Meet the Gardner Girls:
A drunk duke. A knife-wielding woman. A chance encounter in the dead of night.
Love can be found in the strangest places.
A lady with a secret
Standing at danger's threshold, Lady Gwendolen Gibson (née Gardner) has
no idea that love is about to beckon her in. Hiding from a man who seeks
to destroy her life and steal her child, the countess has lived for
years with a secret past. Now widowed and threatened with the loss of
her home, a guardian angel rescues her and makes her an offer she can't
refuse.
Out of options, Gwendolen wants nothing more than the chance to build a
new life for herself and her son. But Gwendolen's secrets will not stay
hidden and as her dangerous adversary steps into the light, he threatens
her present, her future, and all she holds dear.
A scoundrel with honor
Angel Beaumont, the Duke of Englefield, lives up to his name. A golden
Adonis, his looks leave women swooning in his wake while his fortune is
greater than Croesus'. Returning to England after witnessing the horrors
of battle, Angel seeks to alleviate the dullness of his privileged life
with the usual womanizing, drinking, racing, and gambling.
Until the night he steps across Blackwater Bridge and discovers a
mysterious woman in desperate circumstances. Deciding only he can keep
her safe, Angel makes a gallant proposition, offering himself as her
protector in a marriage of convenience.
But although Angel believes he can remain aloof to Gwendolen's charms,
this wild-living nobleman finds he cannot steel his heart to a woman who
is more than she seems and everything he never knew he needed.
4 STARS
I have to admit to some mixed feelings when it comes to this book. Although none of that has to do with the main characters. Angel was a charming man who also had an irresistible sense of humor. He also was a man of honor, always looking to help the underdog, although he was shy about admitting that part. Even though he saves Gwendolen more than once, she really doesn't know what to make of him most of the time. Her experience with most men make it even harder to trust that he really is that good of a man. Her fierce love for her son has her willing to do whatever it took to protect him. All this made for good, interesting main characters.
I'm not sure exactly why it didn't pull me in more. Maybe it had to do with the way some of the story was presented in different letters. They did contain information that gave more insights into the different parts of the story. I guess I was more interested in the actual people and the actions that were going on. Maybe, that's just my personal taste.
I do have to give good marks for how well described different places and items and people were detailed.
Angel's Aunt Eliza adds some sass and caring to the story. As does Gwendoline's sisters and her son, Henry. Even Hugh who is Angel's friend puts his 2 cents in, in a good way.
Looking for a story with a venomous villain? Yes, this story has not just one but at least two.
This story is so well written that although it doesn't go to the top of my list of likes, I did enjoy most of it.
I received a free ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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