Series: Regency Lovers #3
Published by Carole Mortimer on December 7, 2018
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
FINAL DECISION: I really enjoyed this novella. Yes, it isn’t very deep and the events happen quickly, but I thought the story was well constructed and I really liked the relationship between Sophia and Magnus.
THE STORY: Miss Sophia Marchment is the head of a school for young women where she teaches her students her independent and somewhat scandalous ideas. When she is in London, she meets with a prospective student and her father. Magnus Spencer, Duke of Weston is shocked by his attraction to the young headmistress and while he knows that Sophia has secrets, the heat of the attraction between them brings them together. But someone is threatening Sophia and her past may be the reason.
OPINION: This is my favorite of the series so far. I think I grade these books on a curve. A book trying to be a different length and level of sophistication, or a different author, my rating might be different. But I read these Mortimer books with the intent to enjoy the story alone and not to look for an introspective or complex story.
As a novella this one works very well and I enjoyed the characters more than I expected. Although there is some deep material here, the characters do manage to develop a relationship (although there is some insta-love). I also thought that Magnus ended up being a nice character especially with how he treats Sophia (with one exception — he is a jerk with how he breaks the twist in the story to her).
I especially liked Sophia who is nobody’s doormat here. She is independent and determined to do what she thinks is right. I thought that the strong wills of Sophia and Magnus worked well here. Sometimes the Mortimer heroines are overwhelmed by her strong Alpha heroes, but not here. Sophia definitely holds her own.
WORTH MENTIONING: This is novella length.
CONNECTED BOOKS: CRAVING is the third book in the Regency Lovers series. Although there are some overlapping characters, this book can be read as a standalone.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.