Audrianna Kelmsleigh’s father died under a cloak of shame.  In an attempt to clear his name, Audrianna responds to an advertisement placed by a man known as “Domino” who claims to have information on the situation that ultimately lead to her father’s suicide.  With only a pistol to protect her, Audrianna ventures to the Two Swords Coaching Inn, where she meets a man whose sensuality could tempt the most proper of ladies.  The only problem is, the man isn’t the Domino, but Lord Sebastian Summerhays – one of the men who persecuted her father.  But when Audrianna’s pistol accidentally goes off, her encounter with Sebastian takes an unexpected turn.  The scandal that arises from their situation leads to a hasty marriage of convenience.  What is not convenient, however, is the desire Audrianna begins to feel for her husband.  Can Audrianna clear her father’s name and allow herself to fall in love with Sebastian?

Madeline Hunter kicks off her Rarest Blooms series with the intrigue-filled Ravishing in Red.  I was captivated by the twists and turns of the mystery Ms. Hunter presented, eagerly following Audrianna and Sebastian’s hunt for clues.  As for the protagonists themselves, I adored Sebastian.  He’s caring, honorable, and extremely sexy.  How could I not fall for a hero like that?  Audrianna, I must confess, was not a very memorable heroine.  I admit that two days after reading Ravishing in Red, I cannot think of one thing about her that stands out.  For this reason, I was more invested in the hero and heroine’s investigation than their romance.  Still, Ms. Hunter introduces a whole host of fascinating secondary characters in Ravishing in Red.  I am not-so-secretly hoping Ms. Hunter has stories in mind for Sebastian’s brother Morgan, who quickly found his way into my heart, as well as Sebastian’s dissolute friend, the Duke of Castleford.  With these fascinating men in mind, I eagerly await more Rarest Blooms books.