Lord Will And Her Grace [Paperback]

Miss Sophie Somerset is twenty-nine years old. Her deceased uncle has made her heir to a title and fortune, but only if she weds a proper aristocrat by her thirtieth birthday. Since she grew up as a vicar's daughter, the title and wealth would be nice; however, if she can't find true love in time Sophie would not really miss it. Fortune hunters have been after her, but she has no interest in them. Her behavior at the Season's balls has placed her in the gossip columns almost daily. Having enough, Sophia retires to Burnham-by-the-Sea, a small seaside village.

Lord William "Will" Barclay is the younger son of a marquis. After seducing so many females he should have been an expert at avoiding the marriage hungry ladies. Yet having slipped up and been caught, Lord Will flees London. In Burnham-by-the-Sea, he learns about Sophie. Perhaps he will not be bored after all.

**** In this regency romance, the heroine is a bit hard to believe. She does not seem to care for anything practical, such as money, and seldom considers how her actions in the present may affect her future. The hero is VERY easy to believe. The author did a terrific job of proving to the reader that he is a playboy and that he enjoys the title. If you are looking for a romance to enjoy while sitting outside on a sunny day, this is it! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie Somerset went to London to find a husband who satisfies the conditions set forth in her late uncle, the Duke of Cornwallis's, will. If she does so before her next birthday, she will meet the unusual requirements that allow the duchy to pass to a female. But despite her status as a potential heiress, Sophie, who is very tall and curst with an ample bosom, does not take. Not only that, she is embroiled in one indiscretion after another. None of them were her fault, but her reputation is in tatters, and she retreats to the seaside with her cousin.

After narrowly evading an attempt to compromise him into marriage, Lord William Barclay, the younger son of the Marquis of Granville, seeks refuge in the most remote locale he can think of, the seaside home of his old friend Charles Mornington. Tired of the antics of females, Will is delighted to hear there are no eligible young ladies in the district, save for a disgraced heiress who recently arrived from London. While he can't help but sympathize with her plight--repairing a ruined reputation is demmed near impossible--he's been involved in too many scandals of his own to assist her. Unless, of course, she's interested in a discreet, simple dalliance.

Sophie's and Will's first encounter is not an auspicious one. Both have visited the linen draper's shop--Sophie dressed in her oldest, most comfortable gown and boots, Will, who escaped in his nightshirt and dressing gown, is attired in his valet's colorful raiment. Sophie looks like a washerwoman; Will, like the most foppish of fops. Sophie wants a coat and pantaloons to wear while fishing; Will needs an entire wardrobe. Neither is pleased to learn that the village's only tailor won't return for a fortnight. Will guesses who Sophie is, but her assumptions about him are far off the mark. Their second meeting, at the Morningtons' home, where Sophie and her cousin have been invited to dinner, isn't much better. Will and Sophie's third encounter is even worse . . . and even more intriguing.

LORD WILL & HER GRACE is a delightful tale of two people who fall in love when they least expect it. Will is a charmer, but he's not the scoundrel he appears to be. He has a serious side few people have ever seen, and even fewer know that the half-French former soldier repeatedly risked his life for the Crown. Sophie is a social misfit--a Welsh clergyman's daughter with little knowledge of the ton and its ways, and even less interest--but she needs an aristocratic husband in order to secure her title and fortune. Will fits the bill in all respects--or would, if he weren't a notorious rogue. At first glance, Will and Sophie are a most unlikely pair, but at heart, they are perfectly matched. A diverse cast of secondary characters adds depth and texture to the tale. The most colorful of the bunch--literally and figuratively--is Will's foppish valet, Jack Farquhar. He and his pug, Miss Tickle, are responsible for some of the story's most humorous moments.

Sophia Nash's wit and talent shine through in LORD WILL & HER GRACE. I highly recommend this book.

This is one of the best historical romances I've read in a long time. Filled with humor and emotional, gut wrenching passages, I finished it in one sitting and loved it.

Nash is evolving as a writer. Each one gets better and better. Her last book A Passionate Endeavor was a great read, highly emotional and romantic with hints of humor. My bookclub read it and gave it our highest rating last summer. This new book is a masterpiece of dry wit and filled with sexual tension and passion. The characters are wonderfully drawn and period perfect - Nash's heroes are especially good. Even the secondary cast of characters is memorable, each has distinctive characteristics that makes you want to get to know them better with books of their own. This is an author to watch and her newest is a keeper.

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