Ever since the soldiers arrived in Spindle Cove, Corporal Samuel Thorne has been avoiding Miss Kate Taylor. But when Kate is stranded in town without the means to return home, Corporal Thorne offers her a ride. Sharing a horse, a puppy, and a passionate kiss, Kate and Samuel arrive home to find a family of aristocrats claiming Kate may be their long lost cousin. Samuel doesn't trust them. In order to protect her, Samuel declares that he and Kate are engaged. Kate soon finds herself falling in love with the reticent commander. But Samuel knows that he must keep his distance and not act on his attraction to her or secrets from the past may ruin her life.
After reading the previous books in the series, I couldn't wait to get started on this one. Kate is an orphan looking for a place where she can be accepted and someone to love her. Samuel is a quiet man who doesn't believe he has much to offer a woman. The Grammercy family are an eccentric bunch who think Kate may be one of their relatives. They are a nice addition and totally fit in with the rest of the inhabitants of Spindle Cove. This book wasn't as light or as funny as the previous books, but the characters and the romance make this one a winner. My rating: 5 Stars.
Not sure why I took so long to pick this up. The last two books in this series I enjoyed very much and this one was no different. Kate and Thorne were characters previously introduced and I was looking forward to their story. There were a few eye-roll moments (he is so BIG, will he FIT?), but the romance and characters (both primary and secondary) more than made up for them. I really enjoyed the Gramercys. They reminded me of the Hathaways- close-nit, loving, supportive, and very unconventional.
Ms. Dare is a very talented author. Her spindle cove series is lighthearted without being cloying. Her newest book, "A Lady by Midnight", has one of the most wonderful hero's written this year. If you like your hero's taciturn and serious, Corporal Samuel Thorne is perfect. His character is well developed and interesting. Unfortunately, several other characters fall into the realm of farce.
The story twists about Miss Kate Taylor. An orphan working as a music teacher living in an extraordinary community of Spindle Cove. She is helpful kind and looking for her roots. Out of the blue an aristocratic family shows up looking for her and they think that Ms. Taylor is their missing family member. There is a brief mystery regarding who she is by birth, a emotional revelation of the first time she met Samuel, and a family mystery as to how she became lost.
The book is charming and a little silly in parts. If you are looking for gritty realism this is not the book for you. If you are looking for the best written hero this year...
