From shopkeeper…
To duke's wife
When Beatrix, Duchess of Howden, writes to her estranged
husband offering a divorce, she's stunned when he arrives on her doorstep with
a different proposition: a six-week marriage trial! Quinton Roxbury seems cold
and inscrutable, but Beatrix gradually realizes his rough exterior hides a
heavy burden. As their connection deepens, dare she trust him with her own
scandalous past and risk the marriage she never knew she wanted?
Good book. Beatrix, aka Belinda, made her first
appearance in the previous book,
Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer, as a young
woman in need of a job and a place to live. The ladies of Belles Biscuit Shop
take her in and train her as a baker. Her new friends sense that she has
secrets, but no one presses her for answers. At the end of the book, she
reveals that she's the Duchess of Howden, that she ran away immediately
following the wedding and wrote to her husband requesting a divorce. They are
surprised, of course, but ready to stand by and support their friend.
As this book opens, Beatrix waits for a response from her
husband. She does not expect him to show up in person, but there he is. Quin
doesn't want a divorce at all, but he listens to Beatrix's concerns and
proposes a three-month trial marriage. Beatrix doesn't want that at all but
whittles him down to six weeks for him to convince her to give their marriage a
chance.
I liked this meeting between Quin and Beatrix. She makes
it clear that she has nothing against him personally or the fact that he
married her for her money. After twelve years as a virtual prisoner of her
uncle and aunt, she prizes the freedom and independence she achieved and doesn't
want to give it up. She calls Quin out on the fact that she saw him once before
the wedding. Beatrix's outspokenness surprised Quin because he remembered her
as quiet and withdrawn. I liked that he admitted he was wrong in not spending
time to get to know her. Quin doesn't want the scandal of a divorce as his
family is already in the midst of one scandal but will give Beatrix her divorce
if she gives their marriage an honest chance first.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Quin and Beatrix
grow. In an effort to be as little like his father as possible, Quin prides
himself on keeping his emotions under control. It isn't easy under his current
circumstances. He is overwhelmed with bringing his estate back from the brink
of bankruptcy (thanks to Beatrix's money), plus dealing with a bitter, grumpy
mother, one brother determined to follow in their father's footsteps and
another who delights in stirring up trouble, one sullen sister and another who
spends her days hiding from everyone. The last thing he wants is the attraction
he feels for Beatrix to stir up unwanted emotions. Beatrix keeps her eye on the
prize of her freedom at the end of six weeks while fighting her attraction to
Quin.
I liked that Quin initially spent some time with Beatrix
and introduced her to his family. He also tried to protect her from their obnoxious
attitudes. He and Beatrix had some productive time together until the stirring
of his emotions caused him to pull back. Beatrix seemed to be just marking time
until she received a wake-up call from a family friend, Lady Jarrow. With Beatrix
settling into her role as duchess, Quin sees and feels the changes she brings
to all their lives. I liked seeing Beatrix break down some of Quin's walls and
release some of the emotions he's buried for so long.
But their newfound happiness is threatened when Beatrix's
uncle tries to blackmail her. I ached for Beatrix as she saw only one way to
protect Quin and the others from his plans. Quin's hurt was obvious, but he
couldn't deny Beatrix what she said she wanted, even though it broke his heart.
An explanation of why came from an unexpected source, sending Quin chasing
after her. I loved how Quin completely forgot his dislike of scandal as he
reclaimed his runaway bride. The epilogue was a good lead-in to the next book.
The interactions with Quin's family were interesting. His
mother was a pain in the butt with her condescending attitude toward Beatrix
and her refusal to do anything to help her. I liked seeing Beatrix exert her
rights as the new duchess while at the same time looking for a way to bring
peace to the family. I ached for Corin, the next brother, who felt like an
outsider in his own family. I loved how Beatrix discovered what bothered him
and found a way to fix it. Justin and Antigone spent a lot of time sniping at
each other until Beatrix found a way to reach them, too. My favorite was the
youngest, Helen. I loved how she took to Beatrix and made her feel welcome.
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