Reviewer: Tracy Someone to Love by Mary Balogh
Series: Westcott series #1
Also in this series: Someone to Hold, Someone to Wed, Someone to Care, Someone to Honor, Someone to Trust
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: November 8th 2016
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Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune that will forever alter the lives of everyone in his family—including the daughter no one knew he had...
Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of the family she came from. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. She is also overjoyed to learn she has siblings. However, they want nothing to do with her or her attempts to share her new wealth. But the new earl’s guardian is interested in Anna…
Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, keeps others at a distance. Yet something prompts him to aid Anna in her transition from orphan to lady. As London society and her newfound relatives threaten to overwhelm Anna, Avery steps in to rescue her and finds himself vulnerable to feelings and desires he has hidden so well and for so long.
Anna grew up in an orphanage in Bath and then eventually became a teacher in their schoolroom. She didn’t have a bad life but she did always dream of having a family of her own. When she gets a letter in the mail from a solicitor in London she’s confused as to why he wants her there. She goes and gets the shock of her life. She’s the legitimate daughter of an Earl! She’s got half-sisters and a half-brother as well as many other relatives including a grandmother! She is overwhelmed but feels that she needs to give this part of her life a chance. She is kind and considerate and lets her female relatives guide her as they will.
While this is happening she finds herself intrigued with the Duke of Netherby. He is standoffish and extravagant and she’s not sure what to make of him – except that he’s really never anything but nice to her (well except the first time he saw her and thought she was a servant). For his part Avery, the duke, finds himself also intrigued with this orphan who has the dignity of a lady of the ton and is so very kind and nothing like other women he’s met. He finds himself asking her out for walks and doing things for her that help her in the background of her life. When she’s told she’ll probably marry by the end of the season, Avery steps up and asks but neither of them can figure out why.
This was a sweet story of Anna, a kind orphan who becomes all the rage in London. She’s plain spoken and ordinary. She has scruples and a conscience and that’s something new and different in the ton. Avery is a bit bewitched by her but he can’t seem to keep himself away. I liked that he couldn’t but it was a bit odd how Balogh went about getting the pair together. Yes, they had regard for each other but I didn’t see the love happening between them until later and even then it was…tepid. IDK, Balogh usually bowls me over with her emotional love stories and this just didn’t.
It wasn’t a bad story at all and Avery’s sarcasm had me laughing a time or two, that’s for sure. I liked a lot about this book and would recommend it but be warned that there is a bit of a disconnect in the romance, at least imho. Despite my few reservations about this book I am curious to see what happens in the next book with Anna’s half-sister, Camille who was jilted in this book.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Good to know this book still had quite a few redeeming qualities for ya. I do like this author and am looking forward to reading it even if the romance is a bit off.
I enjoyed this too, Tracy. That said, it wasn’t my favorite book by this author.