Her good friend…
Is suddenly a duke's heir!
Miss Jocelyn Sudderfeld is working at Edge Hall,
indulging her love of translating ancient texts with her librarian father --
and evading the need to marry! She's always enjoyed a teasing friendship with
estate manager Mr. Alex Cheverton. Until he unexpectedly becomes the Duke's
heir. Now his first duty is to marry a suitable debutante, not consort with an
earnest bluestocking like her… So where does that leave their friendship?
Good friends to lovers story. Jocelyn lives with her
father and brother in the Dower House at Edge Hall. The Duke employs her father
and brother to translate Greek texts of Euripides into English, while Jocelyn
ostensibly writes it all down. In truth, Jocelyn is far more involved than
anyone knows, and exposure would mean disaster for her family. One of the
benefits of being at Edge Hall is Jocelyn's friendship with estate manager Alex
Cheverton.
Alex is a distant cousin of the Duke's, who hired him as
manager straight out of Oxford. In the six years since then, Alex grew into the
job and gained an excellent reputation. He owns a small estate where his mother
and sister live, while his position at Edge Hall provides the money needed to
support them. One of the bright spots of a somewhat quiet existence is his friendship
with Jocelyn.
I enjoyed the relationship between Jocelyn and Alex. They've
known each other since she was sixteen and have an outwardly sibling-like
relationship. They tease and torment each other like brother and sister, but
there is an undercurrent of something more they try to ignore. Jocelyn's crush
on Alex grew into love, but she sees no future in it. She avoids thoughts of
marriage because she won't give up her scholarly work for any man. Alex becomes
more aware of Jocelyn's charms, but after a disastrous romance as a youth, he refuses
to allow himself any extreme emotions. A spontaneous and unexpected kiss stirs
up feelings that neither welcomes and though they agree to ignore it, returning
to their previously uncomplicated friendship proves impossible.
Matters become more complicated when the Duke's son dies,
and Alex discovers he is the new heir. The Duke summons Alex to London, where
he begins Alex's training in ducal duties, including the necessity to marry the
"right" woman. Alex, who never expected to be in this position, knows
his duty but desperately misses Jocelyn and his simpler life. Meanwhile, Jocelyn's
great aunt, Lady Bellingame, invites her to London with the intent of finding
Jocelyn a husband. While she has no intention to marry, Jocelyn accepts the
invitation in the hopes of seeing Alex a few more times before they must part
permanently.
I ached for Alex, who wanted to do right by the Duke and
follow his advice. He's a bit overwhelmed by everything, and stolen moments
with Jocelyn are a relief. I loved those times together and seeing how perfect
they are together. While Alex can accept the various responsibilities that face
him, the marriage requirement hits him hard. Though he originally planned a
passionless marriage, when faced with the Duke's choice, Alex faces a difficult
choice.
Meanwhile, Jocelyn gained a persistent suitor who appears
to accept her for who she is. But can she trust him with her secret, and what
about her feelings for Alex? There's a beautiful moment when Jocelyn and Alex
share a dance, with their feelings vividly apparent on their faces. Though Alex
now knows his mind and heart, Jocelyn fears his reaction to her secret and
pushes him away, and the Duke makes his displeasure known. I loved the
confrontation with the Duke and Alex's masterful handling of it. I loved the ending as Alex finds the way to
win his heart's desire. Everything wrapped up quite neatly.
I liked the brief scenes with Alex's friends, whom I
assume will be the subjects of the next two books in the series. All three of
them have challenges to face. I look forward to seeing what the author has in
store for Gregory and Crispin.
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