The most unlikely match…
might be the best fit!
After the young twins she cares for are orphaned, their
governess, Aislinn, will do anything to stay with them. So when their maverick
uncle -- aristocrat turned rancher -- Luke returns to England determined to
gain guardianship, she proposes a convenient marriage! As an unexpected
connection develops between them, Aislinn begins to long for a real future with
Luke. But his home is in Montana… Could it be hers, too?
Terrific book about two people who come together to care
for a pair of orphaned children. I loved seeing Luke and Aislinn bond over
their love for Fern and Ivy and slowly fall in love.
Aislinn has been caring for children almost her entire
life. Orphaned when she was eight, she was too old to be adopted, so she was
put to work caring for the younger children. As she got older, she trained to
be a governess, and the Duke and Duchess of Havenbrook hired her to care for
their twin daughters. She was happy working for them and devastated when both
died of food poisoning. The duke's next youngest brother inherited the title.
Percy and his wife are not nice people and quickly force Aislinn out of her
job. The way they booted her out with nothing was cruel. While walking off the
estate, Aislinn encounters Luke Carlisle, the youngest brother.
Luke left home at eighteen, disgusted with the
aristocratic lifestyle. Luke always had an acute case of wanderlust and spent
the intervening years traveling around America. He has settled in Montana,
where he owns a cattle ranch. Luke was distressed to hear of his brother's
death and hurried back to England to fulfill Rowland's request - to become the
guardian of Fern and Ivy. He is not looking forward to dealing with Percy. On
his way to the manor house, he is surprised to encounter the young woman who
was his nieces' governess.
I liked the first meeting between Luke and Aislinn. Luke
is a gentleman to the bone, and his protective instincts are aroused when he
hears her story. With quick thinking, he hires Aislinn to resume her job as the
girls' governess, this time working for him. She's a little wary but is equally
protective of Fern and Ivy, so she agrees. Their arrival at the manor house
caused quite a scene, but Percy couldn't do anything about it. Though Luke
thought the guardianship issue was a done deal, Percy creates doubt in his
mind. Luke packs up the girls and Aislinn and heads to London to deal with the problems.
I liked how Luke enlisted Aislinn to be his partner in
handling the problems that arose. When they visit the lawyer's office and discover
the doubts Percy has raised about Luke's fitness as guardian, Luke is at a loss
for how to counteract them. Aislinn states that she and Luke are planning to
marry, making Luke's single status a moot point. Luke is stunned by the
statement, as he has no plans to marry. But after thinking about it, Luke
agrees it is a good plan. It also allows him to leave Aislinn and the girls in
England while he returns to Montana. He believes they are better off in England
rather than the harsh conditions of Montana.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Luke and
Aislinn develop. To sell their marriage to the courts, they must appear like a
couple in love, which entails attending many social events. Neither is happy
about that because they detest the superficiality of society events. Luke believes
that he must give up his life in Montana, which increases his stress and
unhappiness. Aislinn sees his misery and wants him to be happy, so she pushes
him toward leaving as soon as his guardianship is secured. The more time they
spend together, the closer they become, and the sparks of attraction they
experience grow stronger. Giving in deepens their connection but complicates
their plans.
Just as those deepening feelings look like they will
bring Luke and Aislinn to the happy future they both want, outside interference
drives them apart. Luke says some hurtful things to Aislinn before leaving for
Montana. I loved seeing Aislinn pull herself together and investigate what Luke
accused her of. Once she had the truth, she took action. I loved the ending and
seeing how she went after what she wanted. Luke's reaction was hilarious as
Aislinn made a place for herself and the girls in his home and his heart. The
epilogue was great and contained a couple of surprises.
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