Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 50)
Rowan Scott, the Laird of Garrison wasn’t in the market
for a wife, but when he received a summons from the widow of a man he’d long
admired, he wasn’t about to deny her. If nothing else, he owed it to the
colonel’s memory. However, when he made the journey from Scotland to London, he
hadn’t been prepared for the gaming hell owner and matchmaker to approach him
with a proposition. He considered leaving right then, but he wondered if it was
time to put the ghosts of his past to rest and listen to what she had to say.
Miss Beatrice Bookbinder was a woman long past the blush
of youth. She had devoted her life to taking care of her ailing father while
dealing with a stepfamily who cared nothing for her. On the heels of a
devastating loss, Beatrice is sent to a private asylum by her stepbrother who
is determined to get rid of her. She feels as though her fate is sealed, until
Mrs. Dove-Lyon offers her a choice—continue the path that has been set before
her or embark on a marriage to a complete stranger.
She chooses the latter, not knowing that it might just be
the best thing that has ever happened to her.
Good book. Once again, Mrs. Dove-Lyon brings together two
people who need each other. Forty-nine-year-old Rowan has led a somewhat lonely
life after losing the woman he loved many years earlier, but he isn't interested
in risking his heart again. He's surprised to receive a letter from the widow
of an old mentor, asking him to come to London. The last thing he expected was
a request for him to marry a woman in desperate circumstances. He's wary but
listens to what she has to say.
Beatrice spent most of her thirty-seven years taking care
of her ailing father while doing her best to avoid her obnoxious stepmother and
stepbrother. When her father dies, her stepbrother wastes no time sending
Beatrice to a private asylum to get rid of her. She feels hopeless about her
future until Mrs. Dove-Lyon offers her a way out - marriage to a stranger.
Bessie Dove-Lyon has incredible insight when it comes to finding
the perfect mates for her customers. She somehow knew that Beatrice's plight
would arouse Rowan's protectiveness and that her strength of will would stand up
to his occasionally overbearing nature. I liked that both insisted on meeting
before making a final decision. When they did, Beatrice's beauty and something
in her eyes made Rowan believe they would suit, but the kiss he requested sealed
the deal. Beatrice was also profoundly affected by it and thought their
marriage wouldn't be terrible after all.
And so they set off on the trip to Scotland via Gretna
Green. Their constant proximity over the long days of carriage travel gave them
time to get to know each other. I loved how well they connected, finding it
unexpectedly easy to talk to each other. Neither expected the growing attraction
that made it increasingly difficult to keep their hand off each other. Rowan
and Beatrice are wary of the speed of their growing feelings, uncertain if the
other feels the same. They have some obstacles to overcome on their journey,
including an unexpected encounter with Beatrice's nasty stepbrother, but they
face them all with humor, teamwork, and passion. I loved the ending and the romantic
way Rowan welcomed her to his home.
My only disappointment was that her stepbrother did not
get the comeuppance he deserved. Hopefully, that will happen at some point in
the future.
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