STORY: When Grace Godwyn is introduced to her soon-to-be fiancé’s closest friend, she can hardly keep from fainting. The man whose angry gaze confronts her is none other than the handsome stranger who came to her aid in a dark French alleyway. The stranger with whom she’d shared a moment of reckless passion. And now, with a single word, he could destroy her one chance for security.
Julian St. John, Lord Knighton, owes his friend too much to allow him to fall into the clutches of a craven fortune hunter. He knows all he needs to know of Grace Godwyn: that she’s the orphaned and penniless daughter of a disgraced viscount; that her lips taste incomparably sweet. There is no way he is going to allow this marriage to take place.
Yet the more time Julian and Grace are forced to spend in each other’s company, the more irresistible their desire grows—and the more devastating the potential consequences.
REVIEW: Menton, France – 1897
Grace Godwyn is currently a companion to Lady Bosworth. The Lady’s grandson, Frederick Musgrave, the third son of an Earl, has been visiting his grandmother for a week and is constantly flirting with Grace. As Grace is in need of marrying a man of wealth, she knows she should be open to his passes, but finds him repulsive.
Grace is the daughter of the late Viscount Hadden who gambled away his fortune after his wife died. Her friends, Genevieve, Victoria, and Amelia are all wealthy and Grace has been their guest at different times in her life.
This evening in Menton, Grace, Lady Bosworth, and her grandson are watching a street festival when Lady Bosworth sends Grace on a errand. She gets caught up in the festivities and meets a man whom she kisses freely knowing she will never see him again.
Julien St. John, the new Earl of Knighton, has been busy settling his father’s estate. He is in Menton watching the street festival when he sees a young woman being pursued by a man. He jumps in, rescues her, and kisses her. The young woman is Grace.
When Julien sees Grace at a musical evening, he is shocked to hear Frederick, whom he knew in school, speak crudely about Grace. Later, Frederick tries to get Grace to agree to be his mistress. She is furious and sets him straight.
Grace’s friend, Genevieve, Lady Grantham, with whom she has lived for some years learning to be a lady and preparing for her season, has insisted that Grace leave her companion position and come live with her. Hopefully, with the Lady’s help, a good husband can be found for Grace. With the help and generosity of her friends, Grace is launched with style into the season.
When Grace meets Rupert Humphrey, a man soon to inherit a fortune, she finds him to be nice but he is a man who loves living in the country while she prefers London. But the man is wealthy and she needs to marry a man like that. She soon meets Julien who is a friend of Rupert and Julien pegs her for a fortune hunter. When he confronts Grace with his accusation, she is furious. Lady Honor is a lovely young woman who is a friend of them all. It has always been assumed that she will marry Julien, but he only thinks of her as a friend. Honor has graciously agreed to help Rupert furnish and decorate his new home. This necessitates a lot of togetherness.
Will Julien and Grace ever get over his distaste for one another? Will Grace and Rupert find love and marry?
This is a great story with lots of twists. I’m thinking it will appeal to many readers.
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher
Connie for b2b
bookworm2bookworm's Blog 