Series: Awakened by a Kiss, #3
Traits & Tropes: former soldier; working heroine; titled hero; compromised; grumpy hero
Publication Date: 07.26.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, October 1818
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 5 stars
Drewsmina Trelayne used to be the wicked stepsister, as well as awkward and unsuccessful on the London marriage mart, mostly thanks to the parenting style of her embittered, overbearing mother. Now Drew has grown up and reinvented herself, finding confidence in the bright red hair and stick thin figure her mother always reviled. Since her own transformation was so rewarding, Drew now dreams of opening her own finishing school to help girls who are overlooked develop their own confidence and own their beauty. But since she doesn’t have the funds for such an endeavor at the moment, Drew must start small, and that means private, well-paying clients.
Ian Clayblack, the Duke of Lachlan, isolated himself on his Dorset estate after a tenant disagreement got out of control and resulted in a deadly riot for which he was blamed and ridiculed. But when his estranged sister and her twin daughters arrive on his doorstep, Ian feels he must take them to London for the chance at a proper season. A foray back into society to clear his own name and tame his utterly wild yet sheltered nieces is necessary, but Ian is in over his head and Drew is just the woman to help him.
Ian is well able to afford Drew’s services, but he’s less equipped to deal with his immediate attraction to her. As she begins to thaw his prickly nieces with her gentle guidance, Ian is overwhelmed by her easy manner and her beauty. When they are inevitably caught in a compromising position, they must marry if they hope to stave off damaging scandal.
This book was an utter delight, full of whimsy and a very sweet, sincere brand of romance that I loved. Drew was a bit of an ugly duckling, or at least that’s how she saw herself thanks to her awful mother, and had worked very hard to better herself and be a nicer, more empathetic person. Ian was in over his head and overwhelmed with trying to be a good and fair landlord to those relying on his dukedom while also trying to deal with two rather hostile nieces and a very detached sister. He was reluctant to be forced to hire Drew but, once he got over the surprise of it, quickly and readily acknowledged how much he needed her and set about assuring her of her worth, both as a stylist to young debutantes and as a person in general. Ian helped Drew shore up her belief in herself and she wound up doing the same for him by loving him. I loved the whirlwind, haphazard way these two were thrown together and how they simply made the best of it. Drew refused to keep her feelings to herself and in so doing, she helped Ian learn to recognize and express his own feelings. Having never been shown love, this was a struggle for Ian and that just melted my heart even if it did make him frustratingly clueless at times. The twins and their mother were something else, but they added dimension to this story and a deeper level to the romance aspect here as Drew and Ian established a true family with all the emotions that go along with it. I loved seeing these two come together and learn how to communicate and love each other. This title will be going onto my favorites shelf and I’m looking forward to more fairytale retellings.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3204073673
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4348295449
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