Will this shopkeeper's daughter
Become belle of the ball?
Rachael Albright's future is going up in flames—first her
betrothal ends, then she learns she's about to become penniless! Thank goodness
for Devlin Bryan, Viscount Montfort, who vows to help save her family's
suffering jewelry shop. As a friend, of course—she's a most unsuitable match
for a viscount…and anyway, her employees need her. But when sparks flare, will
her attraction to the dashing Devlin mean getting burned again?
Rachael is the daughter of a jewelry store owner. Thanks
to her mother's childhood friendship with a countess, Rachael and her mom were
invited to a ball. Due to a disastrous series of events, Rachael's dress
caught on fire. Devlin, attending the ball at his mother's request, doused the
flames quickly. While recovering at the Countess's home, Rachael and Devlin
became friends.
Rachael started the story engaged to Mr. Tenney. They
courted for several years and engaged for two years, with no progress toward a
wedding. While recovering, Rachael received an obnoxious letter from her fiancé,
detailing all of the things he found wrong with her and angling for her to
break the engagement. I ached for Rachael because Mr. Tenney blindsided her
with his attitude. Her heartbreak grows when he implies that her father's
business isn't doing well.
Devlin is a light-hearted man, well-known for his ability
to defuse tense situations. He is one of those men who can tell a person to go
to hell and have them look forward to the trip. His relationships with women
are just as light, as he ensures that none of them get too invested in him. To
all appearances, Devlin doesn't seem to have any interest in more serious
matters.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Rachael
and Devlin. From the moment he doused the flames of her dress, Devlin felt unexpectedly
protective of her. I liked his support of Rachael over the broken engagement.
His fury and disgust at Mr. Tenney's actions helped ease some of the sting of
the rejection. Devlin and Rachael had some interesting discussions about their
opposite life views - his light, not-too-serious attitude versus her practical
one. When Rachael decides she needs to help save the jewelry shop, Devlin is
right there with some advice on doing it.
Because she is not part of that world, Rachael frequently
feels out of place at the Society events she attends. I liked how Devlin attempted
to boost her self-confidence. Even after she went home, there were late-night
visits where they talked. It was during these times that the flames of attraction
began to grow. While Rachael gets more involved in the family business, she
puts the idea of marriage behind her. This led to a somewhat surprising action
on her part. I loved how Devlin realized his growing feelings for Rachael and
his determination to make her his. Rachael was a harder nut to crack, worried
about whether his feelings would change the way Mr. Tenney's did. It took some
effort by Devlin to convince her.
I liked seeing them come together at the end, as Devlin's
love helped Rachael see another side of herself. I liked the confidence she
developed because of him and how it helped her with the efforts to save her
father's business. The ending was sweet as their decision to marry was based on
love and respect for each other's strengths. I liked the last bit that showed
after their marriage and the look at the Devlin behind the public façade.
I was a little disappointed in the Mr. Tenny storyline.
He spent a lot of time being an obnoxious jerk and making threats about the
business. His last confrontation with Rachael was pretty intense. I waited to
see what would happen with him, but he just faded away. I hoped to see some
kind of justice come his way.
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