Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 54)
He's not the type of man to forgive -- but he'll never
forget her.
Geoffrey, Lord Longford is between a rock and a hard
place. His estates are about to be sold to keep the earldom afloat so without a
huge infusion of cash, his life is about to change for the worse. When his best
friend suggests Geoffrey marry an heiress, he's despondent but resigned.
Despite his reservations, he seeks out Mrs. Dove-Lyon at The Lyon's Den to find
a suitable young lady with a suitable fortune.
Diana Edgerton sacrificed years of her life taking care
of her uncle until he died, but that sacrifice is about to be rewarded
handsomely. His will leaves Diana the sole heir to a vast fortune, but with one
horrifying stipulation -- she must be married in order to inherit it.
Unfortunately, terrible rumors about Diana and her uncle have made her all but
unmarriageable. In desperation, Diana's aunt suggests she visit The Lyon's Den
and consult Mrs. Dove-Lyon to arrange a match to save her inheritance.
With two clients seemingly made for each other, a happy
ending is all but assured.
Except Geoffrey and Diana have an unfortunate history --
one that makes their union almost an impossibility. With so much hanging in the
balance, can the two of them overcome the fact they despise one another long
enough to secure the possibility of a future together?
Good book. Diana spent years taking care of her uncle
while her cousins ignored him. When he died, she became the sole heir to his
estate - provided she was married. She has one week to acquire a husband willing
to meet her conditions. That is a difficult task when her cousins have spread
scurrilous rumors about her, so she visits Mrs. Dove-Lyon for help.
Geoffrey discovers that his estates are nearly bankrupt
and will have to be sold to raise the money needed to pay the debts. His best
friend suggests that he ask Mrs. Dove-Lyon to assist him in finding a bride
with a suitable fortune.
When Mrs. Dove-Lyon brings Geoffrey and Diana together,
they are horrified. An unfortunate incident a few months earlier made them
enemies, and neither is interested in marrying the other. But desperate times
call for desperate measures, and they eventually negotiate a truce that allows
each of them to get what they need. Will they follow through with their
intention to part ways as soon as possible, or can they find a way to put the
past behind them for a future together?
I liked watching the relationship between Geoffrey and
Diana develop. Before the mishap that drove them apart, they were quite taken
with each other, but neither reacted well to what happened. Once they were married
and spending time together, those feelings began to overcome their antipathy. I
enjoyed the scenes where they stopped sniping at each other. When Diana is
injured in a fall, Geoffrey's protectiveness is aroused, and she begins to see
more of the man she admired when they first met. I liked seeing them realize
they belonged together. The epilogue is excellent.
There is a bit of suspense regarding a man who has set
his eyes on gaining Geoffrey's sister, Joanna, as his wife. Initially, I agreed
with Geoffrey's determination to keep them apart, as Mr. Dandridge appears very
unsuitable. But by the end of the book, I began to suspect that there is more
to Mr. Dandridge than Geoffrey knows. I also thought that Geoffrey's comments
were unnecessarily harsh. This thread was left hanging, leading me to believe
that we will see more of him in a later book.
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