When the Marquess Met His Match (An American Heiress in London, #1) by Laura Lee Guhrke, Susan Ericksen Series: An American Heiress in London #1
Published by Avon on October 29th 2013
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
Glad I Didn’t Give Up On This Based On Some of The Negative Reviews
“Nothing causes more pain, frustration, and disappointment than unfulfilled expectations.”
THE STORY: Lady Belinda Featherstone is a matchmaker. Her own painful experience of having been wed for her fortune while she thought it was love. After the death of her husband, Belinda has made a name for herself finding suitable matches for young American women after he husband had gone through her dowry. When Nicholas Stirling, Marquess of Trubridge comes to ask her help in finding him a wife, Belinda sees him as cut from the same cloth as her husband and informs him that she will do everything she can to stop him. Nicholas has a reputation as a rakehell and is definitely in search of a fortune after having been cut off by his father the duke. Belinda and Nicholas are soon engaged in a battle of wits even while they have an attraction to one another.
OPINION: This is the story of two people who have been disappointed in their expectations of their lives. Such disappointments have made them both cynical and unwilling to trust again. It has also made them accept lives that are less than they could be.
Belinda’s past has given her deep scars. I found it almost painful to read the first half of the book since Belinda judges Nicholas so harshly. Once I understood her history, however, I could understand her fears that led her astray and she did end up changing and acknowledging her mistakes. By the end of the book, I believed that she had redeemed herself. Even better, Nicholas acknowledges that her judgment was not completely unwarranted and decides to change his own life.
I especially like how the book has a turn at the end that I did not expect. Belinda and Nicholas’s happy ending came in a way that I did not expect and I appreciated that fact.
I really ended up responding to this book because it challenged me as a reader more than I expected and the characters were not simple and easy to like. Readers who give this book an honest chance can experience a wonderful story.
WORTH MENTIONING: This book also introduces readers to the heroine from the second book and what an intriguing story is there.
FINAL DECISION: I recommend this book if the reader has an open mind and is willing to allow a character to grow and change.
CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN THE MARQUESS MET HIS MATCH is the first book in the An American in London series.
STAR RATING: I give this one 4 stars.