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Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh presents the first historical romance in the Westcott series, where the death of an earl reveals a most scandalous secret. Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune and a scandalous secret that will forever alter the lives of everyone in his familyâ??including the daughter no one knew he had... Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of the family she came from. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. She is also overjoyed to learn she has siblings. However, they want nothing to do with her or her attempts to share her new wealth. But the new earlâ??s guardian is interested in Annaâ?¦ Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, keeps others at a distance. Yet something prompts him to aid Anna in her transition from orphan to lady. As London society and her newfound relatives threaten to overwhelm Anna, Avery steps in to rescue her and finds himself vulnerable to feelings and desires he has hidden so well and for… (more)
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I liked Anna's
I struggled with some long-winded passages, necessary, I suppose, to set-up the series; the romance was not strong enough and the setting didn't feel like a Regency, felt more like an old-fashioned romance.
Nothing like the strong emotion in Balogh's older books such as Summer to Remember, Heartless, Longing, The Temporary Wife, The Secret Pearl and others. Still, I'm interested enough to want to find out what happens to the cast of characters we met in this first book.
A new historical romance series with a relatively independent female MC and an equally fascinating male lead. The characters, both the MCs and the supporting ones, are dynamic. The reader gets to see all their sides, the weaknesses as well as the strengths. I like that the Duke is a bit
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Avery Archer is the Duke of Netherby and keeps everyone at a distance, now he finds himself drifting towards Anna and he finds her interesting. A relationship develops but can it survive all the stresses?
I liked the characters and how Avery wins the duel. Anna is very determined to be her own person and you can see the hardships in doing that here. I enjoyed the read and found it very difficult to put down. The constant drumbeat about how small Avery was marred an otherwise good read.
Read this book if you like historical romances
I am a fan of Ms. Balogh. If I was not, I might not have gotten through this one. It started very slowly and for the first three chapters I had no idea who the hero was. I had to go back to read the blurb to find out, and
As to the racism comments I've read in reviews - balderdash. A "Chinaman" teaches Avery martial arts. How is that racist?
Because it was Mary Balogh, I stuck with the story and read to the satisfying conclusion. The ending was a bit rushed, could have been spoon fed to us along the journey, but it explained away a world of sins throughout the story. Bullied as a child, Avery finds his way in the world with the aid of his martial arts teacher, who teaches him self-perception influences how others perceive you. Anna is the perfect Cinderella, thrust into a life she could only dream of with poise and grace.
If you're new to Mary Balogh, this is NOT the book to start with. If you're an "on the fence" Mary Balogh fan, skip this one. If you are a fan, stick with this one. It gets better.
This is the first book in a series and I'm looking forward to the novels for Alexander, Elizabeth, and Harry. I think Harry has a lot of potential for being a compelling, angsty lead with a nice redemption arc. However, at times I felt like the book was just introducing characters to start up the next books, which wasn't so bad since I genuinely enjoy the characters and am looking forward to checking out the next books.
Four stars instead of five because I thought the Chinese martial arts master could have been written a bit better and sometimes Anna's letters were redundant.
There is much to enjoy in this book. Recommended for fans of Regencies.