Upon hearing the voice of a mysterious stranger in her brother-in-law’s study, Thalia Langley thinks she just might have met her destiny…or not.  How could the duke’s bumbling, poorly-dressed vicar of a cousin be the man of her dreams?  From the moment she meets the awkward Milo Ryder, Tally knows there must be more to him than meets the eye.  And when a mysterious little black gown lands in her lap, Tally knows just how she’s going to ferret out Mr. Ryder’s secrets.

Geoffrey, Baron Larken has been sent by the Crown to find and eliminate an escaped American pirate.  A pirate that the beautiful Ms. Langley may have had a hand in freeing.  Larken can’t afford to make mistakes, and he definitely can’t allow himself to be distracted by Tally.  Yet what man can resist the woman who tempts him when she dons a deliciously scandalous dress?

Passion, danger, intrigue, romance, and the perfect little black dress – Confessions of a Little Black Gown has it all.  The fourth installment of Elizabeth Boyle’s Bachelor Chronicles is a wonderfully entertaining read I could not put down.

Tally is a heroine you have to adore.  She’s bright, inquisitive, caring, has a few unusual skills for a lady (such as her talent for picking locks), and has a slight knack for trouble.  Ms. Boyle made me feel like I was following Tally along on her adventures, and I couldn’t be more delighted.  As for Lord Larken, he’s the perfect spy hero: honorable, tormented, and genuinely good-hearted.  With two such likeable protagonists, it was impossible for me not to root for their romance.  Tally and Larken were perfectly matched with one another.  Indeed, I couldn’t put Confessions of a Little Black Gown down because I was so enjoying their almost cat-and-mouse game with one another as each tried to uncover the other’s secrets.

Though I’m not new to Ms. Boyle’s work, I am new to this particular series and can say that this book only mostly stands on its own.  All the information I needed for Tally and Larken’s romance is provided in this book, but it was clear I was definitely missing information from previous books.  Though that fact didn’t prevent me from enjoying this story, I did end up emailing a few friends who had read the previous books and asking them some questions.