New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath pens another richly satisfying romance in her Sins for all Seasons series.
THE EARL TAKES A FANCY by LORRAINE HEATH
Series: Sins for All Seasons #5
Publication date: March 31, 2020
Published by: Avon Romance
Genre: historical romance
SYNOPSIS
She’s looking for a nobleman to wed…
Though born out of wedlock, Fancy Trewlove is determined to fulfill her mother’s wish that she marry into nobility. Fancy’s keen intellect and finishing school manners make her the perfect wife for any gentleman—if he’s willing to overlook her scandalous lineage. But Fancy’s plans are thrown into chaos when an intriguing commoner begins visiting her bookshop—and she finds herself unable to stop thinking about him.
He’s looking to escape his title…
Widowed just a year ago, the reclusive Matthew Sommersby, Earl of Rosemont, has been besieged by women hoping to become his next wife. Desperate for anonymity, he sheds Society life to search for the peace that eludes him. Fancy’s shop is his one refuge, until the night their passion erupts into a kiss that nearly leads to her ruin—and leaves both longing for much more.
Together, they discover an unlikely love…
As Fancy finds herself torn between her family’s expectations and her growing feelings for Matthew, secrets are exposed—secrets that force Fancy to question if she can trust her heart’s desire...
Purchase your copy now!Though born out of wedlock, Fancy Trewlove is determined to fulfill her mother’s wish that she marry into nobility. Fancy’s keen intellect and finishing school manners make her the perfect wife for any gentleman—if he’s willing to overlook her scandalous lineage. But Fancy’s plans are thrown into chaos when an intriguing commoner begins visiting her bookshop—and she finds herself unable to stop thinking about him.
He’s looking to escape his title…
Widowed just a year ago, the reclusive Matthew Sommersby, Earl of Rosemont, has been besieged by women hoping to become his next wife. Desperate for anonymity, he sheds Society life to search for the peace that eludes him. Fancy’s shop is his one refuge, until the night their passion erupts into a kiss that nearly leads to her ruin—and leaves both longing for much more.
Together, they discover an unlikely love…
As Fancy finds herself torn between her family’s expectations and her growing feelings for Matthew, secrets are exposed—secrets that force Fancy to question if she can trust her heart’s desire...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
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The Earl Takes a Fancy by Lorraine HeathMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Earl Takes a Fancy is about the youngest sibling in the Trewlove family, Fancy. She was probably the one I was most looking forward to. I loved the fact that she's a book lover who runs a bookstore. Fancy is sweet, if a little naive. She's also a romantic, but looks at her upcoming season pragmatically. She could have easily have been spoiled, being given so many more advantages than her brothers and sisters, but she chooses to help give back through educating the illiterate.
My fondest memories are of each of them reading to me, when I was quite small. It was magical. So, I wanted to open a bookshop in order to surround myself with the stories that my brothers and sister had loved enough to share with me. When I see the spines lined up on a shelf, it makes me happy. I’m happier still when someone takes a book home with them.
Fancy is a people pleaser, which is probably her biggest fault. Her family has been grooming her for her entire life to eventually marry into the nobility and have a "fancy life." She's been taught social niceties, expectations, and a substantial dowry to tempt the upper class. Now she feels as if she owes it to everyone to enter the season and make their dreams a reality. Never mind that she's perfectly content running her bookshop and would happily become a spinster who works and supports herself. Of course it was unheard of for women to own their own property back then, impossible in fact. So she sets her mind to giving everything up very soon and tries to cherish the time that she has left.
Matthew, the Earl of Rosemont, has become a bitter recluse after being trapped into marriage by a deceitful woman. After she passed away, he had no interest in entering back into society again, and avoids social gatherings at all costs. He doesn't care to live in his very comfortable estates either, but prefers to be incognito in Fancy's neighborhood at a more humble residence. There, he isn't Rosemont, the grieving widower being chased by greedy social climbers. He can enjoy a modicum of peace and privacy as a simple Mr. Sommersby. After meeting Fancy at her bookshop, he's quickly charmed by her, but isn't able to trust after being manipulated so easily before.
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. He was not going to be enticed into falling into her web of deceit by her passion for books or her ability to create a shop that invited one in and offered comfort as welcoming as a warm blanket on a chilly evening. Or her large eyes or her pretty face or her kindness to a pub serving girl or her welcoming of a stranger.
The biggest issue for me however, was the main conflict at the end. It really detracted from my rating because up until that point, I was really enjoying the progression of their romance. Matthew was being deceptive with her by not telling her his true identity, but I didn't get upset by it because he knew she was looking for a titled husband. This is a major sore point for him, and he wanted to be sure that she loved the man rather than the title. He was starving for true affection.
At the very first moment his trust in her was tested, he failed big time. He immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion despite falling hard for her and witnessing her true character. Through the entire book, he never mistreated her based on his late wife's actions. Until then. It was really maddening, especially the fact that he never came to his senses and realized on his own that he had been in the wrong. Instead, a vague acquaintance of Fancy's was the one to knock some sense into him. It all resolves in a rushed manner that wasn't very satisfactory, though I really loved how things conclude in the epilogue.
He could gaze into those brown depths for the remainder of his life and never fully uncover all the various facets to her.
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