A terrific little novella that introduces the series Marrying the Duke. I didn't know about this story until after I read the main books, but it made no difference to my enjoyment of it. This is the story of the parents of the heroine in the first book, The Match of the Century. Jenny is the youngest daughter of the family and the most beautiful of the three. Her father is determined that Jenny will marry well enough to rescue him from his gambling debts. Jenny isn't thrilled with any of her suitors but is willing to do as she must - until she meets the bold and handsome Fyclan Morris.
Fyclan is an Irishman with a gift for making money. He is an officer with the East India Company and has been charged with recruiting various noblemen as investors. He is distracted from his goal when he catches sight of Jenny. He immediately recognizes her as "The One" his gypsy grandmother predicted for him. Even the knowledge that her father hates him doesn't deter Fyclan from his pursuit of Jenny.
I loved Fyclan's complete belief in his grandmother's prediction. His initial meeting with Jenny was very cleverly handled. I especially loved the fact that while he appreciated her beauty, it was her intelligence that he was drawn to. Jenny was stunned to encounter a gentleman who wasn't put off by her height or her bookishness and was thrilled to find someone who saw past the surface to who she was. Because of her father's attitude, their relationship was not an easy one. The method that Fyclan devised to enable him and Jenny to get to know each other was clever and very effective. But with time running out, he had to act fast. Jenny's father lived down to my expectations with his reaction to Fyclan's proposal. I loved seeing Jenny overcome her fears and believe in their love enough to go after what she wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue and seeing how happy she and Fyclan are, and that the best revenge is being happy.
Fyclan is an Irishman with a gift for making money. He is an officer with the East India Company and has been charged with recruiting various noblemen as investors. He is distracted from his goal when he catches sight of Jenny. He immediately recognizes her as "The One" his gypsy grandmother predicted for him. Even the knowledge that her father hates him doesn't deter Fyclan from his pursuit of Jenny.
I loved Fyclan's complete belief in his grandmother's prediction. His initial meeting with Jenny was very cleverly handled. I especially loved the fact that while he appreciated her beauty, it was her intelligence that he was drawn to. Jenny was stunned to encounter a gentleman who wasn't put off by her height or her bookishness and was thrilled to find someone who saw past the surface to who she was. Because of her father's attitude, their relationship was not an easy one. The method that Fyclan devised to enable him and Jenny to get to know each other was clever and very effective. But with time running out, he had to act fast. Jenny's father lived down to my expectations with his reaction to Fyclan's proposal. I loved seeing Jenny overcome her fears and believe in their love enough to go after what she wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue and seeing how happy she and Fyclan are, and that the best revenge is being happy.
