Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 60)
Only time will tell if spending her massive wealth to
purchase Phillip Eversley, the Duke of Markham is the best or worst purchase
Violet has ever made.
A wounded Major Phillip Eversley returns from the war to
discover his father and brother are both dead and he is now the Earl of
Markham. He also discovers that before their deaths, they went so deeply into
debt that even if Phillip sells every unentailed property he now owns, he can
never save the one property he loves most - his grandmother's home, Parkland
Estate.
Because of the massive wealth her father left her, Lady
Violet Slushman becomes one of the wealthiest women in London. The former
wallflower is now besieged with suitors desperate to marry her – but only for
her money. She is left with no choice but to go to Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon, the
black widow of Whitehall, renowned owner of the Lyon's Club. Mrs. Dove-Lyon is
known throughout London as the one and only person who can find a way to erase
any scandal and make a match for anyone seeking one. And Violet is desperate to
find a husband to protect her from the money-hungry letches. She only has two
requirements, that the man Bessie Dove-Lyon chooses for her puts her wealth to
good use, and he is not so handsome that he makes her plainness more obvious.
Instead, Violet is forced to use her wealth to buy the
most handsome man in all of England.
Enjoyable story. Violet has spent years listening to her
mother compare her to her sister and find her wanting. A family scandal caused
her parents and sister to depart England for America, leaving Violet behind.
When their ship went down, it left Violet a very wealthy woman and the target
of every fortune hunter in London. Violet took matters into her own hands and
asked Mrs. Dove-Lyon to help her find a suitable husband.
Phillip returned to London from the war after the deaths
of his father and brother. He is now the Earl of Markham and finds that they left
the estate in so much debt there is no way for him to recover. His only option
is to marry a wealthy woman. That is something he is reluctant to do until Mrs.
Dove-Lyon summons him.
I liked Violet and Phillip. Both are kind and honorable
and were outcasts in their own families. Violet is intelligent and was trained
in financial management by her father, leaving her in an excellent position to
manage her inherited wealth. Phillip feels guilty about his need to marry money
until he talks to Violet and learns about her issues. Though neither is in love
when they marry, they form a quick friendship and make excellent partners in
managing his estates.
I loved watching their relationship develop as they got
to know each other. It was a slow but sweet buildup filled with kindness, humor,
and understanding. There was a scene with someone from Phillip's past that had
a surprise ending and a twist at the end that surprised me. The epilogue was
terrific.
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