Stevie‘s review of To Charm a Naughty Countess (Matchmaker Trilogy Book 2) by Theresa Romain
Historical Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 06 May 14
Generally I love books with older, experienced heroines, who are freed from some of society’s constraints by widowhood, and who are prepared to make the most of that freedom. So much the better, if their deceased husband wasn’t a bad lot, and didn’t die too tragically. I also like socially inept and inexperienced heroes, and stories that are properly rooted in real historical events. So this story ought to have ticked all the right boxes, especially since I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this one picks up soon after that one left off, this time following the first heroine’s former employer as she continues her life in the midst of the social whirl of Regency London. But does the book live up to all that it promised?
Caroline, the widowed Countess of Stratton, has inherited a great deal of money from her much older husband and is determined not to relinquish control of her finances to any man – as she would have to do, legally, were she to remarry. She relishes the attention she receives from her multitude of suitors – well, most of them; her late husband’s heir is less welcome since he is more blatant about being after her money than the others are. However, the main reason Caroline finds herself in the position she’s in can be traced back to a scandal when she was a debutante and was compromised by one of her then-suitors – a man who she loved, but who left London suddenly, never to return. Until now.
Michael, the Duke of Wyverne, has never been good with people, preferring to run his estates and try out new inventions in order to rebuild the fortune that his father squandered before dying of dissipation – the main reason Michael had to leave London after suffering a panic attack over his feelings for Caroline. But now his lines of credit are exhausted and it seems that the only way he can sustain his farms, tenants, and household during the ‘endless winter’ of 1816 is to find a seriously wealthy wife and then use her money to prop up his pet project to irrigate the more desolate parts of his land and so increase their productivity.
Michael would really like to marry Caroline – and not just for her money – but after being told this plan is out of the question, he makes a new deal with her. She will reintroduce him to society, quash the rumours of his madness (not helped by his habit of investigating interesting gadgets when he should be talking to the other guests at parties) and find him a suitable wife. Of course, nothing goes quite to plan…
I really like both Michael and Caroline, and love spotting all the little references to inventions and events I know about, as well as a few I need to read up on, but sadly I don’t feel that they gel as a couple. We only get a small glimpse of the hero and heroine from the previous book, which means that this one works just as well on its own as it does as a sequel. In fact, I had trouble remembering how everything fitted together between the two until I skimmed the first one in order to write this review.
All in all, a book with lots of well-researched and neatly plotted incidents that just don’t quite work for me as a romance. I’m still looking forward to the next in the series, though.
Grade: C
Summary:
Can a reclusive duke…
Brilliant but rumored mad, Michael Layward, the impoverished Duke of Wyverne, has no success courting heiresses until widowed Lady Stratton takes up his cause—after first refusing his suit.
Win London’s most powerful countess?
Caroline Graves, the popular Countess of Statton, sits alone at the pinnacle of London society and has vowed never to remarry. When Michael—her counterpart in an old scandal—returns to town after a long absence, she finds herself as enthralled with him as ever. As she guides the anxiety-ridden duke through the trials of London society, Caroline realizes that she’s lost her heart. But if she gives herself to the only man she’s ever loved, she’ll lose the hard won independence she prizes above all.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
