Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Helpful Score: 1
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.
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.
