Review by Booklist Review
Millicent Graves has one goal: marry well. Millie knows that, with her less-than-stunning features and a dowry derived from a family fortune founded on tinned sardines, she can't afford to be too picky, so she is resigned to wedding the impoverished Earl Fitzhugh until he suddenly dies. As the newly minted earl, George Edward Arthur Granville Fitzhugh Fitz arrives to take his place, even though he is hopelessly in love with someone else. Much to his surprise, Millie seems to have a sensible solution. After their wedding, they will live as husband and wife in name only for eight years, after which their marriage will be consummated solely for the purpose of begetting an heir, leaving the spouses free to go their separate ways. The only flaw in the plan is love's unpredictability. Thomas deftly manipulates simmering sexual chemistry into a deliciously sensual love story, and her exquisitely nuanced characters, impeccably crafted historical setting, and elegant, sharply witty writing work brilliantly together to create an emotionally compelling spin on the classic marriage-of-convenience plot.--Charles, John Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The second in Thomas's Fitzhugh romance trilogy is set against the realism of 19th-century English arranged marriages. To fill the empty coffers of his family's estate, Lord Fitzhugh must marry Millie Graves, a prosperous manufacturer's daughter. While neither Millie nor Fitz has much choice in the matter, Fitz bemoans the fact that he cannot wed his childhood love, Isabelle Pelham. Millie, mature beyond her teen years, is aware of her fiance's aversion and proposes a marriage of convenience for a term of eight years. But Millie does not anticipate that, after eight years of friendship with Fitz, her unrequited love for him will deepen. Fitz and Millie's romantic tension grows as they renegotiate their marriage terms, while newly widowed Isabelle returns to England, forcing Fitz to make some life-changing decisions. Millie's intellect and selflessness make her a standout among a cast of memorable characters in this expertly plotted and emotionally wrenching love story. Agent: Kristin Nelson, the Nelson Agency. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Literally sold into marriage as a teenager to a destitute nobleman, Millicent Graves, the daughter of a wealthy cannery owner, has understood her "marry well" role completely. But when she realizes Lord Fitzhugh is in love with another, she makes a bold proposal-they will wait eight years to consummate their marriage, and once they have produced an heir, they will live separate lives. Gradually, Millie and Fitz become true friends. Now, eight years later, Fitz's old love arrives on the scene newly widowed, forcing Millie and Fitz to come to terms with their own feelings for each other. VERDICT Soul-searing, heartrending, and intensely romantic, this late Victorian historical takes the classic marriage-of-convenience theme to a refreshing new level, making effective use of alternating time periods, as the characters struggle to reconcile duty and loyalty with personal desire and to understand what love really is-and is not. Another exquisitely rendered, insightful romance from one of the genres stars. Thomas (Beguiling the Beauty) lives in Austin, TX. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
