Publishers Weekly
12/16/2019
Heath returns to form with the charming fifth Sin for All Seasons novel (after A Duchess in his Bed). Independent but starry-eyed, Fancy Trewlove dreams of falling in love with a lord who will allow her to maintain her bookstore and stay close with her family. Her belief that she can have it all is partially inspired by a newspaper article singing the praises of Matthew Sommersby, Earl of Rosemont, written by his late wife just before she died in hopes of ensuring her husband’s future happiness with a second wife. The article spurs many hopeful young ladies to come calling, driving the still grieving Matthew to flee his mansion to hide out in a humble home near Fancy’s bookshop, which he soon frequents. Believing Matthew to be a commoner, Fancy initially fights her attraction to him, but soon the pair grow close. Somewhat unbelievably for Victorian London, Fancy lives alone, leaving ample opportunity for her and Matthew to have unchaperoned time together. Fancy and Matthew’s path to a happy ending is fairly unremarkable, but their palpable connection will satisfy series fans. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Apr.)
Library Journal
03/01/2020
As the youngest of the Trewlove siblings, Fancy Trewlove knows her family's hopes rest on her marrying nobility and raising her family's status. Even so, she prefers tending her bookstore and teaching local adults how to read. She doesn't count on falling for her new neighbor, the mysterious and handsome Matthew Sommersby. Fancy little suspects that he's actually the Earl of Rosemont, in hiding after his late wife pens a letter to the editor extolling his many virtues, which sets debutantes' hearts a fluttering—despite it all being a lie. Fancy thinks the earl is exactly the sort of aristocrat she should marry, but she's falling hard and fast for the more "common" Matthew, especially when he agrees to help teach her adult reading class. Having been duped into marriage for his title once, Matthew is loathe to do so again, and keeps his identity well hidden from Fancy, whom he quite adores. VERDICT After a somewhat shaky beginning, Heath (The Duchess in His Bed) manages to flesh out her characters enough to add another enjoyable, emotional chapter to the Trewlove saga.—Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Kirkus Reviews
2019-12-23
A bookstore owner whose family has high expectations for her marriage prospects falls in love with a neighbor who could undermine those plans—or not.
Fancy is the youngest sibling in the lowborn Trewlove crew, who have taken the Victorian London town by storm. Her older siblings have all made fortunes, and all but one has married well, but she's well aware that they intend for her to marry best. "The man had to be titled. Not the second son or the third, but the first." She is determined not to disappoint them but also wants to be happy. She loves running her bookstore, using it as a community outreach center with an ad hoc lending library, children's storytime, and adult literacy classes. As her introduction to society approaches, she meets her new neighbor, Matthew Sommersby, and what she doesn't know is that he's actually the Earl of Rosemont, just coming out of mourning for his wife and hiding from society since every eligible lady wants to marry him. When he first meets Fancy, he believes she's a scheming debutante, yet as the two share a variety of adventures across London and she convinces him to tutor literacy students, Sommersby begins to look at the world through new eyes and is confused by Fancy's open nature and generous spirit. Fancy is falling in love with Matthew but feels obligated to marry well, and Matthew waits too long to tell her his true identity, causing a rift between them and risking their happiness. Heath continues her charming Sins for All Seasons series with two captivating main characters and the regular cast of fascinating Trewloves, though Matthew's continued conviction that Fancy is conniving wears thin.
Slightly shaky for the usually impeccable Heath but still a lively, heartfelt, entertaining read.
