Veena’s review of There’s Something about Lady Mary (The Summerbys, Book 2) by Sophie Barnes
Historical Romance published by Avon 04 Dec 12
This is a delightful historical romance with a strong woman protagonist. Mary Croyden has lived a simple but enriching life with her physician father until he dies and leaves her a titled heiress. She is plunged into the midst of the ton and it seems that in addition to the complexity of making her way in English society, she is also going to have to navigate the danger and intrigue that suddenly seems to threaten her life and safety. However, she has a protector in the form of Ryan Summersby, who is ready to stand between her and her enemies, but can he protect her from himself and his rigid notions of what he wants from her?
Caught in a compromising situation at the first society ball, Ryan Summersby does the right thing and announces their engagement to the ton. His father and sister are delighted. Mary is a refreshing, modern young woman and ideally suited to their family. Ryan, however, has his doubts, especially when he finds out Mary’s secret. He is determined to lay down the law and tell Mary exactly how he wants her to live her life. Thank fully, Mary is a strong young lady who is determined to live her life on her own terms and is prepared to walk away from this very acceptable match, if necessary.
Stronger heads prevail and Ryan’s delightful sister Alexandria shows him the error of his ways and pretty soon his older brother William comes on the scene and proceeds to show Ryan the further error of his ways. The story proceeds to a delightful compromise and both Ryan and Mary bend and meet in the middle. As their romance proceeds, the threats against Mary increase. It appears that there is something in her father’s journals that unscrupulous men are willing to commit murder to gain.
I find this story delightful. Mary is a wonderful heroine; confident, talented and well educated. She knows what she wants and is willing to go all out for it and no one is going to stop her from achieving her goals. Ryan is a typical male, but he does work through and find the right compromise in order to gain Mary’s love and to forge a strong relationship with her. This is a light read, great for the holidays.
Summary:
Mary Croyden lives a simple life . . . and she likes it. But when she inherits a title and a large sum of money, everything changes. Forced to navigate high society, Mary finds herself relying on the help of one man—Ryan Summersby. Determined not to lose her sense of self, she realizes that Ryan is the only person she can trust. But Mary’s hobbies are not exactly proper, and Ryan is starting to discover that this simple miss is not at all what he expected . . . but just might be exactly what he needs.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
