Cordelia Blackburn has never before met her estranged, grandfather. However, in order to fund her next expedition, she tracks him down and cuts a deal with him, but for a price. A shrewd businessman, Samuel P. "Hardacre" Blackburn doesn't provide hand outs and doesn't believe in "something for nothing". He agrees to back Cordelia on her expedition, but first he insists that she travel to Central America in search of “The Gift of the Jaguar” and that she take along his lackey as his representative.

Hartford Goodnight is a well-educated, if not sarcastic, son of English Society. After bargaining with the devil and losing, he has found himself indentured to Hardacre for 5 years after his business prospects had turned bad. When told about Hardacre's plans to send him along with Cordelia, he makes his own bargain for freedom. Through his own experiences, he knows that women are unreliable and is exasperated to find himself under the command of a gun-toting, machete wielding female.

Cordelia and Goodnight don't see eye to eye, to say the least, but after being chased and shot at by soldiers in turn-of-the-century Havana, Cuba, and trekking through Vera Cruz in search of the treasure, they begin to appreciate each other’s strengths. With the help of Cordelia's Aunt Hedda, a Professor of antiquities, two local guides, their amorous burro, and an old bruja called Yazkuz, they must work together to find their quarry before the band of men that are following them and trying to steal the treasure. As they venture deeper into the jungle, their feelings grow stronger, but they must first overcome the obstacles ahead of them before they can relish the treasure that they have found in each other.

This story brings a fresh setting to the romance genre. With so many historical romances set in regency England, medieval times, and the American frontier, it was a breath of fresh air to read a story that takes place in the jungles of Mexico, amid Mayan ruins. Being a fervent student in the school of sarcasm, I enjoyed Cordelia and Goodnight's occasional sarcastic bantering. For any romance readers looking for a new setting and fresh plot, I recommend picking up this book.

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Publisher: Jove (August 29, 2006)
ISBN: 0515141704
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