by Sarah M. Eden
Linus Lancaster, having spent years at sea, isn't entirely sure what to do as a gentleman. When his brother-in-law, Adam, the infamous Duke of Kielder, insists that Linus accompany him to a house party hosted by the dandy Philip, the Earl of Lampton, in order to make the trip tolerable (or, at least to keep Adam from strangling his annoying host), it gives Linus an excuse to avoid the estate he never wanted to inherit, since it should have gone to his now-deceased older brother and best friend. He soon comes to realize his sisters see this house party as an opportunity to find him a match. As he dodges their attempts, Linus finds a friend in Arabella, the dowager Lady Lampton's companion. Both used to being on the fringes in the lives of those around them, they soon come to the center of each other's lives.
Ah! I have been waiting forever to see a meeting between the Duke of Kielder and the Earl of Lampton--and this was better than I could have imagined. Loved it. That said, even though I've been eager for that particular plotline, it didn't overshadow Linus's and Arabella's story. They are both sweet and kind, and I truly enjoyed watching their friendship blossom love. True to form, Sarah Eden gives you deep characters that you wish were real, scenes and comments that will have you snorting with laughter, and polished writing. Fantastic read; lots of fun. You probably could read this as a stand-alone, but it's much better if you're read the previous books in the two series it ties together (The Lancaster Family and The Jonquil Brothers) to fully appreciate its awesomeness.
5 stars. Best of 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment