Series:
Southern Belles in London (Book 1)
The duke's Southern belle…
Causing a stir in society!
Committed bachelor Andrew, Duke of Mansfield, is content
to believe the lady he's been betrothed to since childhood will never return.
But when the American Civil War drives Annabelle from her life in Virginia to
England, Andrew finds himself reluctantly captivated by her! Luckily, she is as
unwilling to wed as he is -- yet when inhibitions are lowered at a masked ball,
Andrew's intrigued to know the real Annabelle…
Terrific story of an American Southern belle and an
English duke who discover they have more in common than either would have
believed.
The story opens as Virginian Annabelle is put on a ship
bound for England and her maternal grandfather by her stepfather, who wants to
keep her safe from the US Civil War. She is furious and determined to return as
soon as she can. During the voyage, she reads her mother's diary and discovers
that she is not the daughter of a merchant and that her father was a duke. The
things she reads reinforce her determination never to marry a nobleman. It
comes as a shock when she arrives in England and finds out that she was
betrothed to the Duke of Mansfield as a child. Her grandfather is a terrible
man who plans to prove that Annabelle is a fraud to keep control of her
inheritance. He immediately sends her to Mansfield to keep anyone from knowing
she is there.
Andrew, Duke of Mansfield, has known of the betrothal for
years. But since his fiancée has been missing for twenty years, he doesn't
expect her to return. As a committed bachelor, he has no desire to marry. He's
shocked when he finds out she is on her way to England, especially when she
shows up on his doorstep.
I enjoyed the first meeting between Drew and Annabelle.
It was an impromptu meeting as he found her hiding in the stable. I liked their
conversation and seeing Drew utterly charmed by Annabelle. They continued their
conversation over breakfast. Drew found Annabelle's honesty refreshing, if a
bit naïve, as she explained her intention to return to America. I liked their
discussion of why he doesn't want to marry her and their mutual relief that
they are on the same page. Unfortunately for Drew, he is sure she is Lady
Annabelle, and they will therefore be required to marry.
I liked watching the relationship develop between Drew
and Annabelle. Because they share the reluctance to marry, it is easier for
them to be themselves around each other. Annabelle is honest about her dislike
of the British peerage system and how they treat those they see as beneath
them. She is pleasantly surprised to find that Drew agrees with her and makes
the welfare of his workers one of his top priorities. Drew is impressed by Annabelle's
kindness to everyone, especially how she jumps in to help when Gunnar's wife is
in labor. It isn't long before each realizes their feelings are growing, but
neither wants to admit it.
I liked seeing Drew, Annabelle, and Drew's friend Roger
conspire to foil her grandfather's intentions. Hosting a house party at Mansfield
enables society members to get to know Miss Annabelle Smith without giving away
her connection to the earl. It does, however, pave the way for when her true
identity is revealed, making it harder for him to declare her a fraud. Her grandfather
isn't going to take the potential loss of income easily and sets up an
"accident" that puts Drew's life in danger. I loved seeing Annabelle
take control of the situation as only she could and bring the perfect resolution.
All that remained was for her and Drew to finally admit their feelings for each
other and plan their future together.
There were some tense moments when Annabelle received
word that her hometown had been burned and her stepfather was missing. I loved
Drew's determination to help her discover what happened to him. I loved the
ending and seeing how everything turned out.
I liked Drew's friend Roger and would love to see him get his own story. He needs shaking up.
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