story of Emily Tolly and Cambridge Sinclair 'Cam'. I have read (and loved them) the other books in this series but feel this can be a standalone book.
I really enjoyed this book! Cam and Emily are fun to read when they are bickering. Emily feels she knows her place as a illegitimate sister of a Duke but when it comes to Cam he brings out the strong feisty side of her. This doesn't help each time Cam seems to have to save her. Cam can't help but enjoy saving Emily and getting her all riled up.
I have really enjoyed this series and this book just added to that enjoyment. Such a great read...Loved it!

[Lynn]

This just wasn't my thing. I found the hero, Cam, to be a huge jerk. He was constantly bossing around and teasing (in a mean way) the heroine. I think it was supposed to be taken as tit for tat with these two but that's not how it felt. He had all the power as a male during that time and he doesn't acknowledge it. All he wants to do is control the heroine at every point and with every choice she makes. She can't even go anywhere without him getting all up in arms and manhandling her until she complies with his wishes. I just didn't enjoy the dynamic at all.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cam and Emily. Oh, I'm so sad. I've loved Cam throughout the series, and was looking forward to his story. Sadly, I found Emily extremely unlikable. She was whiny, complainy and generally contrary. She was working my last nerve. I didn't feel their romance, mostly because I couldn't understand anyone falling in love with her.

[MEF · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky historical romance drama

This has a sparkling start, but somehow lost me towards the end when the sentiment and drama became overblown .

[Deb Diem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! Scent Of Danger by Wendy Vella is an amazing historical romance. Ms. Vella has delivered a well-written book. The characters are phenomenal, even the little ones are entertaining. Emily is a bastard of a duke and brought into the family folds when her brother discovers her. Cam has spent the last few years clashing with Emily. Their story is full of exciting adventures, drama, humor and sizzle. I love this action-packed story and look forward to reading more from Wendy Vella soon. Scent Of Danger is book 4 of A Sinclair & Raven Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story main focus is on Cambridge (Cam) Sinclair and Emily Tolly, the half sister of the Duke of Raven. Cam is such a loveable rogue and also a caring member of his family. Emily has had quite a hard life and finds it difficult to express her true feelings. The two of them always seem to annoy each other. This has a number of dangerous incidents as well as input from the two families. There is also a new cousin and I’m wondering for he may feature in his own story. This was a very entertaining read as with all the stories in this series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Hailee (haibooklovers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as its predecessors, but that doesn’t mean I disliked it!

[D Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: R for sex
Sex: 1 scene
Language: frequent Lord's name in vain
Violence: attempted kidnapping, drowning, attempted rape, kidnapping, fight
HEA or Cliffhanger: HEA
Do I need to read books before this one: yes
Would I read more of the series: yes

It was nice to see the author veer away from her formula by having the characters start as enemies, almost. She does a fine job with the overall arc with Emily being in danger. The plot is character driven; even the villain does things he sees as necessary. I enjoyed learning more about Emily's personality and seeing Cam become her hero.

----SPOILERS----
Cam is waiting to get into an astronomy lecture, and sees Emily arguing with the host to give her papers to the lecturer. They sit together through the lecture, argue, and she leaves part way through, frustrated. He follows and sees her kidnapped. He chases after, and is assisted by a man on a horse. The carriage ends up in the river, and Emily drowns. Cam brings her out and performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on her. They have a moment, and she kisses him. The family immediately joins them, alerted by Cam's senses and yelling. They take Emily and Cam home. They also take home the man on the horse, because he is their cousin, Captain Sinclair, aka Wolf. He's just rescued his first Raven.

Four days later, Emily is well enough to have breakfast outside her bedroom. Cam and Emily have a private argument about how she is aloof with James. They play a game, asking each other one question. She asks if he's ever loved before, and he says yes until she broke his heart turning down his proposal. He asks why she doesn't bond with James, and she says guilt but won't expound. The whole family gathers, and Emily tells her kidnapping experience. They try to determine if it was a random attack or a targeted one. Cam gets mad at her in front of the family and tells her to let her family take care of her for once. They have it out, and he leaves. On his way home, he sees his little siblings and agrees to take them to the park. Wolf comes on them, riding his horse with no reins. They invite him to come meet all the cousins. So Cam turns around and heads back. Wolf can see like Dev does, but it's not as focused. Also, animals like him and he feels what they feel. Cam invites Wolf to lodge with him. Emily scolds Cam for reaming her in front of the family.

Another day, the family goes to a butterfly exhibit hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Flutterby. At one point, Emily lags behind because her shoelaces are a problem. Cam says he'll find her, he does, and he kisses her. Emily says it has to stop. They agree to try to be civil to each other.

One month after the abduction, Emily runs errands. Her first stop is the bookstore, where she meets Mr. Jackson, also interested in astronomy. Her second stop is at the newspaper. She has been selling articles every other week for an astronomy section in it under an alias. The editor tells her that the paper has been bought and he doesn't know if the new owner will publish articles by women. As she leaves, she stops to watch the printing presses, and Cam is there. He is the new owner. She tells him she was on her way to visit Max, but he keeps pushing to find out why she was there. She confesses she's the author of those articles. He wants to know why she hasn't told anybody because they would be proud of her. Cam takes her article to ensure it gets published. He proceeds to take her to meet Max, dismissing her maid and footmen. He wants to know why she's been avoiding him, and finally gets out of her that she's concerned about the kissing. She then tells him that she thinks the paper could be amazing, and that a children's section would be wonderful. He invites her to help him with the paper, and she is excited. He says she has to tell James and Max about her writing, and she keeps bringing up that she's base-born and was raised in squalor and her brother tried to kill James and Eden. Max comes out, and Cam manipulates the conversation to make Emily tell Max about her writing. He is, of course, proud of her. Mr. Jackson is there with Max, and Cam instantly doesn't like him. Max doesn't either. Cam and Emily helped Essex teach Max's boys. They play the one question game again. He asks if she has ever loved anyone, and she says she thought she did when she was a young girl. She asks him what his deepest fear is, and he answers being alone, with no one to love him or to love.

Another day, the ladies are getting fitted for their charity ball gowns, and bump into Jackson outside the shop. It's time to go to the circus, the same one from which the twins were abducted earlier (book 2, I think). Emily and Cam stand by each other, and he questions her about Jackson. They play one question again. She asks why he hides behind humor and he answers because when his family needed him most, he wasn't there, so now he's trying to redeem himself. He asks what her deepest fear is, and she replies living the life she once lived. He encourages her again to open up to James.

After the circus, they go to a hot air balloon launch. Jackson shows up, and Cam maneuvers the conversation to make Jackson reveal his misogynistic beliefs. Jackson has to leave. The Sinclairs then sense trouble, turn around, and see Emily running toward the balloon. She lunges at the basket and gets pulled in. Warwick is inside. Cam has a panic attack. They get in the carriage to follow. Cam recognizes that they can do nothing until the balloon comes down, so he makes Dev sit in the middle so he can't see, Eden plug her ears, and he puts a scented handkerchief to his nose. Meanwhile, Emily reassures Warwick and keeps him warm. When the balloon lands, Cam gets to the basket first, hands Warwick to Dev, and holds Emily. On the carriage ride home, they give brandy to Emily to help warm her up. She gets drunk. She apologizes to Cam because she had seen pain in his eyes when he tried to catch her. She also reveals to everyone that she has demons in her past and she accuses Cam of forcing her to be a lioness instead of a mouse.

One week later is the charity ball. Emily walks in on James's arm, and he talks to her about her article in the newspaper. They discuss their relationship and make progress. Emily dances with Wolf. The Sinclair siblings have a commiseration discussion about their senses, trying to one-up each other for how terrible theirs is. Even Wolf joins the conversation. Cam then dances with Emily, they of course argue, and he leaves to go to a club. She goes to the ladies resting room; when she comes out, Jackson coerces her into an empty room, offers marriage which she denies, and then he assaults her. She yells for Eden, but they don't know where to find her. Jackson doesn't stop until someone comes in on them, and he at once says he'll do the right thing by marrying her. He believes he's doing her a favor because no one will offer for a bastard, and that her brothers will be glad to be rid of her. He spreads the story that she seduced him. They all leave, and James takes her out on his arm because he is not ashamed of her.

The next morning, Cam goes to Essie's house to get a potion to help with his hangover. James and Max are in the conservatory, yelling about what's to be done with Emily's situation. Cam needs to be filled in on what the situation is, and demands retribution. They of course won't let her marry Jackson. They figure out the best thing to be done is if she were to get married. Cam offers for her. James and Max thinks it's a good idea, but they want to talk to Emily and they want Cam to talk to his family. On his way home to do that, he sees a little boy who has a note for Emily. He promises to deliver the note, and then he sees Emily come out of the house with Samantha's dog, Whiskers. Whiskers chases a cat, Emily follows, and Cam follows her. Cam gives her the note, but she doesn't open it. He then walks her back to James's house. They all meet in James's study to get Emily's side of the story. She brings up that she's the bastard daughter of a duke, and she's used to such things. She asserts she'll never marry, and then her brothers point out she has another suitor. She is surprised when it's Cam. He then absolutely bungles talking to her about marrying him. She leaves, hurt. Her brothers again assert that she must agree to the union. They also plan their monetary revenge on Jackson.

Days later, James and Eden are on their way to a social meeting that Emily has declined, and Emily begs James to let her go to Raven Castle. She promises not to leave the house until they get back. She wants to take a walk in the garden, finds the note in her coat, and it's an invitation from the astronomy lecturer to come to his house to look at his new telescope that very day. She tries to find anybody home to go with her, but they are all gone. Cam comes upon her. He coerces her to tell him why she's outside. She shows him the note, and he agrees to take her. He makes his argument for their getting married, and does much better this time. He even throws in that she'd be part owner of the newspaper. They play one question again. She asks if he has ever raised his hand to a woman, and he answers no. He asks who her favorite Sinclair is, and she says Warwick, and then names all the rest except him. They make out in the carriage. She asserts that if they marry, there won't be anything physical, and he says no, because he will not stray. They arrived at the home of the lecturer, and he has rescinded his invitation because of her encounter with Jackson. Cam berates him and calls him a hypocrite because he's the son of a blacksmith, so he's not nobility either. She asks for her papers back and they leave without seeing the telescope. She agrees to marry him, inspired in part by how he defended her and made her feel equal, if not superior.

They get married in a small church with just family. On the way there, James and Emily firm up their relationship more. He also tells her about his first encounter with Cam and how he knows Cam won't be forced into doing something he doesn't want to do and that he is honorable. James walks her up the aisle. The three little girls speak loud enough, saying that Emily looks lonely with only Essex and Eden up there beside her. And it would be such a waste of the flowers Dev gave them. Soon, Emily is joined by three little bridesmaids and Cam gets Warwick at his side, too.

They go away on their honeymoon because Cam wants time with her without the family. Because Emily didn't sleep well the night before, Cam holds her while she sleeps in the carriage. They stop at an inn to change horses, see the terrible weather, and decide to stay the night. He promises to do nothing she doesn't wish for. She orders a bath, and then opens her suitcase. Her clothes aren't in there. Her sisters put frilly things in there, instead. Now she has to sleep in a sheer nightgown. She puts her cloak on over it. Cam is going to take a bath and he is having brandy brought up to help her relax. She asks questions about his smelling sense, and he tells her the Sinclair Raven history. He also tells her they're the same color, and verifies the other Sinclairs's senses. He begins making love to her, and promises he'll stop whenever she asks him to. He then shows her the Sinclair equivalent of a pinky promise so that she knows how serious he is. They play one question again. He asks if she likes his touch, and she says yes. She asks if he can find pleasure with an innocent, and he says he's never felt this way with another woman. They make love and fall asleep.

When he wakes up, he sees the scar of a knife injury across her back, at least a foot long. He asks her about it instead of saying good morning, and they're onto an argument. She spills perfume all over her dress. They eat, and get in the carriage to proceed to his friend's country house. He asks again about the knife wound, and she tells him. She tells him about a lot of demons from her past, and he shares from his. She falls asleep before he tells her he loves her.

The carriage is being chased, and they're afraid. The tell each other they love each other. The carriage is stopped, his money is taken, he gets hit on the head and made unconscious, and they take her. When Cam wakes up, he frees the drivers, and they start tracking the kidnappers after Cam's head gets fixed.

Emily's been taken by Jackson, and he puts her in a rented house in London. His original intent was to kidnap and ransom her, but got thwarted the night of the astronomy lecture. Then he tried courting her, and got thwarted again. So now he's going to try to ransom again. When the Sinclair siblings catch up with Cam, Lily heals him. Cam begs Dev to help him find Emily, and that he didn't want to love because it's a vicious emotion and he's in so much pain. I really like what Dev says here. "The love will never go, but the madness of it will ease given time, and then you two will have your life together."

They track her to London. Max has information that it's Jackson, so they want to head to the warehouse, but Cam feels she's not there. He then catches trace of the perfume she spilled. Emily, in her little hidden room, knows that Eden can hear her, so every once in a while she yells. Sure enough, Eden hears her and gets them close to the house, and then Dev can see her colors through the walls. They free her, and she and Cam embrace. Cam wants to kill Jackson, but Max stops him so that Cam doesn't get in trouble. Cam takes Emily home and makes her take a bath because she smells. It's a bath big enough for two.

Six months later, they're arguing over something in the newspaper, which then turns into a make-out session. They get interrupted when the whole family shows up because they decided to eat dinner at Cam's house that night.

[romancejunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read !! I loved watching Cambridge and Emily realize they were totally in love! Congratulations on this book Ms. Vella.

[Wendy Tavenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding your other half

Another wonderful book in the series. Wendy Vella has done it again. Emily is fascinated with astronomy. When she goes to a lecture she finds Cam there also. When she leaves after an argument with him, Cam sees her being abducted. With the help of a cousin he has never met he is able to get to her and save her.
It seems with Cam near Emily tends to come alive with the two always bickering.
When Emily is compromised Cam offers marriage. When Emily eventually agrees she never thought she would find love. Another fabulous story with a beautiful ending.

[Kristin Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Favorite Reqd

I have read this series over and over. Everytime a new installment comes out I read the whole series again. Can not get enough of the Ravens and Sinclairs.

[Debbie Odachowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binge reading!

Reading a series is wonderful. It is like having your favorite tv show to binge watch. As you get drawn further and further into the lives of the Sinclair and Raven families it is like a literary drug that you can't give up. I love how Ms Bella draws the reader in with a great story line and a little bit of magic.Enjoy!

[Mary Gallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much arguing, fighting and bitching!!

How ever did they fall in love? I dont know because I stopped reading 4 chapters in because there was too many needless arguments. Jeez, I hope they didnt marry because there was no divorce at that time! No HEA there.

[Nicole LaBoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

Cam and Emily's story was exciting to read. They have been arguing for years. Could it be something else, maybe love they don't want to see of each other.
It was well written and a page turner. It was so hard to put down.

[Lise Nanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

Cam's story is fun and suspenseful at the same time. He and Emily are two people who truly deserve to find love, and their ability to cause strong feelings in each other is a hint of what their love could look like. Great addition to the series!

[Karen_Lee_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scent of Danger – (A Sinclair & Raven Novel Book 4)

The Sinclair family was given the job of protecting any member of the House of Raven. All the Sinclair’s have heightened senses, hearing, sight, smell and use of herbs/taste. Book 4 is the story of Cambridge Sinclair one of the 4 older Sinclair siblings and Emily Tolly, half sister to the James, Duke of Raven.

Cam and Emily have had a very lively relationship since meeting each other. Cam loves to goad Emily and Emily hits back when she can. Emily also has taken to avoiding Cam Sinclair as much as she can, but it rarely works since two of Cam’s sisters are wives of Emily’s two older brothers.

One thing we readers along with Cam are aware of from the beginning is Emily is hiding things from her family. Not necessarily bad things but feelings that have haunted Emily’s mind since James took her in. She has not been honest with James about things and as we learn as we move into the story Emily has also not been honest with herself when it comes to feelings as well.

We are not that far into the story when Wendy Vella introduces a most dire situation. It involves Cam and Emily and it brings the first element of danger to our story as it is Miss Emily Tolly that is threatened with danger and since we know that there is always a Sinclair about to help a Raven family member, we know that Cam will be the Sinclair ready rescue Emily, whether she wants it or not.

Much of the darkness we find in Book 4 comes from Emily herself. She had a very rough life, was threatened by her own brother at one point, harassed by members of the ton in regards to her lineage (she was one of the illegitimate children of the former Duke of Raven) and pressures she puts upon herself so as not to end up depending on James for the rest of her life. By doing any and all of these things Emily has closed herself off making it harder for her brothers James and Max to try to help her overcome issues.

Considering we have Miss Emily who can at times be her own worst enemy, there is an enemy out there, someone who is either trying to harm Emily or use her as a pawn in a game that will more than likely hurt her in some form.

The first incident had Cam intervening and saving her, but will she continue to rebuff Cam and accept his help?

As Ms. Vella shows us in her stories, there is always a reason for why events occur and there is always a Sinclair there for a Raven. As the story continues to unfold, it ends up that Cam is the one that comes to Emily’s rescue.

Cambridge Sinclair has gone through his rough times as well, but he worked hard to overcome his issues and having spent more and more time with Emily, as he still appears to take great pleasure in goading her we quickly realize that Cam is trying to help her move beyond her dark past and into a future where she recognizes herself to be a woman of great knowledge, kindness, beauty and someone who would be very easy to love.

On top of all of this, Ms. Vella has given us a new Sinclair to adopt, Captain Christian Sinclair aka: Wolf, a cousin who is immediately brought into the Sinclair fold. We hope to see Wolf in more Sinclair/Raven stories!

One can always count on a Wendy Vella story to give us all sort of excitement, humour and a beautiful love story.

[Kristy Halseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story in this series that I had been waiting for. But I got side tracked by ARKs and other series until recently, when another book reminded me of this series and I had to go back and find it again. And this might have some slight spoilers so I will hide it.

This story was also a little flat (something I mentioned was a problem with book 3 as well). I think part of the problem is that books 1 and 2 provided enough of the back story on the Ravens and Sinclairs that there was less to tell. On the other hand, it could have been an opportunity to tell more of Emily's back story but that never really happened. Only a little bit finally near the end was ever discussed.

I think that one of the weaknesses in this book is that the bad guy had no previous connection to either family and seems to come out of the blue. Another weakness is that the bad guy was terribly obvious.

Another problem is that too much of the issues Emily has are ones that are eventually told but never shown. It might have strengthened the story to have shown instances where Emily was snubbed or insulted when her family was out of earshot. After all, it is eventually implied that these things happened, at times, even in their own home. There was a great opportunity to explain or show a lot of the way Emily's character developed after being taken in by her half brother that was missed.

Again, I think a 3.5 is a better score for this book but that isn't an option.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lingering peril collides with building desire, understanding & finding oneself together!

Cam... FINALLY.... there's just something so heartmeltingly endearing about this rogue that has had me desperate to glimpse the depth of him. Burrow deeply behide the witty smiles and teasing to see the real heart of the man beneath all that smooth talking levity and swoonworthy handsomeness. And I couldn't be more in love with him if I tried. The wild card of the family finally uncovers his match!!

Cam and Emily's journey is so enriched by vibrant banter, hidden feelings, lingering animosity and simmering desire I was rivetted. I have been captivated by these two and their heated sniping as it shifts to reveal the tender and raw secrets they lay hidden. I was brought to such an abundance of tears and smiles I became desperate to see their hesitantly building trust bloom to build much needed feelings of selfworth in Emily. It was wonderful to see this sparkle of deeper connection  break through her emotional barbed walls to the strong woman beneath. Overall I just LOVED, the emotional intimacy of their journey. A romance fuelled and radiated by sweet tenderness, tenacious fight and immeasurably sharp wit.
This is one marvellously absorbing series I can't recommend highly enough - the captivating family dynamics alone has me eagerly coming back for more time and time again!!!

[S. Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cambridge “Cam” Sinclair is one of my favorite characters in the Raven/Sinclair series. The world sees a light-hearted rake, but there is so much more to him than meets the eye! Cam is one of the most complex characters created by Wendy Vella… Unlike his siblings though; he has vowed not to love.

Emily, the illegitimate sister of the Duke of Raven, isn’t so different from Cam. The world sees a proper miss often found hiding from not only the world, but also her family. Like Cam, there is so much more to Emily and the more he digs the more he finds they have in common.

Cam has saved Emily more than once! The Raven/Sinclair curse brings them together and soon they find that the loathsome feelings they have believed were the only thing they shared for one another pales in comparison to their true feelings! Fate brings them together in what is believed to be a means to an end, but is one of the sweetest happily ever afters in the series.

The Scent of Danger did not disappoint. Wendy Vella has brought to life a family that makes you want to be a part of it! This is an amazing series, filled with love, commitment and promise. All of the main characters make an appearance and a new family member is introduced! This series just keeps getting better and better! I cannot recommend it enough!

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hate is just another word for love in this action-packed romance!

In the early books in this series, we watch Cam and Emily spar and bicker over just about everything, and it's clear from the start that there's just something between these two. Cam is an avowed rake, a man who refuses to take anything seriously, except protecting his family and those they are connected to. Emily is a young woman who's been raised in the shadows, ashamed of her background and never really feeling like she fits in anywhere.

A gradually-developing threat against Emily forces Cam to offer to save her reputation by marrying him, an arrangement that brings with it a lot more problems than it solves. Their love/hate two-step is artfully paced, beautifully written, with loads of compassion and a strong sense of family unity. I really enjoyed the way both characters learned to open up with each other and share their hidden selves, as they realize that they are far better suited for each other than anyone dared to hope.

As with the earlier books in this series, there's an underlying touch of magic as the connection between the Sinclair and Raven families is explained and explored. It's a wonderful premise that gives the weight of history and tradition to these families, which only strengthens their connection and commitment to each other. This is a wonderful series, one that I wholeheartedly recommend.

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Ms Vella's writing style. All of her books are good. This book is no exception. The last part of the novel I could not put down, it was very fascinating and well-written but the first part of the book was a little slow going and slightly confusing. There was just too much arguing and it felt like there was no chemistry between Cam and Emily. As if they were the last two unattached adults, so we will just put them together because there is no one else. And first they hate each other and suddenly they love each other. That was just there out of the blue.

I enjoyed the interactions and banter between the family. I was also pleasantly surprised by the appearance of another Sinclair branch. I do hope the series will continue on. I was also glad that Emily got a chance to get close with her brother James. The part when it started getting better for me I think was the balloon accident and subsequent events after. It was a lovely book. Thank you Ms Vella!

[Lana Birky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series & this one is my favorite of all of them! I enjoyed a lot of things about the book; witty banter, mystery, suspense, humor, romance, loving families & a HEA. As soon as Emily Tolly's brother married Mr. Cambridge Sinclair's sister, the two have been argumentative, bickering, badgering enemies. The families have learned to put up with this nonsensical relationship & consider it normal entertainment for them. Within the Raven-Sinclair family, their prickly relationship has become the normal, and even a source of amusement. Then Cam & Emily's lives get intertwined & danger appears & the two families must band together so save the day. I really like that we get to revisit members of the Sinclair & Raven families that we have met in the previous books in the series. I highly recommend this series to anyone who love some suspense, danger, romance & loving families.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opposite of love is not hate. There are lots of sparks between Cam and Emily, it’s just that most of them aren’t the ‘good’ kind. Charming rogue that Cam is, his is one of the stories I’ve most been looking forward to reading. And Emily has been hiding along the fringes of the previous books, so it was interesting to get to see her step into the spotlight. I enjoyed seeing a little more of what Cam was hiding behind his jokes and teasing. I would have liked to see even more of his serious side. I also would have preferred to see Emily find her own strength earlier in the story, but at least she has it by the eleventh hour when it’s most needed. I liked that this book shows them learning to value and trust one another as well as trusting in their family connections. For me, the best parts of the series are still all about the way these families interact together. There’s just something so heartwarming about seeing them when they’re “at home”.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect escapist romance with just a bit of paranormal thrown in. This is actually the fourth in a series, but I got the fourth, fifth, and sixth for free, so that’s where I started. Romance novels-in-series generally stand on their own quite well, and that was the case with this one. I could tell whose romances the previous books had covered and guess at some of the plot points in those books, but don’t feel truly spoiled on them, nor like the inclusion of those characters detracted from this story. In many ways this romance developed naturally out of the relationships already established. There is a villain, and drama related to that, which was interesting, but I think this story would have succeeded equally well as a straight character driven romance...the villain’s presence and actions only speed up what was happening anyway.

[Candace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cam and Emily. This was torture to get through. The first half of the book was soooooooo slow. I was excited for his story because in the previous books I liked Cam and his devil may care attitude. The book was a let down. He was borderline stalking her and forcing the feelings. She didn't want him in her presence and didn't want his kisses but they ended up married because some other dude forced himself on her and she was ruined. The marital night was so beyond awkward!!!! If you have to tell your spouse to "trust you" and that "you would never hurt them" you may want to pass on the interaction. The chemistry just wasn't there and the interactions were not at all sexy.