Anne Gracie

Since Rose has always been my least favorite of the Rutherford women, my hopes for her story weren't all that high, even given the mystique of a secret marriage. I didn't expect to find this so utterly disappointing, though. Other reviewers are correct when they mention how thinly drawn the women are in this book, and the plot requires epic levels of willful blindness and stupidity on the hero's part, but the final straw, for me, was the confrontation between Thomas and the villain.

I show more certainly understand that Thomas' situation has taught him how powerless other people can feel, but in no way has the villain experienced anything approaching slavery. Almost all people from this time and place in history had very few choices in their lives. Even the very wealthy, if they cared at all about the people on their land, weren't free to leave the country to do whatever they wanted. But they still weren't slaves.

They weren't bought and sold. They weren't forbidden from leaving a patch of land or whipped if they tried. They didn't have masters. Or shackles. Or the daily awareness that no one thought of them as anything more than useful animals. Did they live in an inequitable society? Yes. Was changing their lot or improving the lives of their family extremely difficult? Yes. But they were not slaves.

And this villain? This privileged person who had more choices than 90% of the people of the time, even if those choices weren't perfect? This person is absolutely not a slave. And furthermore, clearly doesn't care about all the less fortunate people they trampled on the way to achieving their goals.

Thomas isn't portrayed as any kind of intellectual giant, but the allowance he makes for the villain because he sees his own experience as a slave inside them is patently absurd. Perhaps you should think of all the women in your life, Thomas, who have no legal standing. Or your fellow sailors, impressed and then enslaved alongside you because the villain spurned your request for aid. Or the boy supporting his family, whose proximity to you put him in danger. These people deserve your consideration, and instead you're offering clemency to someone who will go on to hurt more people whenever it's convenient for them.

Had Thomas seen beyond his own experiences into the wider world, beyond his surface similarities with the villain to the deeper ones in every other person around him, the book could've redeemed at least some of the bad characterization and lazy plotting. Obviously, it did not. I may have found Rose tiresome and frequently selfish in the previous books, but she deserved a better story than this. show less

I loved this two-for-one romance. Alice is ready to enjoy her freedom. Eighteen months after her domineering husband's death, she has finally paid off the last of his debts. Now she can live the quiet life she craves with no need for a husband controlling every move. Then a blackmailer arrives on her doorstep with letters from her husband to his mistress - letters that could ruin her if made public. Too gain possession of the letters, Alice must present his daughter Lucy to Society and find show more her a noble husband. Having no choice, Alice reluctantly agrees.

When Lucy arrives, she is sullen and uncooperative. She's spent her life being shuttled from one school to another while her con-man father plays his games, and she's looked down on by her noble classmates. When h runs out of schools to take her, she's left with various women he coerces into housing her. Lucy thinks Alice is just another one of his women, making their initial time together awkward and uncomfortable for both of them.

It doesn't take too long for Alice and Lucy to realize they were wrong about each other and are on the same side. Before long they've formed a close friendship as they try to find a way for both to get what they desire. Their "getting to know you" scenes were both funny and heartbreaking as each struggled to play their required part. I especially enjoyed the scene at the dressmaker's (loved seeing Daisy from The Summer Bride again!) as Lucy realizes that Alice truly does want to help her.

Enter the men of the story. Alice asks her nephew Gerald to help by introducing Lucy to some eligible men. He soon recognizes Lucy as the "goose girl" who cost him a race, though she denies the charge in several hilarious scenes. Gerald responds by introducing Lucy to men who are eligible but leave much to be desired. The sparks between Gerald and Lucy are evident but neither will admit to them as they continue to push each other's buttons. Meanwhile, Gerald's obnoxious mama makes her opinion of Lucy known, which encourages him to spend more time with her. They devise a scheme that's meant to draw out Lucy's father but doesn't turn out quite as they expected. I loved their "aha" moment and look forward to seeing more of them in future books.

When Gerald learns that Alice is being blackmailed, he asks his recently returned army commander, James, Baron Tarrant, to help him track down Lucy's father and retrieve the letters. James is a widower with three young daughters who, thanks to the war, have been with his in-laws for years. James, who deeply loved his wife, wants nothing more than to settle on his newly inherited estate and raise his girls. He has no plans to marry again. Then he meets Alice and is immediately smitten. He's willing to do anything to win her heart but convincing Alice is a battle he is ready to fight. I loved James's patience with her fears while Alice seemed to fall for his daughters first. Seeing him with the girls helped her see him in a different light, and I loved seeing Alice learn to trust him enough to give him her heart.

After all of the trouble caused by the letters and the threat against Alice, I found the resolution to be somewhat anti-climactic. All's well that ends well, but I would like to have seen the blackmailer face the consequences of his actions.

The secondary characters provide some of the funniest moments of the book. Gerald's mama Almeria, who is Alice's sister-in-law, has never liked Alice and takes every opportunity to belittle and demean her. Gerald, on the other hand, loves his aunt and has no problem standing up to mom when it comes to his aunt. Almeria is also the worst kind of snob. There is a terrific scene where she calls on Alice with the express purpose of insisting that Lucy be kept away from Gerald. Lucy deals with Almeria's dramatics in a way that had Alice watching in awe and me laughing out loud.

James's daughters are adorable. Having been without him for the last four years, their reunion is a little awkward at first. But once they realize he is home to stay, their joy is undeniable. I loved seeing them get to know each other again. The scenes with the youngest, Debo, are especially fun. She is a little girl who knows her mind and doesn't forget anything. Her fascination with cats creates some hilarious incidents, leaving James speechless and me gasping with laughter. I liked their part in bringing Alice and James together. show less

Series: Marriage of Convenience #4
Publication Date: 5/26/20
Number of Pages: 336

Whew! What a delightfully entertaining and lustful couple Hart and George turn out to be. I absolutely adored each of them and could easily see why they were so very skittish and protective of their hearts. Thank goodness for manipulative and interfering family members who end up making the right thing happen for all of the wrong reasons.

When we last saw Redmond Jasper Hartley (Hart), the fifth Duke of Everingham, show more he was being left at the altar by his betrothed (Marry In Secret). He has a very low opinion of women and being left at the altar did nothing to soften that opinion. After all, he and his father had been manipulated by the champion manipulator, his mother, and he had no reason to believe any female would be different. No, he didn’t love his betrothed, but he had negotiated in good faith and he’d been livid at being left standing at the altar. Yes, he has a reputation of being cold, unfeeling, arrogant, and aloof – and he believes he is – just as everyone else does. When he decides to seek another bride, he has specific criteria – she must be independent minded and not hang off his sleeve, one who would like to retire to the country and keep out of his way, they need have few interactions other than conjugal visits.

Lady Georgiana (George) Rutherford loves her newly found family and has absolutely no intention of giving them up. She also has absolutely no intention of marrying. Men are a worthless, faithless lot and she sees no reason to subjugate herself to one. It is her desire to live in the country and breed horses and dogs and to care for other animals. She doesn’t give a fig about what any male has to offer her – money, prestige, titles – she doesn’t want any part of it.

George and Hart are really two kindred souls – both a product of their unhappy experiences early in their lives – but neither of them can see that. When Georgiana is brought to Hart’s attention – in the most manipulative of ways, of course – he is incensed. But then, when he sees her – and kisses her. That does it for him – he decides she is the one who will be his bride – whether she wants to or not. So, he begins his own plan of manipulation and entrapment.

I loved watching Hart and George at war with each other. Neither was going to give in and each was bound and determined to win. When Hart compromised her and then announced their betrothal, she was incensed. But, later, when he offered her the opportunity to get out of the betrothal, she decided to let it stand. She didn’t know why. What had possessed her?

They are two very passionate, very caring people and it was a delight to get to know them and to see them find their way to a loving, passionate life together. I hope you’ll enjoy this story as much as I did.

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

Kate Farleigh's father and brothers all died in the Napoleonic Wars in Spain so she's left penniless and with no relations. She's used to deprivations as she followed her family about the Peninsula tending wounded and helping keep her brothers comfortable, and she's not afraid of work. She offers to take a job as a servant, but her great-godmother has other plans for her.

Major Jack Carstairs has sunk into despair because he was badly wounded in Spain, disinherited by his father, and jilted show more by his shallow fiancee. But when his grandmother kidnaps Kate and foists her upon him as a temporary housekeeper/guest, the sparks fly. His protective instincts are aroused, and he attempts to order her about so she won't do work he considers beneath her. But unlike even the staunchest man of his acquaintance, the small Kate not only refuses to obey orders, she downright defies him with humor and a rousing temper. Not to mention the exasperating girl may be able to help him with his wounds.

The sparks definitely did fly. Both the main characters have incurable tempers, but their fights usually give way to witty banter and/or sexual tension. It was hilarious - you could really feel the passion sizzle, and their exasperation mount... Unlike most stories with wounded heroes who are 'saved' or 'cured' by love, this one seems very realistic. There is no saving here, simply sensibility, practicality and a great deal of feistiness that first distracts him from his depression, then shows him a different way of addressing his injury. The novel was touching without being sappy and very funny, too. I loved it, and highly recommend it. Great fun. show less