Series: Miss Primm's Secret School for Budding Bluestockings, #6
Traits & Tropes: titled hero; fake relationship; age gap; hidden identity; grumpy hero; widower
Publication Date: 09.27.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; England, 1832
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 5 stars
Beatrice Walcott must keep her past a secret at all costs and she certainly can’t afford to slip up and find herself obliged to marry as several of her fellow teachers have. So, when the Marquess of Sexton asks Beatrice to pose as his temporary betrothed, she longs to refuse, but he’s likely the only investigator who might be able to learn who has been vandalizing the school and losing his cooperation could put the students at risk. She agrees, but strict proprieties must be observed, including a very specific contract she has the marquess sign, though it does little to keep her from feeling tempted by him.
Ranulf Winters, the Marquess of Sexton, is also the Chief Investigator and Interim Director of the Society for the Advancement of Ingenuity in London. He’s all but secured support for the vote that will make him permanent director, but he needs to appear more settled and that means he needs a wife. He sees no reason why a temporary betrothed won’t do the trick, just until after the vote, and intelligent and practical Beatrice Walcott is perfect for the role.
The charade is going well, except for the fact that soon the contract is out the window and the attraction between them is certainly not feigned. Ranulf is definitely falling for Beatrice, but it’s also clear to him that she has secrets, and he longs to unravel every complication she faces.
I really liked this version of the fake relationship trope and I think this may be my new favorite of the series. Ranulf is certainly getting added to my list of favorite grumpy heroes. I liked getting to know Beatrice more as she’s been a supporting character for the rest of the series, but we’ve never known much about her. I liked how her secrets were handled and how Ranulf stepped up to help take care of Beatrice and keep her stress levels down. This kept the angst levels of the book low and I’m always happy for that. Beatrice was very refreshing as a heroine in that she had this big, potentially devastating secret, and even though she was terrified, she still confided in her hero before it was too late. I think, for me, that really upped the romance level here. I also appreciated that Ranulf knew exactly what he wanted from Beatrice and didn’t shy from his feelings for her as they became ever more real, but neither did he pressure her all at once. Instead, he showed how in tune he was to her emotions and introduced her slowly to the idea of them being a real couple. I also loved how protective he was of her and how unafraid he was to show it. The pacing of this story was very well done and I’m looking forward to the next story, though I’m not sure how it’s going to top this one for, especially given the fact that Miss Primm hasn’t exactly been a great favorite of mine thus far, but we shall see. Regardless, this book is most certainly worth the read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5024564750
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