Author: Miranda Neville
Publisher: Avon
ISBN-10: 006219903X
ISBN-13: 978-0062199034
Source: From Edelweiss for review
Buy it here: Amazon | Book Depository
For more information visit Miranda Neville's website
Reviewed by: Diane
In 1793, Carolyn Brotherton eloped to Gretna Green with Robert Townsend the heir to his father’s fortune and title. Six years after they eloped, Robert had gambled and squandered away his fortune on booze and women, leaving Caro in desperate straits. The only thing of value Robert had left her was a very valuable painting that he had purchased for her when they were first married. It had hung in their sitting room until he had died from excessive living and gambling and left her in terrible debt. Caro could not bear to part with the painting because Robert had bought it for her as a wedding gift and said it reminded him of her with the red hair. Robert’s oldest and dearest friends badgered her about the painting, claiming he had lost the painting to them in a dice game, but she didn’t believe any of them.
Caro was noted for her many parties and dinners for her struggling artist friends, but despite this her cousin Anne Brotherton came to visit with her to get a feel for life in London. Soon after her arrival His Grace Duke Castleton, Thomas Fitzcharles arrived to pay suit to Ann and ask for her hand in marriage.
He had money of his own but needed to marry a bride with money and property in order to dower his twin sisters , who in a couple of years would be old enough to be presented and he needed at least 20,000 pounds for each of them in order to make good marriages. His came went out the window the moment he saw Caro. How could he resist her she was so full of life and merriment while Anne was shy and as quiet as a church mouse.
With Robert’s death had come a mountain of debts for Cara and she would bring nothing to the marriage but herself, whom he’d grown to love very much. Even though he told her often that he loved her, she never responded, because in her heart she felt she was being unfaithful to Robert. However, when she lost miscarried Thomas’s baby in miscarriage, he was there to take care of her in contrast to Robert who could not be found when she delivered a baby boy which lived only a few moments after birth. Robert never saw his son and showed no sorrow at all for the babe or for Caro. She finally realizes she truly loves Thomas and his family very much and finally gets past the sadness of the miscarriage of his baby. When he returns from London on business he didn’t explain to her, she was ready to give her love to him completely. The business he had in London was to retrieve the painting she had given to Robert’s friend to sell for her. It was being auctioned to the highest bidder, but the Duke simply told the auctioneer that the picture belonged to his wife and now it belonged to him and he hadn’t given consent for it to be sold. He now had a wife with a dowry and a woman he loved very much.
This book captivates its reader, is a fun easy read, and one that the reader will not want to put down until finished. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a light hearted historical romance.
Miranda Neville has researched the time period, art, etc. to make this a true historical romance novel. It makes for a good read and is one that very hard to put down. Kudos to Ms. Neville for a job well done.
My Rating:
1 Comments:
Nice review Diane, now I want to read the book.
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