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The Lost Heir of Devonshire
Perhaps the term 'profligate' is too kind for Robert, Marquis of Denley. He has gambled away his fortune, publicly dueled, and earned a reputation as a cur. Desperate to staunch the family's financial hemorrhage, Robert's uncle forces Robert to rusticate in Yorkshire for the purpose of marrying him to the squire's daughter. This uninteresting alliance would permanently remove his reckless nephew from Society.
But Mary Fanley, a country miss who thinks the pretensions of the bon ton are absurd, has no idea Sir Robert is being coerced into marrying a 'veritable nobody'. From their first encounter she infuriates him with her dismissive wit. So begins a war of horrific insults and unvarnished contempt.
Yet just as Mary begins to seem quite palatable, a smooth dandy arrives to settle an old score, forcing the Marquis to pay for his past.
But Mary Fanley, a country miss who thinks the pretensions of the bon ton are absurd, has no idea Sir Robert is being coerced into marrying a 'veritable nobody'. From their first encounter she infuriates him with her dismissive wit. So begins a war of horrific insults and unvarnished contempt.
Yet just as Mary begins to seem quite palatable, a smooth dandy arrives to settle an old score, forcing the Marquis to pay for his past.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 24, 2011
Maybe the rake and the country miss aren't exactly new in the lineup, but I am giving high marks to TLHfD because it really understands what it means to be a Regency. Robert and Mary are very real within their world. I would have loved to have seen more of Robert's London background, but I'm not going to gripe overmuch because Gibson heads to the country with such dedication to presenting that stage and those people. No, the book isn't without flaws. But my five stars stay because TLHoD has the guts to head out into the real world. There aren't any highwaymen or vouchers to Almack's and nobody gets thrown from a horse---but, dang it, that is what is so freaking great about it. Gibson gets it! She understands that there is more to the Regency world than London. I absolutely cannot wait to read her next one because it is going to be even better. I found The Lost Heir of Devonshire to be a breath of fresh air. Thank you, Grace! Now go to work!
March 15, 2012
Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
With sparkling wit, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a touch of sarcasm, country girl Mary Fanley and Robert Allensham, Marquis of Denley, play at one-upmanship from the moment they meet.
Robert arrives at the Fanley’s Greenly Manor with his life in shambles. Harsh, dissipated, and careworn he has no patience with “rustic” living. But his uncle, Lord Eversham, now holds all of Robert’s assets in trust and has a plan for saving his nephew from self-destruction. Robert’s fear of becoming mad like his father has fueled his rakish, reckless ways up to now. His debts and crimes have put his life in danger.
Robert’s highborn hauteur rubs Mary Fanley the wrong way. She's well-educated by standards of the time, but more importantly, she's intelligent, capable, and blessed with common sense. She manages her absent-minded father’s household with servants who took care of her as a child which creates a unique relationship. Mary is somewhat one of the bunch rather than the lady of the manor. Although she has a dowry, she’s resigned to spinsterhood.
The influence Robert and Mary have on each other makes captivating reading.
Some of the secondary characters have a strong impact on events. The humorless Lord Eversham directs Robert’s life with a heavy hand and with good reason. However, some of the situations Robert finds himself in are humorous. Will, Mary’s brother, unwittingly brings the evil, cunning Oscar Neville to Greenly Manor which is like setting the fox among the chickens. Of course, Mary’s father, who lives in his own world of agriculture and notices little else, offers Robert a lifeline as he helps the young man bring Treehill, one of Robert’s properties, back to being a prosperous estate.
The confusion of names and the need for clarification in a few places pulled my attention away from the story at times, but the unfolding of plot and the interesting characters soon had my full attention again.
The extent Robert exerts himself to extract Will Fanley from a critical situation, the bombshell Lord Eversham drops on Robert, and how Robert takes control of his own life give the story some surprising twists and turns. Best of all, the steadfast love that grows as Robert and Mary move from carping at each other to caring for each other, then to loving each other with a sweet, true, forever love makes The Lost Heir of Devonshire a delightful story.
With sparkling wit, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a touch of sarcasm, country girl Mary Fanley and Robert Allensham, Marquis of Denley, play at one-upmanship from the moment they meet.
Robert arrives at the Fanley’s Greenly Manor with his life in shambles. Harsh, dissipated, and careworn he has no patience with “rustic” living. But his uncle, Lord Eversham, now holds all of Robert’s assets in trust and has a plan for saving his nephew from self-destruction. Robert’s fear of becoming mad like his father has fueled his rakish, reckless ways up to now. His debts and crimes have put his life in danger.
Robert’s highborn hauteur rubs Mary Fanley the wrong way. She's well-educated by standards of the time, but more importantly, she's intelligent, capable, and blessed with common sense. She manages her absent-minded father’s household with servants who took care of her as a child which creates a unique relationship. Mary is somewhat one of the bunch rather than the lady of the manor. Although she has a dowry, she’s resigned to spinsterhood.
The influence Robert and Mary have on each other makes captivating reading.
Some of the secondary characters have a strong impact on events. The humorless Lord Eversham directs Robert’s life with a heavy hand and with good reason. However, some of the situations Robert finds himself in are humorous. Will, Mary’s brother, unwittingly brings the evil, cunning Oscar Neville to Greenly Manor which is like setting the fox among the chickens. Of course, Mary’s father, who lives in his own world of agriculture and notices little else, offers Robert a lifeline as he helps the young man bring Treehill, one of Robert’s properties, back to being a prosperous estate.
The confusion of names and the need for clarification in a few places pulled my attention away from the story at times, but the unfolding of plot and the interesting characters soon had my full attention again.
The extent Robert exerts himself to extract Will Fanley from a critical situation, the bombshell Lord Eversham drops on Robert, and how Robert takes control of his own life give the story some surprising twists and turns. Best of all, the steadfast love that grows as Robert and Mary move from carping at each other to caring for each other, then to loving each other with a sweet, true, forever love makes The Lost Heir of Devonshire a delightful story.
January 11, 2013
I thought this book was adorable. The cheeky push and pull of Mary and Robert's relationship was wonderful. As was the relationship between Robert and Mr. Fanley, her father. I enjoyed the way they expressed their affection in such a nonconventional way, very much related to their banter. This was definitely a 'love comes softly' romance and those are my favorite kind.
My complaint is with the editing of the Kindle edition. His uncle's name changed throughout the book Riversham to Eversham. And a few other minor errors that had a tendency to take me out of the story a bit.
My complaint is with the editing of the Kindle edition. His uncle's name changed throughout the book Riversham to Eversham. And a few other minor errors that had a tendency to take me out of the story a bit.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews