Series: The Brides of Bellaire Gardens, #2
Traits & Tropes: illegitimate heroine; titled hero; grumpy hero; guardian/ward
Publication Date: 07.26.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England, 1818
Heat Level: 1
Rating: 3/5
Leo, the newly minted Earl of Salcott, has only just returned to England after a year spent travelling abroad, only to learn that he’s now the guardian to an heiress, the daughter of one of his father’s rakish friends. Along with the heiress comes her half-sister, Isobel, who is beautiful, but illegitimate and with no fortune at all. Leo is tasked with bringing heiress Clarissa out in society and finding her a husband, but Izzy’s illegitimate birth makes it impossible for her to expose her to society.
Unfortunately, the girls absolutely refuse to be parted and insist they will come out together or not at all. For them, it’s worth the risk of ruin when and if Izzy’s true birth circumstances come to light. They frustrate Leo at every turn, but he’s unable to sway them and he’s beginning to find Izzy maddening in other, more inconvenient ways as well.
When Leo must leave town to handle business at his country estate for a few days, he leaves the girls with instructions to stay home and consider their options. On his return, he learns that Clarissa and Izzy have entered society all on their own and they’re both immensely popular. Leo is left with no choice but to step into the social whirl and protect Clarissa from fortune hunters, all the while resisting Izzy’s sharp wit and discreetly fending off the more unscrupulous men who are attracted to her beauty.
This was my first time ever reading this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this story definitely had more of a traditional regency feel to it. There was a little bit of steam, though I was actually surprised to find it when I was by that point expecting a completely closed door. Some of the story did seem to focus an inordinate amount of descriptive energy on some of the more mundane details, something that typically frustrates me and just makes me impatient, but I think it did work here for the most part, as it helped me feel more immersed in the Regency world the author was painting. That aspect also made this rather relaxing and escapist for me. Our hero, Leo, is basically the typical bumbling, clueless man who doesn’t have a clue how to talk to women and, as an added bonus, he doesn’t trust them either. He was pretty much a jerk right up until the very end of the book, to the point that it almost became part of his charm just because he was so incredibly clueless. He really helped the side characters Aunt Olive and Mrs. Price-Jones shine and I loved how they so expertly managed him without him ever noticing. They were hilarious, excellent supporting roles. Perhaps my favorite element here was the relationship between Clarissa and Isabelle. I don’t have a sister myself, but I do know that sisters are often very competitive, so it was nice to see how close these two were and how much they supported each other. Clarissa was very admirable in her happiness for Isabelle and I’m hoping she’ll get her own HEA soon as it is well-deserved. Isabelle was a likeable enough heroine, not especially compelling, but not over the top either. I liked that she stood up for herself and for her sister, especially against Leo’s grumpy, autocratic ways and refused to bend or be separated from her beloved sister. She stood up for herself even when others tried to judge her, but without coming off as shrewish, and I couldn’t help but like that. I must say, I didn’t feel very much romance between Leo and Isabelle, but the physical attraction and enemies to lovers vibes were there, just nothing that ever felt quite as deep as I wanted it to be. Otherwise, the character development here, especially in the secondary characters, was pretty spot on. Overall, though this story was very slow-paced, I did enjoy the escapist nature of it, and I’ll likely read more from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4903336513
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/477944954
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