The Lady Vanishes by Nicole Camden

Title:The Lady Vanishes

Series: The Billionaire Tricksters of Boston #1

Author:Nicole Camden

Release Date: February 9, 2015

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cliffhanger: No

Billionaire tech genius and inventor Milton Shaw never had life easy. Losing his brother at an early age, his only escape was into the world of magic, studying Houdini and perfecting the art of sleight of hand. Too smart to fit in, and isolated from his peers, he vowed that one day he would be so powerful that no one could touch him.

Stern doctor Regina Burke hates nothing more than attention and trickery. In fact, she went into science to feel in control of her world. Yet when her work brings her into contact with the sexy tech superstar Milton Shaw, she finds her body warring with her idealism…and her desires shifting from unlocking the magician’s secrets to unlocking his heart.

This book is a standalone with no cliffhanger, but it was told from the third person POV, which right away I had a hard time with. I think out of all the books I read last year, only about two of those were 3rd person POV. I've gradually drifted away from anything other than first person, single/dual. It's just easier for me to sink into the story, I find myself struggling to really identify with any of the characters when I feel so removed from them. But hey, that's just my personal tastes.

Milton is a very wealthy computer genius, inventor, and magician in his spare time. His inventive mind comes in handy with all his tricks, especially his disappearing undergarment acts...*wink, wink*. (Although, it would have been a little more sexy if we didn't see him learning how to pull off the trick by practicing on his female friend. It kind of lowered the cool factor, IMO.)



Anyhow, I loved that Milton had a big heart and volunteered his time with the children at the hospital, bringing happiness and smiles to them during the difficult time in their lives. He was a very giving and humble guy and he just wanted to be treated like anyone else rather than judged for his wealth and possessions. My first impression was that he had that whole reclusive, computer geek thing going on, but he really surprised me with his hidden kinky side and his exciting pursuit of the heroine. He's pretty much hooked on pursuing her from the first time he meets the serious, yet beautiful doctor Regina Blake. He's determined to get an opportunity with her, and he isn't above impressing her with his charm and tricks. Anytime a hero is so relentless in the chase, I just eat it up, so that was a clear positive for me here.



Regina isn't having any of it though. She's decided she's not going to get into a serious relationship with anyone, and especially not Milton, since he has ties to the hospital and his position lands him the attention of the press. After her father's scandal from her childhood, that's the absolute last thing that she would ever want. A boyfriend that's a public figure is at the very bottom of potential boyfriend traits. (Not that she even wants one.) I liked Regina's independence, her perseverance after her father's betrayal was admirable. She became a parental figure to her sister and took on all the responsibilities at a young age that she never should have had to deal with. But she never complains or lets things stop her from her goals. Her intelligence and strength made her a heroine that I could really enjoy so no complaints on that front.



I liked the sexy times, they were decent and abundant, I liked the unique plot with the fresh character combination, yet I would have liked to have seen more character build up for Milton's business partners who are getting their own books. There wasn't enough time spent on them in order to build excitement for their own stories, so I'm afraid I can't find any enthusiasm for finding out what's to come for them. There was a little bit of a lead-in with one of them, but for the most part, they were background figures that made brief appearances in the story here. I felt like they could have been more fleshed out and more present than what they were.

What immediately drew me into trying out this book was the fact that it's an erotic book about a magician and a straight-laced doctor. The fact that the premise is something you don't commonly see was a huge selling point for me personally. I think I've only read one other book with this type of hero and that was L.H. Cosway's Six of Hearts. That book is one of my all-time favorite books, so unfortunately, I have to say, I probably did some unconscious comparisons and those are some hard shoes to fill. If I read a book about an illusionist or magician, it has to really standout. I can't say I found an excessive amount of issues with the plotting of the story or the characters, it came down to the fact that the story was just okay for me. Don't let my average rating dissuade you if you're considering reading it, you may end up loving it much more than me.



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