Holly‘s review of The Short and Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcombe by Sabrina Darby
Wanted:
A beautiful young woman—preferably one with no connections, who won’t ask too many questions—to spend two weeks in the North of England with an obstinate, aloof, and utterly handsome man.
Must love dogs, fixing up crumbling castles, and gorgeous and complicated war heroes who may or may not be hiding hearts of gold under their gruff exteriors. Must not, under any circumstances, fall in love . . .
Simpering misses need not apply
This is a smart retelling of an old tale. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I really ended up enjoying it.
Angelina was basically run out of London. She was a very sought after actress with many prospects until another actress took her place. Now she’s in the country licking her wounds and doing a job. She was hired to seduce the earl. His mother thinks he needs to get back in the saddle in order to move on with his life after war.
Both Angelina and John are broken. John’s wounds were more obvious, since he was holed up in crumbling castle. Angelina was just as broken, however. Her life before leaving London hadn’t been a great one. Add to that the scandal now attached to her and she could barely hold her head up. As they spend time together, their wounds open, then begin to heal. I enjoyed that just as much as the romance.
I hated that Angelina kept her true reason for being there from John, but I understood the necessity behind it. Even after she changed her mind it wasn’t an easy topic to broach.
Though the story is a short one, it was well written and engaging. Once I started I couldn’t stop.
4 out of 5
This book is available from Avon Impulse. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Sounds really good! Thanks for the review!