Series: Wedded by Scandal, #4
Tropes & Traits: marriage of convenience; stuffy hero
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; Scotland; 1817
Publication Date: 09.14.20
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Rating: 3/5
To please his dying father, Hugh Winthrop, Viscount Huxley and future Earl of Albury, agrees to marry. Due to rumors that he and his siblings aren’t true offspring of the Earl, the Winthrops have avoided society for many years, so Hugh decides the most expedient option is to advertise anonymously for a wife in a London paper. He doesn’t expect to receive anonymous replies from a woman, nor for those replies to reveal a lady who is as jaded and unbelieving in love as he is. When this mystery woman arrives on his doorstep in rather desperate circumstances, Hugh is surprised to find himself offering to protect her with a marriage of convenience.
Lady Phoebe Maitland had dreams of marrying for love, but her father, a powerful duke, wasn’t pleased with her choice of a lowly music instructor and the man she’d entrusted with her heart was all too easily paid to go away. Desperate and ruined, she seeks shelter with Hugh and agrees to a polite but distant union without love. But the more time they spend together, the more Phoebe’s feelings turn to love. Just as Hugh’s shell begins to crack, Phoebe’s past causes problems that may prove insurmountable to the delicate bond they were only just forming.
I wanted to like this book so much and it started off so strong. Unfortunately, this story rapidly deteriorated for me. I loved Phoebe’s loyalty to Hugh, but his surly, self-imposed distance was drawn out way too long and seemed very odd as far as pacing was concerned given how sweet and endearing he was for the first half of the book. The interference from Phoebe’s family also went on too long and was just annoying for me, as well as the fact that they still didn’t listen to her or respect her in the end. This made the story drag for me in several places and I lost my investment in the characters after their inconsistencies. I know I’ve read much better from this author, who is one of my favorites. This was an okay read for me, but not quite up to par and I don’t think I’d reread it though I will continue the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3264050415
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3517492173
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