Alice, Lady Charlton, is finally free of her dominating
husband, but on the verge of her new life, she is trapped when a blackmailer
threatens to publish letters that could ruin her. To protect the secrets of her
past Alice must find a lord for his daughter, Lucy, to marry.
Alice reluctantly agrees to find the girl a noble husband
but when Lucy arrives, she's difficult and uncooperative and has no interest in
her father's scheme. A lord, she says, will only look down his nose at her --
and she's having none of that!
Desperate to retrieve the letters, Alice enlists the aid
of her handsome young nephew, Gerald, who in turn seeks the help of his former
commanding officer, James, Lord Tarrant. James is soon beguiled by the
marriage-averse widow and sets out to change her mind. And each time they meet,
Gerald and Lucy strike sparks off each other.
To find happiness, Alice and Lucy will have to be brave
and trust in each other and the men who are attempting to win their hearts.
I loved this two-for-one romance. Alice is ready to enjoy
her freedom. Eighteen months after her domineering husband's death, she has
finally paid off the last of his debts. Now she can live the quiet life she
craves with no need for a husband controlling every move. Then a blackmailer arrives
on her doorstep with letters from her husband to his mistress - letters that
could ruin her if made public. Too gain possession of the letters, Alice must
present his daughter Lucy to Society and find her a noble husband. Having no
choice, Alice reluctantly agrees.
When Lucy arrives, she is sullen and uncooperative. She's
spent her life being shuttled from one school to another while her con-man
father plays his games, and she's looked down on by her noble classmates. When
h runs out of schools to take her, she's left with various women he coerces
into housing her. Lucy thinks Alice is just another one of his women, making
their initial time together awkward and uncomfortable for both of them.
It doesn't take too long for Alice and Lucy to realize they
were wrong about each other and are on the same side. Before long they've
formed a close friendship as they try to find a way for both to get what they
desire. Their "getting to know you" scenes were both funny and
heartbreaking as each struggled to play their required part. I especially
enjoyed the scene at the dressmaker's (loved seeing Daisy from The Summer Bride
again!) as Lucy realizes that Alice truly does want to help her.
Enter the men of the story. Alice asks her nephew Gerald
to help by introducing Lucy to some eligible men. He soon recognizes Lucy as
the "goose girl" who cost him a race, though she denies the charge in
several hilarious scenes. Gerald responds by introducing Lucy to men who are
eligible but leave much to be desired. The sparks between Gerald and Lucy are
evident but neither will admit to them as they continue to push each other's
buttons. Meanwhile, Gerald's obnoxious mama makes her opinion of Lucy known,
which encourages him to spend more time with her. They devise a scheme that's
meant to draw out Lucy's father but doesn't turn out quite as they expected. I
loved their "aha" moment and look forward to seeing more of them in
future books.
When Gerald learns that Alice is being blackmailed, he
asks his recently returned army commander, James, Baron Tarrant, to help him
track down Lucy's father and retrieve the letters. James is a widower with
three young daughters who, thanks to the war, have been with his in-laws for
years. James, who deeply loved his wife, wants nothing more than to settle on
his newly inherited estate and raise his girls. He has no plans to marry again.
Then he meets Alice and is immediately smitten. He's willing to do anything to
win her heart but convincing Alice is a battle he is ready to fight. I loved James's
patience with her fears while Alice seemed to fall for his daughters first.
Seeing him with the girls helped her see him in a different light, and I loved
seeing Alice learn to trust him enough to give him her heart.
After all of the trouble caused by the letters and the
threat against Alice, I found the resolution to be somewhat anti-climactic.
All's well that ends well, but I would like to have seen the blackmailer face
the consequences of his actions.
The secondary characters provide some of the funniest
moments of the book. Gerald's mama Almeria, who is Alice's sister-in-law, has
never liked Alice and takes every opportunity to belittle and demean her.
Gerald, on the other hand, loves his aunt and has no problem standing up to mom
when it comes to his aunt. Almeria is also the worst kind of snob. There is a
terrific scene where she calls on Alice with the express purpose of insisting
that Lucy be kept away from Gerald. Lucy deals with Almeria's dramatics in a
way that had Alice watching in awe and me laughing out loud.
James's daughters are adorable. Having been without him
for the last four years, their reunion is a little awkward at first. But once
they realize he is home to stay, their joy is undeniable. I loved seeing them
get to know each other again. The scenes with the youngest, Debo, are
especially fun. She is a little girl who knows her mind and doesn't forget
anything. Her fascination with cats creates some hilarious incidents, leaving
James speechless and me gasping with laughter. I liked their part in bringing
Alice and James together. 
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