An imperfect proposal…But a perfect match?
Major James Rossington, Viscount Austerfield, survived
Waterloo, but can he survive the season as London's most eligible bachelor?
Convinced his battle scars make him unlovable, and to escape society's
matchmakers, Ross proposes a wedding in name only to shy, sensible Carenza
Bettridge. Liberated from her cruel stepmother and bullying half-sisters, she
blossoms into a confident, altogether desirable woman. He promised Carenza a
convenient marriage but inconveniently finds himself wanting more…
Terrific book. The story opens as Ross, a scarred
survivor of Waterloo gives in to the pressure to look for a wife during the
Season. As the second son, Ross never expected to become the viscount, but the
death of his brother made it unavoidable. While his sister and aunt push him to
find a wife, Ross endures being stared at, hearing the whispers about his
"hideousness," and still be the target of every matchmaking mama in
the ton. He finally has enough, decides he won't marry at all, but still finds
himself stuck with a visit to the home of two simpering debutantes. His arrival
at the Bettridge home is such a terrible experience that he plans to leave the
next morning - until he meets Carenza.
Carenza is the daughter of her father's beloved first
wife and is hated by her stepmother and two half-sisters. Like Cinderella, she
is bullied and belittled by them and treated more as a servant than a sister.
Carenza endures it for the sake of her father, whose frail health is affected
by the strife in the house. The upcoming visit of a wife-seeking viscount has
her stepmother and her daughters in a tizzy and taking their stress out on
Carenza.
I felt so bad for Ross when he arrived at the Bettridge's
home. The intensity of the attention he received made him very uncomfortable.
When he meets Carenza, she initially doesn't make much of an impression on him,
other than him being disgusted with the way she is treated. When she makes it
plain that she plans to stay away from him, he first believes it's because of
his scars. He's surprised when she tells him the scars don't matter; it's
because of her fears for her father's health. Ross finds himself intrigued by
the quiet and practical young woman and quickly feels comfortable in her
company. He agrees to stay for his planned visit to keep her from being blamed
for his departure. I laughed out loud at
his efforts to avoid the stepmother's machinations and enjoyed seeing him
bond with Carenza's father.
That bond creates an unexpected dilemma when Carenza's
father suggests that Ross consider marrying her. He worries about what will
happen to Carenza when he dies and would like to see her settled in a suitable
marriage. While Ross promises to think about it, he hesitates to tie her to a
"monster" like him. But over the days he is there, Ross enjoys her
company, forthright speech, and kindness. He is also increasingly disturbed by
the way the other women treat her. When he proposes a marriage of convenience,
she accepts. And boy did I enjoy the reactions of the others!
I loved seeing the relationship between Ross and Carenza
develop. Both of them have deep-seated insecurities thanks to circumstances
beyond their control. Carenza has been emotionally abused for years, her
stepmother and half-sisters taking every opportunity to belittle her looks,
shape, size, and anything else they can come up with. Despite it all, Carenza
is a loving and kind-hearted woman who makes the best of it. I ached for Ross.
His PTSD keeps him constantly on edge, unable to relax for fear of the
flashbacks and nightmares he endures. It doesn't help that a snake-in-the-grass
who is close to him works hard to keep the horrors fresh in Ross's mind.
Once they are at Ross's home of Auster, away from the
pressures each has endured, Ross and Carenza have the chance to get to know each
other. I loved how Carenza sees past Ross's scars to the man he is inside. She
likes him and wants to help him, even when he tries to push her away. I enjoyed
the scene with the balm she makes and that she has no problem standing up to him
when he's being a jerk. She is also understanding and compassionate when he
needs it. Ross is stunned at how Carenza blossoms once away from her
tormentors. He sees her beauty and does what he can to convince her of it. He
quickly finds himself regretting his insistence on a platonic marriage as he
becomes more attracted to her by the day. Luckily for Ross, Carenza is a woman
who knows how to go after what she wants, and she wants him just as much.
There were two characters in the latter part of the book
that I knew were trouble from the start. At first, I thought the one was simply
insensitive, but the more I saw him, the more I thought he had ulterior
motives. I was sure of it when he made a suggestion that I knew would go badly
for Ross and wanted to yell at Carenza to trust her instincts. The final
confrontation was great, though I think Carenza stopped Ross too soon. The
second was a troublemaker of a different sort, though in league with the first
one. I was suspicious of the circumstances of arrival and constant popping up
in the wrong places. I loved seeing both get what was coming to them.
I loved the ending and seeing how the actions of the
troublemakers ended up having the opposite effect on Ross. It finally brought
everything out in the open and gave Ross the chance to start healing. It was
followed by a terrific epilogue set several years later. I loved seeing what
has changed and what has stayed the same.
I also loved the cover. The scars on Ross's face are
visible, something that isn't usually shown. I loved that Carenza is shown as
the short, curvy woman that is described in the book instead of a generic
Regency heroine. The art department excelled on this one.
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