I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

2.7 stars

The thief was a woman.

Tom Quick awakens to an intruder in his detective offices one night and during a tussle, learns the thief is a woman. When he discovers a necklace that got left behind, a gambling token from a casino on a chain, he has a clue to find her.
Desiree Malone has always had “funny” feelings and they're telling her to search out who her real father was. When the man who caught her searching his office finds her, he doesn't believe that a clue she found there proves her father was a Moreland, the family that saved him from the rookery.
Desiree and Tom work together to find out the truth about Desiree's father but as their trust is building, so is the attraction between them.

And like him, she didn't belong in either place.

His Improper Lady is the eight installment of the Mad Morelands series but I haven't read the others and I had no problems understanding the world. The Moreland family and members make a strong showing, they try to steal the show sometimes in the middle and latter half, but, for the most part, the spotlight is brightly on Desiree and Tom together. Desiree, her twin brother Wells, and their older brother Brock know their mother was a mistress to a rich man. When the twins were babies and Brock around seven, their mother and the man ran away together and were never seen again. Brock was transported to Australia while the twins were taken in by a friend of their mothers who was a circus performer and eventually ended up with a kidsman named Falk until Brock managed to make his way back and save them. The Magnificent Malones were popular acrobatic and tumbling acts and very efficient thieves for Falk. The story definitely involves this aspect of Desiree's life with having her teaching Tom some tumbling moves in a special room they have equipped to train in and incorporating it in chase scenes. I thought it was a fun, different element to add in, especially since it wasn't once mentioned, then done but actually utilized.

“I plan to do a great deal more than look.” He planted his hands on the bed on either side of her, crawling slowly up her body.

Desiree searching out if her father really was a Moreland (she found a Moreland ring in Tom's partner's desk that matches the one her brother Brock said their father gave him when he was a child) and Tom wanting to protect the Morelands from grifters, because of how they took him in as a child, had these two together from the beginning. The vast majority of the time is taken up by Desiree and Tom together going from person to person from her mother's past and Alistair, the Moreland cousin they learn and think could be Desiree's father, looking for clues. The investigation plot pace was very well-regulated, sometimes painstakingly as I thought around the 70% mark things needed to be wrapped up. This is not a story that has a quick pace and you're going to rush through, it's more sink in and spend a couple days with. Overall, I wouldn't call it slow, but towards the end I did start to get a bit antsy as a sex scene was put in and delayed some action after they learned an important clue. These two had a pretty even keeled vibe to them, Tom doesn't trust her in the beginning but as he gets to know her, he mellows (takes him a wee bit too long) and trusts her. Desiree was the open warm book we all probably wish we could be and I did find myself loving the honesty between them, no hidden truths, angst, or thee drama for this couple.

And he knew, with his body as much as his mind, that he could not live without this woman.

The pace and tone of this made me think of instead of taking a plane from Minneapolis to New Orleans, you took a raft down the Mississippi river, slower but probably more idyllic. The mystery and danger aspect never felt too urgent and you'll probably be able to glean some of the whys and hows of Desiree's parents. Tom gets a little bit of the shaft, story wise, because it's all about Desiree but I thought he complimented Desiree sweetly on her journey. If you're a frequent reader of this series, you'll enjoy past couple appearances and looks at this mad Moreland family. There was a very slight paranormal aspect to this with Desiree's inner eye “telling” her about liars and dangers, which seems to be a theme for the Morelands as there were mentions of other family members having some abilities (even mention of a witch who invaded dreams!). Desiree's twin brother Wells, who seems to be a spy for the government, and her older brother Brock, who owns casinos, each have enough charisma to make me want to read their books. You probably won't race through this one but it does have sinkable quality and sweet romance that believably builds. ( )

Goodness, I do love the Mad Morelands. I love their quirky, fun-loving, happy family filled with strong, intelligent, courageous females and the men who are enlightened enough to let them soar. I also love their ‘odd’ talents that get them into as much trouble as it gets them out of. In this book, we step outside our regular set of Morelands and enjoy the story of Tom Quick (business partner of Con Moreland) and Desiree Malone of the Magnificent Malones. We might even have met the male leads in the next book or two – at least I hope so because I liked them very much!

We’ve met and gotten to know Tom Quick through several books. The Morelands rescued him when he was just a young boy, but he had already been through more than any ten children should have to endure in a lifetime. He had no idea who his parents were nor how to came to be living with a gang run by Falk. Tom was forced to be a pick-pocket and he knew he’d end up dead or jailed at some point. Then, Falk directed him to pick the pocket of Reed Moreland – and was caught. Reed, however, didn’t turn him in – he rescued him. To Tom Quick, the Morelands can do no wrong – they are on the highest of pedestals. So then, just imagine his outrage and anger when a woman who had broken into his office explains who she is and how she came to be – and not only her, but her two brothers as well.

Desiree Malone, her twin brother Wells, and their older brother, Brock weren’t exactly orphans, but they had been abandoned by their mother and her lover when they were just babes. A friend of their mother took them in, but as circus performers, they didn’t always have enough to make ends meet, so they were often loaned out to Falk who used them to do jobs perfectly suited to their unique set of talents. Then, they finally ended up in Falk’s gang full time and it was a miserable existence.

Desiree has always wanted to know who her father was. She didn’t really want to do anything about it, she just wanted to know. That need-to-know has been getting stronger and stronger over the last few months. When Falk approaches her again and tells her that he will disclose her father’s name to her if she will break into the offices of Moreland and Quick Detective Agency and ‘retrieve’ a document for him. What can it hurt? She knows Falk is probably lying, but she can’t see a reason not to do as he asks. Then, she is caught! Uh-Oh! How did that happen? She had just been distracted by the evidence she’d just uncovered – evidence of the name of her father.

When Desiree escapes from Tom, he quickly tracks her down and demands to know what she was looking for and why. Once she tells him, she can just see the anger and dislike radiating off him. What she says is absolutely impossible. When Desiree and Tom team up to discover who her father really was, they certainly never expected to run into danger, but there it was at every turn. Will they survive to actually identify her father AND what was in the package she was supposed to ‘retrieve’ from Tom’s office?

There are threats and villains everywhere and Desiree and Tom will have to work hard to sort through all of them to solve the mystery of her parentage – and to keep each other safe. Will they live long enough to find their HEA? It is a very close thing!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can hardly wait for the next one. It was fun to have at least short visits with all of the Morelands, but it was especially fun to have Con and Alex show up with their delightful antics. The characters are delightful, the story is well-written, and the solution will keep you guessing right till the end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )