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Book Review
Jan. 5th, 2023 01:50 pmSomeone to Wed
by Mary Balogh
This is the third of the Westcott series of historical romances, and my favorite so far. Alexander Westcott has unexpectedly inherited the earldom of Riverdale and its crumbling estate of Brambledean. Alexander comes to the sobering conclusion that if he is to restore the estate to functionality, he must marry for money. In what proves to be a stroke of luck, his reclusive and wealthy neighbor Wren Heyden desires to get married and shed some of her loneliness in the aftermath of her aunt and uncle's deaths. She has shunned society due to a port-wine stain birthmark on her face and the pain of her mother's harsh treatment before she went to live with her aunt and uncle. She invites Alexander over to tea and proposes a marriage of convenience. He is unwilling to marry for money and nothing else and insists on a real courtship. Thus begins a sweet slow-burn of a romance.
Balogh handles the serious feels in this book so well. I like how she handles the problem of providing Wren with a truly painful and damaging childhood without crossing over into territory that would require a trigger warning. I loved watching Wren gradually shed both her reclusiveness and her conviction that she must be unacceptable to others. Alexander is such a steady, caring hero - he's so supportive of Wren and is able to both push her to come out of her shell and respect her boundaries around that process. For both Wren and Alexander, their feelings for each other sneak up on them, and it's lovely to watch.
by Mary Balogh
This is the third of the Westcott series of historical romances, and my favorite so far. Alexander Westcott has unexpectedly inherited the earldom of Riverdale and its crumbling estate of Brambledean. Alexander comes to the sobering conclusion that if he is to restore the estate to functionality, he must marry for money. In what proves to be a stroke of luck, his reclusive and wealthy neighbor Wren Heyden desires to get married and shed some of her loneliness in the aftermath of her aunt and uncle's deaths. She has shunned society due to a port-wine stain birthmark on her face and the pain of her mother's harsh treatment before she went to live with her aunt and uncle. She invites Alexander over to tea and proposes a marriage of convenience. He is unwilling to marry for money and nothing else and insists on a real courtship. Thus begins a sweet slow-burn of a romance.
Balogh handles the serious feels in this book so well. I like how she handles the problem of providing Wren with a truly painful and damaging childhood without crossing over into territory that would require a trigger warning. I loved watching Wren gradually shed both her reclusiveness and her conviction that she must be unacceptable to others. Alexander is such a steady, caring hero - he's so supportive of Wren and is able to both push her to come out of her shell and respect her boundaries around that process. For both Wren and Alexander, their feelings for each other sneak up on them, and it's lovely to watch.
