Arc c/o Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept 
 3.5 stars 
 This story started off a little shaky but grew stronger once we start to get to the action scenes. 
 In A Whisper of Desire Maitland and Marissa are somehow drugged, found together, and subsequently forced to marry, to save Marissa's reputation. The scholars continue their quest to find the villain who is bent on harming this group of friends, and in this novel they do finally make some progress on uncovering the identity. 
 However readers of the series should be warn this story is significantly darker than the past stories of this series. The author tackles child sex abuse and child sex trade in this story (there is a particularly uncomfortable scene although nothing graphical is described). Additionally the ending is not a complete picture perfect HEA and our villainess have managed to do some permanent damage (view spoiler)[to Maitland and Marissa's lives. Marissa is injured and loses a child as well as the ability to have future children. (hide spoiler)] 
 As I had mention before, I felt the start was a little weak. Marissa's thoughts were a little over-the-top melodramatic after she found out her other suitor was playing with her heart to marry her for her dowry ("How could she ever trust a man again?" Nevermind she has a wonderful brother in her life). And in some of the conversations, characters just seem to be a little disjointed. For example, after Marissa was discovered with Maitland, she has a conversation with Helen about whether or not she would marry him. One minute Helen is saying she was disappointed and hoped Marissa felt some attraction to Maitland, and praising Maitland for being clever, so obviously leaning towards their marriage, and the next minute when Marissa announces to Helen she will marry him after all Helen gasps. What is so gasp worthy? This entire conversation was a debate about her decision. It was going to be either a yes or no. Furthermore in those days a scandal meant little choice in that matter. Yes was the logical answer. Not only that, a few paragraphs later Helen is back to praising His Grace. What a strange conversation. 
 The story does pick up once we past through the inital bumps as the group attempts to uncover a villain. The later chapters did fly once you get into the story. Although part of a series you do not need to have read them in order.