A viscount-in-waiting
Finds a convenient wife
To claim his inheritance, Leo Ashburton needs a bride who
accepts that he can offer her a title and a house, but not love. Annabelle
Hummingford -- whose scarred face has made her hide from society -- seems like
the perfect match. But as his shy wife blossoms into a confident, mesmerizing
woman, Leo is torn. Falling for her risks being hurt again -- but will burying
his feelings mean losing her altogether?
Good book about two lonely people whose past hurts hold
them back from living full lives. As a young child, Annabelle was badly scarred
on one cheek. Since that time, Annabelle's mother told her over and over that
she must stay at home to spare others the sight of her scars. After years of
this treatment, Annabelle believes that her scars are who she is and that no
one would see past them. On those rare occasions Annabelle left the property,
she always wore a veil to hide her face. If it hadn't been for her sister,
Beth, her life would have been miserable indeed. Then Beth married and left for
India with her husband, leaving Annabelle with only her selfish, shrewish
mother.
Leo, the heir to a viscount, needs a wife. The current (dying)
viscount insists that Leo marry if he wants to inherit the funds necessary to
maintain all of the properties. Leo is a very private man who keeps everyone at
a distance. After the deaths of his parents when he was a child, he and his
brother were separated. Josh went to India with his guardian, while Leo lived
with a different guardian. She was a cold, unfeeling woman who made sure he was
cared for but showed no affection. His one attempt at a loving relationship
ended in disaster. He hides behind a mask of aloofness, certain that if he
comes to care for someone, sooner or later, that person will be taken from him.
I liked watching the relationship develop between Leo and
Annabelle. With her sister married to his brother, they know each other a
little bit. When Leo needs to find a wife, he knows what he needs - a woman who
accepts that he cannot offer love. Annabelle seems to be a perfect choice - a
woman uninterested in Society, content to stay at home. When he lays his
proposal in front of her, Leo is honest about his expectations. While Annabelle
longs for a marriage like her sister's, she knows it is unlikely. Marrying Leo provides
a way to escape from under her mother's thumb and have a home of her own.
Neither Annabelle nor Leo expected the attraction or the
feelings that grew between them. Leo planned that he would spend most of his
time in London while Annabelle lived in the country, rarely spending time
together. But when he became ill right after their wedding, Annabelle cared for
him. The more time they spent together, the more they discovered they liked
each other. Though wary, Leo agreed with Annabelle that friendship and
companionship were possible. Unfortunately for his plans, Leo found the walls
around his heart crumbling.
I liked how Leo saw past Annabelle's scars to the
fascinating woman she was. Disgusted by how her mother treated her, Leo showed
Annabelle that she was more than her scars. I liked how he encouraged her to
leave off her veil and face people head-on. I liked seeing the changes in
Annabelle as her confidence grew. For Annabelle, the more time she spent with
Leo, the more she wanted their marriage to be real. When they were together,
she watched him begin to relax and enjoy their time together. I liked how she
encouraged him to talk about his good memories and his relationship with his
brother. But letting go of their fears isn't easy, and both Leo and Anabelle
have moments of backsliding. When one of those moments sends Annabelle running
back to safety, both of them must face their fears and their feelings and
decide which is more important. I loved the ending and seeing them both choose
love over fear. The epilogue was fantastic, with a peek into the lives of both
Ashburton couples a few years into the future.
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