Widowed Honoria (Nora) Duchamp is suspicious, but intrigued by the attentions of Lord Devin. He is an attractive young vicount and she is an older bookstore owner and crusader for the mistreated. It makes no sense when he keeps appearing just at the time she most needs help, but his attraction for her seems sincere. What she doesn't know is that Devin has been bribed to investigate her political and social activities. He is faced with a dilemma when he is seriously draw to the subject of his investigation because he finds her to be an intelligent, compassionate and sensual woman. Nora has secrets of her own that prevent her from responding to Devin.
I found this book quite compelling. The large age difference between Nora and Devin, especially with her being fourteen years older, was bothersome through a great deal of the book. But I have to give much credit to Royce's writing - I was completely convinced of the viability of the relationship long before the end of the story. There were some small stumbles in the writing; this is Royce's first published book, after all, but she really drew me into the story and made me care about Nora and Devin. I genuinely enjoyed the book.
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
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I’m so pleased that an author is not fearful to write a novel where the woman is older than the man. Three cheers! That barrier and prejudice needs to be broken down. Women are youthful, healthy and beautiful way into their older years. Just because they may be approaching or past their child bearing years, doesn’t mean they need to be put out to pasture. Woman still have a lot to offer! Go for it, Ladies, and congratulations to any lucky guy to find a woman like this.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading this novel.