Series: Hamilton Cousins, #3
Traits & Tropes: hidden identity/secret; reformed rake
Genre/Setting: Historical, Victorian; London, England, 1895
Publication Date: 07.28.20
Heat Level: 2.5/5 (nearly fade-to-black)
Rating: 2.5/5
When her father and uncle die in a tragic accident, Meredith Remington and her Aunt Delilah are shocked to learn that the family oil company they thought was worth millions is in fact nearly bankrupt and they're left with virtually nothing to live on. Left with few options, they take their small family and leave New York, shedding their mourning and beginning anew in London. At her aunt's insistence, Meredith styles herself as an oil heiress, all the while she has no real interest in marriage, however necessary, and would rather be working on her novel. Even still, she can't help being intrigued by the devastatingly handsome man who flirts shamelessly with her in her newly discovered favorite bookshop.
Lord Phillip Sinclair, Earl of Waverly, knows that as the heir to his father's marquesate, he must settle down eventually, but he's far from ready to do so. He spends his days recuperating from wild nights of debauchery with a fast crowd, much to his parents' dismay. When he meets Meredith, he finds himself unexpectedly taken with her and dislikes the idea of her marrying another man, even as he offers to help her vet eligible suitors. When he decides he must make Meredith his wife, jealousy and gossip cause unexpected obstacles and they must overcome them together if their relationship is to survive.
Potential spoilers ahead. This story was enjoyable overall, however, it was not without some major issues for me. I found Phillip to be extremely unlikable as a hero. He was spoiled, selfish, arrogant, and immature, and he kept up interactions with his mistress for far too long, even kissing her after he'd kissed Meredith. This is a no-go for me. Meredith was likable enough, but very naive and rather flat. I never felt like I really got to know these characters, nor did they get to know each other. The relationship between Phillip and Meredith seemed to pop up and get serious more or less out of the blue; one minute they hated each other, the next they were having a lukewarm bedroom scene. Finally, yes, Meredith lied, which I hate, but Phillip gave her virtually no opportunity to explain her side of the story and that doesn't jive for me if he supposedly loved her so much. It just rang false to me. It was also rather off-putting to have so much other woman and other man drama, right down to having whole chapters told from their points of view. This just threw me off a bit and I was not a fan. I also found some descriptions and dialogues were repeated nearly verbatim, which also made me wonder if I was rereading passages and was a bit jarring. Overall, this was a light and entertaining read, but not without issue.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/467510770
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3048854032
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