Because of his courageous actions as a spy during the time of Napoleon’s tyranny and his steadfast though hot-tempered ways, Lord Tristan Rule has gained the reputation of being quite "ruthless". Now that Napoleon is safely caged at Elba and the war is at an end, this master spy with an agile brain and an unquenchable curiosity finds himself at loose ends. But not for long, as a Miss Mary Lawrence soon bursts into London and overnight becomes society’s darling. This awakens Rule’s curiosity and he becomes highly suspicious of her when all his investigations turn up absolutely no past for this beautiful young siren. But Sir Henry, England’s premier patriot and Rule’s boss in the War department, is Mary’s guardian, and he loves her like his own daughter. Rule is certain that his boss is being duped by this mysterious creature and decides to keep a close tab on her.
Mary is at first flattered but later irked when the ruthless Lord Rule makes her the object of his dogged curiosity and attention. Not only does this drive away all her potential suitors, itt also gives rise to a lot of rumors coupling the two of them. Mary can’t stand the sight of Rule and he heartily returns her feelings. When she finds out that he suspects her of being a French spy trying to steal State secrets from Sir Henry, an outraged Mary, together with Lucy and Jennie (whom the readers have met in previous Kasey Michael books), forms a plot to drive him crazy with suspicion and thus take her revenge. Mary and Rule promptly begin their cat-and-mouse games and, in the process, secretly fall in love. But what if there is there some truth to Rule’s suspicions? Will their love survive in the face of horrifying revelations?
Kasey Michaels is an old hand at comical romance and adeptly creates a complicated love story encompassing a lot of intrigue, verbal battles and romance. This book begins typically enough with its Regency London setting. But from then on it takes a curve, as atypically the hero and heroine can’t stand the sight of each other and their every meeting is nothing but an acrimonious and spirited encounter. That it later turns into love is something not at all unexpected. The initial sparring gives life to this otherwise predictable story. To further complicate matters, Michaels has thrown in two more love stories going on at the side and everything is resolved neat and tight towards the end of the book. All in all, The Ruthless Lord Rule is a good book to while away the time, but nothing to rave about.