Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield, is completely tied in knots since his parents' death, as he is struggling to decipher rather confusing family records. As he begins to research, he discovers that his father's will contained a mysterious legacy, which included leaving a house to someone he never heard of. Well, Daniel meets her, and her name is Penelope Pendleton. He is not sure at first that he wants to deal with her, but then when he discovers her amazing talent at deciphering the confusing codes, and when she helps him sort out estate business, he changes his mind.

Penelope is hesitant to help Daniel, as she has no idea why the house was willed to her. As it turns out, due to her brother's poor behavior, her family was disgraced and she would have been without a home. So Penelope does her best to assist Daniel, and in so doing, realizes that she is rather drawn to him. It doesn't take Penelope and Daniel long to discover that there was indeed a connection between their families and they both become very excited while working together.

Along with the intrigue facing them, there is a slight element of danger, but readers are treated with a bit of humor, and of course, romance, thus balancing this excellent story by Jane Ashford. I look forward to the next third book in the series, To Cross a Marquess, which will be released in August.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

What's a Lord to do?

A bit of a conundrum and then some. Arthur Shelton, Earl of Macklin is still pursuing his aim of helping others to deal with death and the loss that represents. He wanders in and out of the story like a benevolent fairy god father. As he explains to his current array of guests, “Grief is insidious, almost palpable, and as variable as humankind ... No one can understand who hasn’t experienced a sudden loss. A black coat and a few platitudes are nothing.”
This time Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield is the person he turns his attention towards. Daniel has had a solitary upbringing due to his parents always being abroad so frequently. And now with their deaths the abandoned inner child and the adult Daniel feel that disconnect keenly.
In attempting to taking over the reins of his earldom, a puzzling question is why Rose Cottage been left to a complete stranger, one Penelope Pendleton. When Daniel meets her it is obvious that she's a woman with a genteel background. Yet here she is learning to make bread and manage a cottage without the requisite servants. Daniel is determined to find out all he can. Macklin's assistance is given. Although sometimes Macklin's helpful enquiries don't bring the outcome desired. More like, they just add to the tension as the story develops. I love his assistant Tom and am expecting more interesting developments of his character.
Penelope it appears is daughter of a peer and sister to a traitor, a Luddite who according to Penelope "was murdered ... at the Peterloo." Then "her brother Philip was posthumously convicted of treason and stripped of his title and estates. [Their] home went to the government."
Penelope was homeless until Daniel's parent's will was read. She had spent the past year being interrogated by the Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth's agents. A devasting experience! This surprise inheritance of Rose Cottage gave Penelope a place to flee to.
However interaction with the viscount and the search through Daniel's mother's papers bring something even more sinister to light. As does the arrival of Sidmouth's agents demanding those papers and threatening Penelope. One of those agents interrogated her. Penelope is fearful. Who would not be?
Daniel puts in place a plan!
There were amusing parts. The dogs and the goat interactions are the loveliest of whimsies. The novel is a very busy place with all sorts of things happening off center stage but the story flowed well with enough romance and intrigue to hit a nicely balanced note.

A NetGalley ARC ( )

This is the second book in this series, I have not read the first book but wish I had not that I was lost or that this can not be read as a standalone, I just like to start from the beginning. We meet Daniel Firth(Viscount Whitfield) he finds out that his father willed Rose Cottage to someone, who and why did he do that. Then we meet Penelope Pendleton who is the one that Rose Cottage was willed to, and it happens just when she needs it, but why was it left to her. Penelope and Daniel team up to find the answers on the reason but as they are locating those answers they also find trouble, why? WEll my friends you need to read, I did enjoy it but it was a little slower than I am used to and tend to like.

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions. ( )