Series: Somerton Scandals, #1
Traits & Tropes: second chance; titled hero; spinster heroine; marriage of convenience
Publication Date: 09.08.19
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London/Yorkshire, England
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 4.5/5
Narration Rating: 4.5
Rose d’Aubrey has been engaged twice, only to have her prospective grooms perish before the wedding day. She’s since become gossip fodder and has come to terms with her fate as a spinster and is serving her family in the role of companion to her young cousin during her London debut. But when her cousin is told she’ll be having a hasty wedding to a rich viscount, rather than the season she’s always dreamed of, Rose has to manage her family and come up with a solution to get her cousin out of this situation.
Lord Gideon, Viscount Somers, wants nothing more than to reestablish the good reputation of his family which his father destroyed. He never imagined Rose would wind up back in his life, especially given her frequent appearance in gossip rags, but she’s the only woman he’s ever wanted. With a secret weighing on him, hastening his need to return home to Yorkshire, and a prospective intended who doesn’t even wish to meet him, he’s no longer able to ignore his draw toward Rose and strikes a deal with her instead. An impulsive elopement sees Rose and Gideon learning about each other in an enclosed world of their own, but their newfound connection also has to survive the strain meeting his family is about to cause.
This was such a strong debut. I loved the fast pace and the unique, madcap plotting. This was a bit like a second chance story for Gideon, who had always admired Rose from afar. For Rose, it was a chance to escape her overbearing mother but also to see a man she knew as a friend in an entirely different light. Gideon definitely had his moments of sheer male idiocy, but he redeemed himself well. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, and I would’ve liked to have had perhaps one more scene featuring a heart to heart between Gideon and Rose, but I still liked them as a couple, overall. I listened to this as a complimentary audiobook from the author and while the narrator’s voice wasn’t my favorite, I did appreciate her ability to create distinctive voices that helped me differentiate each character and pulled me more fully into the story. This was my first read from this author, but I hope to continue the series now.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3327745479
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/461021661
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