Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 65)
When a Lyon is restless, Mrs. Dove-Lyon is on notice…
In search of excitement… Though Captain Simon Henry
Huxley lost an eye in the naval war with America in 1812, it hasn't slowed him
down the past six years. Since his contemporaries are falling into parson's
mousetrap with alarming regularity -- manipulated by Mrs. Dove-Lyon no doubt --
and with yearning to return to the sea thrumming through his veins, London is a
bit dull. But after a spontaneous visit to the infamous Lyon's Den gaming hell
one winter night, his life will change in every conceivable way.
Dreaming of freedom… Lady Hattie Anne Russell, youngest
daughter to the Earl of Stonewycke, has been intimate with scandal since the
day she turned sixteen. She dislikes rules, labels, or the ton's boring
dictates for proper ladies, and through it all she's been bedeviled by dreams
of an adventurous lion. Frustrated, her mother turns to Mrs. Dove-Lyon for help
in marrying Hattie off before further disgrace follows; no stake is too high,
and any Lyon will do, but Hattie won't be tamed, and neither will she submit to
marriage without a fight.
A matchmaker's interference may provide both… After a
hasty marriage of convenience, the newly wedded pair is forced to make the best
of their reality. As the calendar marches toward spring, the two accidentally
find common ground by bonding over the silliest of things. Secrets and dreams
are shared, and emotions prompt surprising heat between them, yet an unexpected
complication has the power to destroy what they're building. It will take
daring heroics and exceptional mettle to prove they are worthy of a love -- and
a life -- for the ages.
…which goes to prove, once again, the owner of the Lyon's
Den is never wrong.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon succeeds again at matching two unlikely
subjects for a happy marriage. Hattie has been a scandal magnet since she
turned sixteen. Society's rules frustrate her, so she ignores them. Now
twenty-nine, her parents are fed up with her antics and hire Mrs. Dove-Lyon to
find her a husband who will take her off their hands. Hattie doesn't want to be
married, but she's given no choice.
Simon is a retired Navy captain who lost an eye in the
war with the Americans a few years earlier. He's stayed busy since then,
including spending time with his friends. However, many of them have fallen prey
to Mrs. Dove-Lyon's manipulations and are now married (albeit happily). He's
somewhat envious of their happiness, but not enough to step into that trap
himself - until the night he wins a drinking wager at the Lyon's Den. The next
thing he knows, Mrs. Dove-Lyon threatens to reveal his secret unless he marries
the scandal-ridden Hattie immediately.
I liked the development of Hattie and Simon's
relationship. Honest communication from the get-go smoothed the way as they
decided to make the best of their situation. Hattie is stubborn and impulsive
but not stupid, and she quickly sees the benefits of her marriage. Simon understands
her and doesn't try to push or control her. I liked watching them get to know
each other and discovering that they like what they have together. And that's
before they give in to the sparks of attraction that grow stronger by the day.
But there are some obstacles between them and the future
they want, obstacles caused by the trust that is difficult to bestow. Simon
keeps his professional singing career to himself because he wants to be appreciated
for who he is, not his celebrity. Hattie knows he's keeping something from her
and is hurt by the lack of trust.
Meanwhile, it takes a while for Hattie to confide in
Simon about her propensity for prophetic dreams. She has been dreaming about
lions, and some of those dreams terrify her. Complicating matters is a rejected
suitor who refuses to give up his pursuit of Hattie. The resolution of that
matter was very well done.
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