***SPOILER ALERT***
This is my first try with a Historical Romance novel. I wasn't sure I'd like it or that maybe it wouldn't be my cup of tea. I was pleasantly surprised. Jane TIndall isn't rich, she's not exceptionally beautiful but she's attractive by the standards of the late 1800's in London. She happens to be the cousin of a Baron but se kind of the "black sheep." Edmund Ware, Baron Kirkpatrick is Jane's Baron cousin's closest friend and he's known Jane most of her life. To him, he's just his friend's cousin. So when Edmund blows Jane's "cover" one evening in a card game with some men of questionable morals, they have to come up with a way to get Jane out and, pay her large debt. Quickly, they come up with a way: Kirkpatrick will marry Jane, get her dowry and pay off the debt. Edmund promises to pay off his "fiancee's" debt, and marries Jane out of convenience. But Edmund has some conveniences of his own he needs to fulfill. Edmund needs to create an heir to hold on to his title and the future of those he serves. Edmund also has some secrets of his own and Jane lets something slip on the night of their wedding that Edmund was never expecting to hear.
To see the transformation of Jane to that of a nobody who wants to be somebody, we see how she self-educates herself in becoming a proper Baroness. From botching up a proper greeting at a ball to learning how to dress appropriately, Jane learns. She also knows that her slip of the tongue on her wedding night has changed her physical relationship with Edmund, taking it from hot to cold on the first night. And Jane wants more.
I enjoyed reading how their relationship transformed. A marriage of convenience doesn't start out on the foundation of friendship and love. And while Jane and Edmund are friends of sorts, Edmund gets to see a different side of Jane throughout the book. I like how Theresa Romain didn't just make this a one time second look for Edmund and all of the sudden he realizes he loves Jane. She makes Jane and Edmund work for it.
Along the way there *is* plenty of SCANDAL. Preventing a scandal is what sets up the marriage of convenience, leaving Edmund starts a whole other scandal and figuring out how to not make Edmund's secret go public is a scandal gone undercover.
In the end, Jane helps Edmund with his huge problem, Edmund realizes his kindness to everyone makes Jane feel no different than anyone else and Edmund also realizes why he's been holding back true love for so long.
I thought Theresa Romain did an excellent job with writing the dialogue to match the times. I also enjoyed how she showed what was considered proper and not proper for the times. I was surprised that there were certain protocols even within the noble classes with how different titles were addressed or not addressed.
This is a great book. Part of a series. It left me not only satisfied but interested in checking out the rest of the books in the series. Definitely an A+ read for me.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review)
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