Christine Merrill

Annie is a high-spirited young woman trying to enjoy the season and find a suitable husband. None of the men she has met appeal to her. We first see her participating in a carriage race against a young man who disparaged "women drivers." After the race, she is invited to a gathering that common sense tells her is a scandal waiting to happen, and she plans to avoid it. Unfortunately, another young woman is determined to attend. Worried about Felicity's safety, Annie disguises herself as a maid to rescue Felicity. While there, William, Felicty's cousin, sees Felicity there and helps Annie extricate her from danger. William misunderstands Annie's role, and Annie adds to the problem with her deception. An explosive kiss complicates matters.

William is back in England, recovering from wounds from the war in Spain. He has also recently inherited his brother's home and fortune. William has no interest in remaining in England and taking up those duties. He is itching to return to the war and relieve his guilt over his men's deaths. Unfortunately, he is not healing as he should, which frustrates him and leaves him feeling he doesn't know who he is.

William's next meeting with Annie does not go well. She is a much better playactor, as she gives no indication they have met before. Meanwhile, William is so flummoxed that he fumbles his words and all but insults her. Annie hasn't forgotten the power of that kiss and vows to avoid William as much as possible. But they keep encountering each other, and every time, the sparks fly.

I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop as they got to know each other. Annie comes to respect William and his devotion to his men. She aches for the pain she senses in him and wants to help him. Once William gets past his mistaken ideas of what Annie is like, he realizes that being around her lightens his guilt. It is clear that William is falling for her, but he doesn't see it. He has been stalwart in his decision not to marry, which blinds him to his growing feelings. Annie realizes she loves Will but that it is a hopeless case. Matters are complicated by the sparks of attraction that neither can deny.

When Annie finds herself in the center of a scandal, William is one of the few to stand by her. I loved his kindness and compassion and his desire to protect her. He goes a little overboard, adding to the scandal. Watching Will and Annie go back and forth over his desire to do the right thing and her refusal to marry without love was fascinating. I loved the scene where Will finally saw the light on his feelings. It didn't happen the way I expected, and I laughed out loud. Will's attempt to explain his feelings was sweet and awkward, and it was fun to see Annie's reaction.… (mehr)

Maddie is the daughter of a wealthy man who uses her to gain a foothold in society. On the night her engagement is to be announced to one duke, her attempt to escape her fate winds up with her engaged to a different one. To her abusive father, one duke is as good as another, and he has no intention of listening to her objections.

Though he extolled the virtues of marriage to his stepbrother, Alex, Evan has no intention of marrying anytime soon. He is not pleased when his attempt to assure himself of Maddie's welfare goes hideously wrong.

I enjoyed this story of how two very different people found that they were perfect for each other. It was not an easy journey. Evan was raised by his father to follow strict rules regarding his conduct and his father's somewhat skewed vision of marriage. Evan is very confident, except in one area - anything to do with mathematics or numbers. He describes it as looking at a row of numbers and seeing them dance over the page. Evan suffers from Dyscalculia, dyslexia of numbers, and t has left him unable to handle the finances of his estate. He is in financial trouble and unable to find his way out. Marriage to Maddie will bring some much-needed cash to his life.

Maddie has been living under the thumb of her emotionally and physically abusive father. She is accustomed to staying in the background as much as possible and doing whatever is necessary to keep out of her father's way. Because of him, she buries her true nature and adapts her actions to his demands. She is quiet but very intelligent, with a fascination for anything related to numbers.

When Evan and Maddie marry, she has high hopes of finally being able to be herself. Unfortunately, she finds herself at the mercy of Evan's views of women and marriage. His idea that all women are the same and spend their lives shopping, painting, and embroidering frustrated Maddie (and me). She hates traditional female pursuits and would much rather spend her time studying math books and solving puzzles, but she tries to force herself into Evan's mold to make him happy. When she stumbles on the estate's account books and sees their mess, she attempts to fix them before being shut down by Evan and his estate manager, Ramsey.

I spent a good part of the book wanting to shake Evan. He knows he has problems with numbers and that the estate is in trouble. However, his pride won't allow him to admit the problem to anyone, so it keeps worsening. Seeing Maddie's talent with numbers should have been a wake-up call for him, giving him someone who would be on his side in straightening out the mess, but instead, he keeps trying to shove her into the box created by his father's training.

The only thing that brings Evan and Maddie together is their undeniable attraction for each other. I liked Evan's patience and willingness to wait until they knew each other better before consummating their marriage. Their passion is evident when they do, but they still don't TALK to each other. It becomes increasingly apparent that each has trust issues, and I wondered how they would get past them. Matters become more complicated when Maddie makes a discovery in the account books, and Evan refuses to listen to her about it.

Evan makes a boneheaded mistake in trying to send Maddie to the country, while Maddie finds her backbone and makes alternate arrangements. I loved watching her come into her own with other women of like minds. Meanwhile, Evan has some serious soul-searching to do. The catalyst for his awakening was a surprise, and I loved seeing Evan break free of the past. I loved his big moment at the end and finally seeing him and Maddie accept their differences and embrace the love they share.

#netgalley… (mehr)

Constance Townley, la duquesa de Wellford, siempre había tenido un comportamiento impecable. Así que, ¿por qué de pronto sentía un salvaje deseo de rebelarse?
Anthony de Portnay Smythe era una figura misteriosa. Un caballero de día que robaba secretos para el gobierno de noche.
Cuando Constance encontró a un hombre en su dormitorio en mitad de la noche, su primer instinto fue pedir ayuda, pero algo la detuvo. El ladrón se disculpó y se despidió elegantemente, robándole un beso… Y Constance supo que ésa no sería la última vez que viera a aquel fascinante granuja…… (mehr)

Well I just finished and I feel like I have whiplash. The ending was ridiculously abrupt. I was waiting for a gradual conclusion but it was just like BAM.

The rest of the story was entertaining. Nothing particularly deep - especially the developing relationship between Drusilla and John - they talked but it was too shallow for a believable relationship. Dru had glimpses of being a strong character but she was so naive, it was hard to love her. John was sweet but nothing that moved me.

Still, it was an easy read. 2.5 stars.… (mehr)