This beautiful story has complicated characters and many events to keep the action going. The chemistry between the main two characters is lacking in so many books I read. Not so here; the characters' passion for each other was dramatic and transparent to the reader.
The triangle starts early. Margaret Honeywell and Frederick Burton-Smythe are neighbors, and Fred thinks he will marry Margaret when she is old enough. However, Maggie is smitten with stable hand Nicholas Seaton, son of a whore and Gentleman Jim. All hell breaks out when Fred plants some of Margaret's heirloom jewelry in Nicholas' room.
Fred beats Nicholas, locks him in a locked stall, and runs to the magistrate (to have him shipped off to Australia). Maggie gets him out of the locked stall and gives him all the pin money she has, and Nicholas heads out for Bristol to find his father.
The action reconvenes ten years later. Mr. Honeywell has died and left an awful will. Margaret now has only six months before marrying Fred or losing the family mansion, property, and all of the money from the estate. Fred wins either way; if Maggie marries him, he gets her and her property, if she doesn't, he still gets all the property and money. Fred is currently her guardian and keeps her on a tight leash.
Suddenly, she crosses paths with John Beresford, Viscount St. Claire and she KNOWS he is Nicholas Seaton. St. Claire denies it, and Maggie is confused. Odious family members question St. Claire's right to inherit his grandfather's title and estate.
This sets the stage for a fascinating story that will keep the reader reading. This is a fascinating story with so many twists and turns the reader stays on the edge until the closing pages. Beautiful. One of Mimi Matthew's best.
The triangle starts early. Margaret Honeywell and Frederick Burton-Smythe are neighbors, and Fred thinks he will marry Margaret when she is old enough. However, Maggie is smitten with stable hand Nicholas Seaton, son of a whore and Gentleman Jim. All hell breaks out when Fred plants some of Margaret's heirloom jewelry in Nicholas' room.
Fred beats Nicholas, locks him in a locked stall, and runs to the magistrate (to have him shipped off to Australia). Maggie gets him out of the locked stall and gives him all the pin money she has, and Nicholas heads out for Bristol to find his father.
The action reconvenes ten years later. Mr. Honeywell has died and left an awful will. Margaret now has only six months before marrying Fred or losing the family mansion, property, and all of the money from the estate. Fred wins either way; if Maggie marries him, he gets her and her property, if she doesn't, he still gets all the property and money. Fred is currently her guardian and keeps her on a tight leash.
Suddenly, she crosses paths with John Beresford, Viscount St. Claire and she KNOWS he is Nicholas Seaton. St. Claire denies it, and Maggie is confused. Odious family members question St. Claire's right to inherit his grandfather's title and estate.
This sets the stage for a fascinating story that will keep the reader reading. This is a fascinating story with so many twists and turns the reader stays on the edge until the closing pages. Beautiful. One of Mimi Matthew's best.
W-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l! Romance, intrigue, a splash of adventure. To have a lost love suddenly reappear after a long absence when you thought all was beyond hopeâget the fan out! Matthews consistently delivers well-rounded tales with memorable characters you fall in love with. She has somehow aced the art of writing tender, kisses-only romances that still manage to be some the the most satisfying in the genre. Devote a chunk of time (you'll not want to be interrupted), keep the tissues handy, and prepare to be swept away.
(Disclaimer: I won my ARC copy through an author giveaway.)
(Disclaimer: I won my ARC copy through an author giveaway.)
