Series: The Wildes of Lindow Castle, #5
Tropes & Traits: titled hero; spinster, shy heroine
Publication Date: 05.19.20
Genre/Setting: Historical; Georgian; England
Rating: 4/5 stars
Though part of a grand, ducal blended family, Miss Viola Astley is crippled by her shyness and anxiety and doesn’t feel she belongs. She dreads even speaking to a stranger and her upcoming London debut is the stuff of her nightmares. When a handsome new vicar moves onto her family’s estate, Viola is thrilled to find she’s not nervous around him. He seems like the perfect man for her and a great way to avoid society. Unfortunately, he’s already betrothed.
Viola contemplates how to save the vicar from his shrewish fiancé and just as she begins to catch his attention, she finds herself even more drawn to a previously disagreeable duke, only to find her reputation compromised by said duke and a wedding eminent.
Devin Elstan, the Duke of Wynter, finds all of his ideas about what he wanted in a wife completely turned on their head by Viola and becomes determined to marry her. Too bad she’s in love with another man. After they’re caught in a compromising position, Devin is bent on winning not only Viola’s hand, but also her heart and he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.
To be perfectly honest, I did find this one to be just a bit disappointing given how much I loved the previous book. I never really connected much with the characters, which surprised me as I also suffer from at times crippling shyness, though not quite to the extent Viola did. That said, both Viola and Devin exhibited great development, both as individuals and as a couple, and their relationship actually wound up being very romantic. I did find the pacing a bit odd, with several lulls and I wasn’t a fan of the opening scene being an intimate one between the hero and another woman; even though it was before he met the heroine and is of course realistic, I’m not a fan of reading it on the page. Though this was slightly slow and not quite what I was expecting, it was exactly what I needed to read right now. It was light, low on angst, and the secondary characters stole the show. The exploration of learning to love and accept love was also lovely and even though Viola was at times frustratingly immature, she and Devin wound up being utterly charming together. I only wish Viola had put the past behind her sooner and stopped bring up a rather understandable situation so often; it just didn’t make much sense to me that it affected her so thoroughly. No matter. This was still an enjoyable, light read and just right for right now. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, perhaps Joan’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2934368136?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
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