Series: The Ravenels, #7
Traits & Tropes: class difference; amnesia; hidden identity; widow; caretaking; danger
Publication Date: 07.27.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Victorian; England
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 5 stars!
Lady Merritt Sterling has risen to the occasion, running her late husband’s shipping company successfully since his passing, but all of London is hoping to see the wealthy and well-connected widow’s good name tarnished by scandal. She has been adept at avoiding it so far, but all bets are off when she meets Scottish whisky distiller Keir MacRae and all her claims to sensibility evaporate. Merritt and Keir don’t have very much in common, but their connection is instantaneous and impossible to deny.
In addition to trying to salvage his distillery, Keir’s London objectives are to avoid falling in love with the unattainable Merritt and to keep from being killed. Thus far, he’s failing at both. Keir has no idea why anyone would want him dead until he learns of his connection to one of the most influential families in the country. With his world completely upended, Keir trusts no one but Merritt. She longs for forever with Keir, with a reckless need that is wholly unfamiliar to her, even as she knows how unlikely a future together is for them. No matter what, Merritt will do anything she must to ensure the safety of the man she’s come to love.
Y’all, this book was so good. I didn’t want to put it down but at the same time, I drew it out as much as I could to savor it and found myself going back to reread and highlight favorite passages, mostly swoony dialogues from Keir. This was a new take on both the amnesia and fake engagement tropes that I haven’t read before as well as a new spin on hidden identity. I’ll admit, I was very nervous about this one because Kleypas is one of my most consistently favorite authors, meaning the bar is set very high. Happily, this book exceeded my hopes, bringing drama and an intriguing plot while somehow keeping the angsty stressful aspects at a minimum. This wound up being a feel-good read for me and I loved Keir and Merritt’s sheer determination to be together and face any challenges together. I loved Merritt’s refusal to be anything less than a full partner to Keir and his utter devotion to her just melted my heart. I also enjoyed revisiting some of the characters from previous books and the family connections and interactions here were very endearing for me. Keir has definitely redefined my standards for the perfect romance hero and has set the bar exceptionally high, maybe even ruined me for any other heroes at this point. I also think Merritt is just about the perfect heroine. I found her to be intelligent and independent without once being overbearing or coming off as shrewish or any such thing that typically annoys me with so-called independent heroines. As some reviewers have lamented, I’m not sure this book technically fits with the Ravenels series as neither of the MCs are Ravenels, but it is in the same world/time period, and we do see some of the same characters. Honestly, it's so good that I don't even care. I love the series because I love the characters, be they Ravenels or other connections, so I’m always happy to revisit them and expand that world. I adored this book, everything about it worked for me, and Keir is my new hero standard.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/164034643
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3617144468
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