Series: Gilded Age Heiresses (Book 3)
A fake engagement brings together a lady with bold and
daring dreams, and the heir whose heart she captured.
Tall, dark, and brooding—to say that American Maxwell
Crenshaw stood out in the glittering ballrooms of London is an understatement.
He vowed never to set foot in England again, but when a summons from his father
along with an ultimatum to secure his legacy has him crossing the Atlantic for
the last time, reuniting him with the delectable Lady Helena March, he can’t
deny the temptation she presents. Or the ideas she inspires…
Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.
As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…
Maxwell Crenshaw's father is up to his old tricks, and
even a heart attack doesn't slow him down. Not content to have married off his
daughters August and Violet to a duke and an earl, Mr. Crenshaw is determined
to secure Crenshaw Ironworks' legacy by forcing Max to marry. He doesn't go so
far as to pick the bride this time around, but he refuses to listen to Max's
objections. If Max isn't at least engaged by Christmas, Mr. Crenshaw will make
sure that August's foundry project comes to a crashing halt. As long as he gets
his way, he doesn't care what effect it would have on either August or the firm.
Max is understandably furious for himself and August but can't figure out how
to get out of it. Then he renews his acquaintance with Lady Helena.
Max and Helena met in The Devil and the Heiress when they
joined forces to save his sister Violet from scandal. The sparks between them
were intense, but their focus was on Violet. Plus, Max would head back to New
York to resume running Crenshaw Ironworks. Helena would continue her work
running an orphanage and getting her London Home for Young Women started. But
the lovely young widow runs into a snag when her benefactors start pulling out
because (gasp!) she is associating with fallen women. It seems that her father
has been dropping hints behind her back about the unsuitability of her actions.
But if she had a husband who supported her efforts, he would withdraw his
objections.
I liked Max and Helena. Unlike their fathers, they are
kind-hearted with great empathy for others. Max understands the needs of his
company's employees and their families, fighting for fair wages and working conditions.
As a woman of her time, Helena understands that women often have no control
over their lives and futures and wants to help as many as possible take back
some of that control.
After a few encounters with Helena remind Max of how
attracted he is to her, he hits on the idea of proposing a mutually beneficial
arrangement. He suggests that they enter into a fake courtship and engagement,
thereby getting their fathers off their backs. This will give him time to
solidify August's project before he returns to New York and give Helena the respectability
required to raise the funds she needs.
I enjoyed watching the development of Max and Helena's
relationship. Though their courtship is fake, their chemistry is all too real. It
manifests early in their ability to push each other's buttons. Helena seems to
get an inordinate amount of pleasure from riling up Max. Meanwhile, Max would like
to find a way to get that passion into his bed. As they spend time together
"courting," Max and Helena discover that they have quite a lot in
common, leading to the admission that they like each other. The attraction
between them continues to grow until they can no longer resist. And while the
explosive passion they experienced convinces Max he'd like to make their
engagement real, for Helena, it reminds her that marriage between them is
impossible. I ached for Max as Helena put more and more distance between them to
protect his legacy and her heart. Her reason was heartbreaking, and I ached for
what it meant for her dream of happiness. Max tried to convince her that his
love for her was strong enough to withstand the problem, but Helena's past
wouldn't let her believe. August and Violet's solution to the issue was
unorthodox but gave Helena the courage to go to Max with her heart open at
last.
One of my favorite things about this book is the passion
Max and Helena exhibit for the things they believe in. This is illustrated when
they discover they both want the same property for their projects. Each is
passionately eloquent in describing their plans, goals, and what they believe
the results will be. For each of them, it's the first time they understand the
full scope of what the other does. I liked how the issue was resolved. Helena
also opened Max's eyes to the plight of the women she helped and stood up to
his patronizing solution. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her convert his point
of view. There are several good follow-up scenes also.
There is a teaser for the next book, and I can't wait to
read it. My heart ached for Camille at the beginning of the first book. In this
book, the twist involving her at the house party opened many possibilities, and
I can't wait to see what she does.
Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.
As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…
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