My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: I purchased this one.
Genre: Christian Regency Romance
Book Description: Her heart is her own--but her hand in marriage is another matter
Lady Charlotte Featherington is destined for great things on the marriage market. After all, as the beautiful daughter of a marquess, she should have her pick of the eligible nobility hen she debuts. She, however, has love at the top of her list of marriageable attributes. And her romantic heart falls hard for one particularly dashing, attentive suitor. Sadly for Charlotte, her noble father intends her betrothed to be someone far more dull.
William Hartwell may be a duke, but he knows he was Charlotte's father's pick, not the young lady's own choice. And the captivating Lady Charlotte does not strike him as a woman who will be wooed by his wealth or title. While she has captured his heart, he has no idea how to win hers in return--and the betrayal and scandal his first wife put him through makes it difficult for him to believe that love can ever be trusted. His only hope is that Charlotte's sense of responsibility will win out over her romantic notions.
Can a widowed duke and a romantically inclined lady negotiate a future and discover love beyond duty? Will they be able to find healing and hope from the legacy of grace? Poignant and charming, this is another beautifully written, clean and wholesome Regency romance from Carolyn Miller.
My thoughts: Lady Charlotte is a gently bred woman in the Regency Period. She has grown up with expectations on what her life should be. As she has her presentation to the Queen and is accepted for her Season, her hopes for love in a marriage are dashed when she realizes that her parents will not approve of the men who are turning her head.
Charlotte grows up a lot in this book. She starts as a silly girl and becomes a woman of grace and compassion. She grew on me as the book progressed. She has to learn what love really looks like, what she wants in her life, and how to serve others.
The Duke is a complex man. He lived a lie with his late wife and is still hurting from deceit. For some reason he is drawn to Charlotte from the moment he met her, but he is not wanting to put his heart in the hand of another and be hurt again.
This book was a interesting. Carolyn Miller's tale takes us into ballrooms, drawing rooms, London, and the countryside. The book's romance is not sudden, but it is built upon and nurtured. There is also a mystery on the side that adds intrigue.
This book contains some kissing and a little violence. It is also a Christian Regency Romance
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About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads) Carolyn Miller lives in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn's previous novels have won several contests, including the 2014 RWA "Touched by Love" and 2014 ACFW Gensis contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy.