Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good story about two people who aren't looking for love but find it anyway. Tremaine is a wealthy businessman who has arrived at the Earl of Bellefonte's estate to negotiate for the purchase of the earl's flock of Merino sheep. Upon arrival, he discovers that he's not the only one interested and that the earl contemplates using the sheep as hooks to find husbands for his sisters. Tremaine has had no thoughts of marriage in the near future but finds himself intrigued by Lady Nita, the oldest of the sisters. Nita considers herself firmly on the shelf. After the death of her mother, she devoted herself to running the house and taking care of her siblings, as well as serving as a healer for the district. With her brother's marriage, she has lost the need to run the house and has thrown herself into caring for the villagers and tenants.
I liked both Tremaine and Nita. He is the son of a French Comte and a Scottish woman who lost their lives during the Terror. He is somewhat bitter about the way that his mother abandoned him with his Scottish grandfather and returned to France with her husband. His childhood with his grandfather wasn't very pleasant and has caused him to keep his distance from what little family he has left. He prefers increasing his fortune using his wits rather than depending on his aristocratic background. As plain Mr. St. Michael he doesn't flaunt his wealth. Though a bit standoffish at the beginning, as he spends more time with the family his kindness and thoughtfulness become more apparent. Nita is independent, forthright, and more than a little stubborn. After a brief brush with romance when she was younger, she avoids any plans for marriage. Her dedication to caring for the sick has put her at odds with her family, especially her oldest brother, the local doctor, and the vicar. She won't turn away anyone who comes to her for help, including the local fallen woman. She doesn't judge; she simply renders whatever aid she can.
The relationship between Tremaine and Nita developed slowly. Tremaine was drawn to and intrigued by Nita and the way that she cared for everyone else. They began with quiet conversations as they would encounter each other at various times of day. I loved the scenes where Tremaine accompanied Nita to Addy's house. His compassion and kindness were evident, as was the difficulty of the memories that were resurrected. His actions endeared him to Nita, who had expected him to stay distant while she did what she had to do. I also liked her calming effect on him when he had a problem with his sheep. The more time they spent with each other, the more a feeling of attraction grew between them. As Tremaine spent more time thinking about Nita, he began to contemplate the idea of marriage. His thought processes were interesting, as was his broaching of the subject with Nita. She had a rather pragmatic reaction, with an unexpected prerequisite to accepting. One thing they didn't do was talk about their expectations, and this would come back to cause problems. As much as Tremaine admired Nita's dedication to her healing, he didn't seem to understand that it was more than what she does, it was a bone-deep part of who she is. On her side, Nita didn't understand how deep Tremaine's need to protect her was. When those two things came up against each other, and neither was willing to bend, things did not look good for their future. Their eyes were opened by an unexpected crisis, and I liked how both of them took a hard look at their beliefs. I loved their well thought out solutions and compromises.
There was a secondary story going on involving Nita's sister Susannah and her determination to marry their neighbor, Edward Nash. It turns out that there is much more going on with him than most of her family knows. Nita has her suspicions, but because she learned it in confidence, she is hesitant to say anything. Personally, I think she was wrong in that instance. I understood Susannah's desire to marry since it was what was expected, but I thought she was settling for too little. I didn't like Edward's attitude and treatment of Elsie and Digby, which gave a good indication of his character. I thought he got off a bit easily at the end.
I enjoyed the other secondary characters in the story. Nicholas, of course, who is blissfully happy with his bride, though he also frustrated me at times. If he had simply explained his objections about Nita's healing trips to her, there might not have been so many confrontations. Nita's other two sisters, Della and Kirsten, had their unique personalities and storylines. As the youngest, Della is the one who is most aware of what is going on with everyone else. Kirsten sometimes appears selfish, but she does have a kind heart and ends up being very helpful to Nita. She is also adept at defusing some confrontations. My favorite was George. His differences are handled sympathetically and without judgment. I enjoyed his introspective moments and what they revealed about him. I also liked that Tremaine realized that George was much smarter than many gave him credit for. George also has a very protective side that is revealed in an unexpected way. I hope to see more of him in later books.
I liked both Tremaine and Nita. He is the son of a French Comte and a Scottish woman who lost their lives during the Terror. He is somewhat bitter about the way that his mother abandoned him with his Scottish grandfather and returned to France with her husband. His childhood with his grandfather wasn't very pleasant and has caused him to keep his distance from what little family he has left. He prefers increasing his fortune using his wits rather than depending on his aristocratic background. As plain Mr. St. Michael he doesn't flaunt his wealth. Though a bit standoffish at the beginning, as he spends more time with the family his kindness and thoughtfulness become more apparent. Nita is independent, forthright, and more than a little stubborn. After a brief brush with romance when she was younger, she avoids any plans for marriage. Her dedication to caring for the sick has put her at odds with her family, especially her oldest brother, the local doctor, and the vicar. She won't turn away anyone who comes to her for help, including the local fallen woman. She doesn't judge; she simply renders whatever aid she can.
The relationship between Tremaine and Nita developed slowly. Tremaine was drawn to and intrigued by Nita and the way that she cared for everyone else. They began with quiet conversations as they would encounter each other at various times of day. I loved the scenes where Tremaine accompanied Nita to Addy's house. His compassion and kindness were evident, as was the difficulty of the memories that were resurrected. His actions endeared him to Nita, who had expected him to stay distant while she did what she had to do. I also liked her calming effect on him when he had a problem with his sheep. The more time they spent with each other, the more a feeling of attraction grew between them. As Tremaine spent more time thinking about Nita, he began to contemplate the idea of marriage. His thought processes were interesting, as was his broaching of the subject with Nita. She had a rather pragmatic reaction, with an unexpected prerequisite to accepting. One thing they didn't do was talk about their expectations, and this would come back to cause problems. As much as Tremaine admired Nita's dedication to her healing, he didn't seem to understand that it was more than what she does, it was a bone-deep part of who she is. On her side, Nita didn't understand how deep Tremaine's need to protect her was. When those two things came up against each other, and neither was willing to bend, things did not look good for their future. Their eyes were opened by an unexpected crisis, and I liked how both of them took a hard look at their beliefs. I loved their well thought out solutions and compromises.
There was a secondary story going on involving Nita's sister Susannah and her determination to marry their neighbor, Edward Nash. It turns out that there is much more going on with him than most of her family knows. Nita has her suspicions, but because she learned it in confidence, she is hesitant to say anything. Personally, I think she was wrong in that instance. I understood Susannah's desire to marry since it was what was expected, but I thought she was settling for too little. I didn't like Edward's attitude and treatment of Elsie and Digby, which gave a good indication of his character. I thought he got off a bit easily at the end.
I enjoyed the other secondary characters in the story. Nicholas, of course, who is blissfully happy with his bride, though he also frustrated me at times. If he had simply explained his objections about Nita's healing trips to her, there might not have been so many confrontations. Nita's other two sisters, Della and Kirsten, had their unique personalities and storylines. As the youngest, Della is the one who is most aware of what is going on with everyone else. Kirsten sometimes appears selfish, but she does have a kind heart and ends up being very helpful to Nita. She is also adept at defusing some confrontations. My favorite was George. His differences are handled sympathetically and without judgment. I enjoyed his introspective moments and what they revealed about him. I also liked that Tremaine realized that George was much smarter than many gave him credit for. George also has a very protective side that is revealed in an unexpected way. I hope to see more of him in later books.
What words can I use to describe my latest read? How about marvelous? Would romantic work for you? Most of all, intimate is the word of the day. Sigh. That is the heartfelt sound of a well-satisfied reader. I have only once read a Grace Burrowes novel (long ago and although enjoyable, I wasn't overly impressed at the time), but how could I resist a title such as Tremaine's True Love? The title alone suggests our hero is a man seriously in love, and a man in love will do just about anything, right? Heck ya, I want to read all about that.
Well-rounded characters were what made this romance shine. Tremaine and Nita were equals in temperament, dedicated, forthright, and levelheaded. As a whole, their story was subtle, never once resorting to in-your-face antics, schemes, theatrics, or overblown family members. Their conflict revolved around a woman's profession, an integral part of her individuality, and a man who did not quite understand that. Their quiet attraction was apparent in their curiosity in the other with meaningful conversations and kisses sprinkled throughout. I had to stay sharp to catch nuances. I reveled in their humanness, their insecurities, and secret hopes in their budding love. Their courtship was understated and at the same time profound and so very adult. Even the love scenes were downplayed but still passionate and erotic. (Yes, Burrowes proved it is possible.) After a heart-rending realization and unavoidable separation, they found a compromise, happily and without a trace of regret or resentment. Good stuff here, folks!
Despite my preference for a liberal dosage of spice in my romances, there is no doubt that Tremaine's True Love was all sorts of lovely. Tremaine and Nita were inspired examples of what a romance junkie desires in a novel, to be swept away in fantasy and perhaps even in real life. I was very happy to rediscover Grace Burrowes. I may not be accustomed to her style, but I am a believer now and totally on board for the rest of this series (The Haddonfield Ladies).
Well-rounded characters were what made this romance shine. Tremaine and Nita were equals in temperament, dedicated, forthright, and levelheaded. As a whole, their story was subtle, never once resorting to in-your-face antics, schemes, theatrics, or overblown family members. Their conflict revolved around a woman's profession, an integral part of her individuality, and a man who did not quite understand that. Their quiet attraction was apparent in their curiosity in the other with meaningful conversations and kisses sprinkled throughout. I had to stay sharp to catch nuances. I reveled in their humanness, their insecurities, and secret hopes in their budding love. Their courtship was understated and at the same time profound and so very adult. Even the love scenes were downplayed but still passionate and erotic. (Yes, Burrowes proved it is possible.) After a heart-rending realization and unavoidable separation, they found a compromise, happily and without a trace of regret or resentment. Good stuff here, folks!
Despite my preference for a liberal dosage of spice in my romances, there is no doubt that Tremaine's True Love was all sorts of lovely. Tremaine and Nita were inspired examples of what a romance junkie desires in a novel, to be swept away in fantasy and perhaps even in real life. I was very happy to rediscover Grace Burrowes. I may not be accustomed to her style, but I am a believer now and totally on board for the rest of this series (The Haddonfield Ladies).
