Series:
Lyon's Den (Book 97)
Is love possible when nothing goes according to plan?
Although they do not know each other, Lord Timothy Rydell
and Lady Elspeth Westridge have something in common: they are happy with the
plans for their lives. Timothy is having a grand time exploring the Americas
and working with his cousin in business. Elspeth has settled into her life on
the shelf, with her Royal Society lectures and her botanical experiments.
Neither is interested in marriage or children.
Abruptly, both their lives are thrown into disarray.
Elspeth's father, frustrated with his daughter's choices, arranges for her to
marry a man more than twice her age, leaving her no other option. Timothy,
summoned home by his mother for the king's coronation, faces a season of
marriage-minded mamas enthralled by his new wealth. In desperation, both turn
to Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon for help, hoping that the Black Widow of Whitehall can
solve their dilemmas—only to discover that she has selected Timothy as one of
Elspeth's marriage prospects.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon arranges three contests for the
contenders—Elspeth agrees to marry the winner. But as the games get underway,
Elspeth realizes that her heart is opening to the young explorer, and she
begins to pray he will win.
Unbeknownst to Elspeth and Timothy, however, another
party is manipulating events behind the scenes. And this game has been afoot
for an exceptionally long time.
I loved the opening chapter/prologue to this book. It
shows Elspeth as a child, upset and furious over the death of her hero and the
man she wanted to marry. It didn't matter that James Cook (yes, THAT Captain
Cook) would be way older and was already married. He was her ideal - an explorer.
She states her intention to be an explorer herself, and never marry unless she
can find the ideal man.
Years later, Elspeth is following her dream, vicariously.
She attends travel lectures, studies travelogues, and pursues her interests,
doing everything possible to avoid marriage. Her father finally puts his foot
down and tells her she will marry the man he has chosen. Viscount Godwin is
three times her age and has been married multiple times. Horrified, furious,
and desperate, at the recommendation of her best friend, she goes to Mrs.
Dove-Lyon for help.
Lord Timothy Rydell is the youngest of eleven siblings.
At the age of twenty, he accompanied a cousin to America, where he learned the
ins and outs of several businesses and became very successful. Six years later,
summoned home by his mother to attend the king's coronation, he discovers that
she intends to find him a wife among the year's debutantes. On the advice of
one of his brothers, he goes to Mrs. Dove-Lyon for assistance.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon selects Timothy as one of Elspeth's
suitors, surprising them both. Elspeth and Timothy met briefly six years
earlier, when Elspeth went to see her best friend, Ella, and her husband off to
America. Timothy is Gordon's cousin. It is an introduction that sticks with both
of them. They meet again at the Lyon's Den, as Elspeth "interviews"
the contenders for her hand. The top two contenders then compete in Mrs.
Dove-Lyon's unique competitions to win her hand. I enjoyed the intensity of the
contests and the twists that occurred.
The scene in Mrs. Dove-Lyon's office after the contest is
fantastic. I laughed out loud at Elspeth's revelations and Timothy's surprise.
The icing on the cake was the twist engineered by an outsider.
I loved the ending and the way Timothy understands his
new wife. The rooftop scene was amazing and shows great promise for their
future. I'd love to see them make an appearance in a later book.
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