Series:
One Year to Wed (Book 1)
THEIR REUNION WITH A ROYAL TWIST…
To claim her inheritance, Matilda Waverly must be wed
within the year. But Matilda has a secret: she's already married! She hasn't
seen Henri since she fled their wedding night, so tracking him down is
essential -- but exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Especially when she
learns Henri is actually a prince! And the undeniable spark between them has
never gone away…
Matilda and her three sisters get an unwelcome surprise
when their father dies. To inherit his vast Australian estate, each daughter
must be married within a year of his death; otherwise, it will go to their family
rival. None of the women are currently involved in romantic relationships.
Complicating matters, Matilda is technically already married, though she has no
idea where her husband is.
The backstory of Matilda's marriage was interesting and a
bit sad. She fell in love with a young man she met while traveling, and they
married without sharing any real information about themselves. When she learned
of her mother's illness, she rushed home, leaving Henri behind and hoping he'd
follow. He never did, which broke her heart. She has since moved on with her
life. But with this complication, she knows she must find him, and returning to
where they met is her only option to begin her search.
Matilda didn't know that Henri was a prince in disguise,
taking a summer off before beginning his duties. He fell for Matilda, her
vivacity, and how she made him forget his troubles. When she left, he tried to
put her out of his mind and moved on to take up his royal duties.
Their reunion was pure chance. Matilda was happy to see
him again and explained her reason for seeking him out. She was shocked to find
out who he was. Neither expected the sparks between them to be as strong as
before. When Henri invites her to stay at the castle while they figure things
out, Matilda agrees.
I liked Matilda. She is a mostly upbeat person with a
fascinating career. She's up for the prospect of getting to know Henri. I could
feel a little frustration from her at the lack of time she initially spent with
him but she understood the press of his duties. I had a more challenging time
with Henri. Thanks to his upbringing, he seems to be an odd combination of
control freak and insecure.
As they spent time together, they discovered that their
connection was still there. There were some sweet scenes of their activities
and how Matilda fit into his life. However, Henri's issues with his past complicate
his vision of Matilda becoming a permanent part of his life. He tended to
project his fears onto what he thought she felt instead of talking to her about
her feelings. Matilda wasn't much better about being honest about her feelings.
Things come to a head when they finally talk about their
past. I never understood why neither went looking for the other sooner. Matilda's
delay was somewhat logical because she knew so little about Henri. Henri did
not have that excuse. For heaven's sake, he's a prince with plenty of resources
that would make finding her reasonably straightforward, but he couldn't be
bothered. The method of their separation ticked me off, but was redeemed in the
end. I liked Matilda and Henri's "aha" moments, and his big moment at
the end was well done.
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