Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good friends-to-lovers/second chance story. Eleanor and Fred were best friends years earlier, and he was her secret crush. She was the vicar's daughter, and he was the earl's youngest son. Then Eleanor's mother died, and she had to leave school to care for her father. Fred joined the army and went off to fight Napoleon, and they lost touch.
After her father died, Eleanor and her sister Mary moved to Bath to join their friend, Lady Henrietta. Together, they established a matchmaking agency and have enjoyed some modest success. Imagine Eleanor's shock when she ran into Fred in Bath. As the new Earl of a financially strapped estate, Fred must marry a rich wife, and Eleanor promises to find him one. To do so, she must bury her feelings for him.
As the younger son, Fred joined the army to make his way in the world. He had dreams of returning someday and marrying Eleanor, but between the stupid things he did as a young man and the things he witnessed during the war, he no longer feels worthy of her. He returned to England after the deaths of his father and brother, only to discover that the estate was in dire straits. He needs an infusion of cash; the best solution is to marry.
I ached for Fred and Eleanor. It is immediately evident that they still have feelings for each other but are caught in an impossible situation. Fred needs money, but Eleanor doesn't have what he needs. The more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings grow. There were some sweet scenes of them as they rekindled their friendship, but their inability to find a way to be together was frustrating. I had hope when Fred found a way to raise some of what he needed, and I wanted to shake Eleanor over her determined self-sacrifice of her happiness. I felt like she didn't trust Fred to know his own mind and heart. I loved the surprise solution that enabled Fred to finally convince Eleanor that they could be together.
There was a secondary romance in the book between Fred's stepmother and a man from her past. Anthony was terrific, and I loved watching him fall deeper under Penelope's spell. However, another case of potential self-sacrifice nearly ended things before Pen accepted that she, too, deserved to be happy.
I enjoyed seeing the matchmaking business in Bath rather than London. It is always nice to see the world outside of the nobility and experience the lives of more ordinary people. Another character was introduced near the end that I suspect will play a part in the next book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
#netgalley
After her father died, Eleanor and her sister Mary moved to Bath to join their friend, Lady Henrietta. Together, they established a matchmaking agency and have enjoyed some modest success. Imagine Eleanor's shock when she ran into Fred in Bath. As the new Earl of a financially strapped estate, Fred must marry a rich wife, and Eleanor promises to find him one. To do so, she must bury her feelings for him.
As the younger son, Fred joined the army to make his way in the world. He had dreams of returning someday and marrying Eleanor, but between the stupid things he did as a young man and the things he witnessed during the war, he no longer feels worthy of her. He returned to England after the deaths of his father and brother, only to discover that the estate was in dire straits. He needs an infusion of cash; the best solution is to marry.
I ached for Fred and Eleanor. It is immediately evident that they still have feelings for each other but are caught in an impossible situation. Fred needs money, but Eleanor doesn't have what he needs. The more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings grow. There were some sweet scenes of them as they rekindled their friendship, but their inability to find a way to be together was frustrating. I had hope when Fred found a way to raise some of what he needed, and I wanted to shake Eleanor over her determined self-sacrifice of her happiness. I felt like she didn't trust Fred to know his own mind and heart. I loved the surprise solution that enabled Fred to finally convince Eleanor that they could be together.
There was a secondary romance in the book between Fred's stepmother and a man from her past. Anthony was terrific, and I loved watching him fall deeper under Penelope's spell. However, another case of potential self-sacrifice nearly ended things before Pen accepted that she, too, deserved to be happy.
I enjoyed seeing the matchmaking business in Bath rather than London. It is always nice to see the world outside of the nobility and experience the lives of more ordinary people. Another character was introduced near the end that I suspect will play a part in the next book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
#netgalley
