Summary

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GENRE
AO3 TAGS
Proud and beautiful Annabelle Peyton could have her pick of suitors—if only she had a dowry. Her family is on the brink of disaster, and the only way Annabelle can save them is to marry a wealthy man. Unfortunately her most persistent admirer is the brash Simon Hunt, a handsome and ambitious entrepreneur who wants her as his mistress.
Annabelle is determined to resist Simon’s wicked propositions, but she can’t deny her attraction to the boldly seductive rogue, any more than he can resist the challenge she presents. As they try to outmaneuver each other, they find themselves surrendering to a love more powerful than they could have ever imagined. But fate may have other plans—and it will take all of Annabelle’s courage to face a peril that could destroy everything she holds dear.
Hot Takes
What We Liked

Apers
I always love when I can tell a series is gearing itself up. For me, the best part (after the romance obviously) is the friendship. Annabelle and her friends, Hunt and the Duke, and the hints of future books. Oh your best friend said she hates that man? I can see the next book on the horizon. As someone who grew up on historicals, I especially love how this book hit each beat a historical romance should.
What We Didn’t Like

Jems
Because this is a historical published in 2004, there were definitely some aspects of the male love interest Simon’s character that I had trouble with. For the first third of the book, Simon ignored the fact that Annabelle had told him repeatedly she had no interest in becoming his mistress, continuing to pursue long after she said no. I know that this a romance and he will have to change for the better if he wants to win her heart, but the his desire to “have” and “own” her were off-putting. If he had been more Mr. Darcy about the whole thing I would liked that better, especially when he swoops in to save the day when she gets sick.
Reviews

Jems
One plot I’ll never get tired of in historicals is a group of women banding together to find (or not in some cases!) a husband. While it took me a little while to get into the story, there were some definite charms to the book that kept me reading, and once we got to the male love interest tending to the heroine after she falls ill, I was hooked.

Apers
I know it’s not a spicy scene, but it was hot when they ran into a literal burning building to save each other. The thing I always love in a historical romance is the forbidden touches that build to the climax (heh) are just as fun as the actual moments themselves. (Of course Hunt threatening to have her while she’s playing cards if she doesn’t get upstairs in the 5 minutes allotted? Even better.)