Not especially memorable nor did it pull me in. I just did not fall for the romance?

THE REVIEW
Penelope Pettypeace has been the Duke of Kingsland’s secretary for nearly eight years and secretly loved him for most of that time. She was an efficient and faithful secretary doing his bidding to perfection. But she harbored secrets from her youth that haunted her still and made her weary to get to close to anyone.

Hugh Brinsley-Norton, Duke of Kingsland is a handsome, intimidating man. We saw him in the first book of the series when he announced Lady Kathryn Lambert as his choice for duchess but we only got to see a glimpse of the emotionless man he presented to the world. But it did leave an impression that he was more than he showed to Kathryn. While he has always appreciated Pettypeace’s opinion about investments and work related duties, it wasn’t until recently that he started to think of her in a more romantic way.

Watching them uncover feelings for each other and explore what that meant was just so special! Their banter was so fun and I loved that Penelope wasn’t intimidated by him and that he appreciated that! They were so sweet together! I also loved that Kingsland realized he had some sort of feelings for her because he couldn’t imagine not having her there every morning at breakfast or interacting with her throughout the day when he did marry. He would miss her presence and was reluctant to give it up!

Because the plot twists really play into the storyline, I’m refusing to give too much information in my review. Just read it; I never would have guessed Penelope or Kingsland’s secrets that keep them apart!
TROPES

Historical Romance, Victorian Era, Country Life, Season/Marriage Mart, Alpha Hero, Damaged/Tortured Hero, Protective Hero, Possessive/Jealous Hero, Starchy Hero, Titled Hero, Bluestocking Heroine, Damaged/Tortured Heroine, Independent Heroine, Matchmaker Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Wallflower Heroine, Working Heroine, Class Difference, Fling to Love, Unrequited Love, Workplace Romance, Hidden Identity, Secrets & Lies, Caught in the Rain, Oblivious to Love, Carriage Steam, Outdoor Steam, Wall Steam, Five Star, Three Steam ( )

Absolutely loved this! The characters, the plot, the writing - I adored all of it. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series. ( )

Loved this and have no idea how it took me so long to finally read Lorraine Heath. Lots of secrets kept by the characters, but I’m kind of glad that they were really only a focus much later in the book. I think King was right when he said that he and Penelope were made for each other. ( )

An employer/employee relationship, which can be tricky, but I liked how well the hero and his friends respected the heroine in her position, and she was quite capable of looking out for herself, so it worked for me. A lot of the book is just the two of them, getting to know each other better, so the relationship felt well developed. And it had a particularly nice proposal speech. =) ( )