Tag: An Heiress in London

Guest Review: Scandal of the Year by Olivia Drake.

Posted August 23, 2011 by Tracy in Reviews | 6 Comments

Tracy’s review of Scandal of the Year (Heiress in London #3) by Olivia Drake

The youngest of the Crompton heiresses, Blythe yearns to marry into the aristocracy to bolster her family’s place in society. The widowed Duke of Savoy seems to be the perfect choice, yet it’s another man who sets her heart to pounding: the new footman, James. He’s devilishly handsome and far more fascinating than any of her noble suitors. And he alone has the power to stir her romantic dreams.

Little does she know, however, James Ryding is the true heir to the Crompton fortune. He’s posing as a servant in order to find evidence to prove her parents are imposters. By charming Blythe, he hopes to use her to regain his rightful inheritance. But as heat flares between them, he realizes that fulfilling his quest will mean ruining the beautiful, spirited woman who has captured his heart.

James Ryding has been living in Barbados for 20 years when he gets a letter stating that the people who are supposedly his cousins are imposters. James takes it upon himself to try to discover the truth as he can’t quite tell from looking at Edith and George Crompton if they are who they say they are (he was only 10 when he last saw them). He poses as a footman in the Crompton household and sets about trying to obtain evidence. While posing at a footman he has interactions with Blythe the youngest daughter of the Crompton’s. James immediately decides he wants her in his bed but he really wants the truth more – which will get him his rightful inheritance.

Blythe is a bit put off by forwardness of the new footman but since he’s so different she can’t help but notice him and after a bit, converse with him. Blythe is trying to make a advantageous marriage match and since her parents so desperately want her to marry the Duke of Savoy that’s what she decides to do to make them happy. But the duke’s daughter Lady Davina is a snob and wants Blythe no where near her father. Blythe concocts a plan to distract Lady Davina from her guardianship of her father so that Blythe can get near. She fabricates a foreign prince…of course talking James into being the fictitious prince…only her plan backfires and her mother decides that it’s the prince she is to marry.

But what happens when Blythe falls in love with James and what will happen to their marriage when James admits that not only is he not a footman but her parents probably aren’t who they say they are either?

This was a pretty good story but found it to be slow at times. It caught my attention right off the bat but then slowed and it continued on that vein for the rest of the book. I thought that the decision to become a footman was a bit far fetched for James to discover the truth but I went with it and it seemed to be ok. When Blythe decided to add in the prince it was too much. Here we have James acting as a footman, acting as a prince? It didn’t work that well for me. I understand this is romantic fiction but I just couldn’t suspend belief for this story.

The end of the book was interesting when everything…and I do mean everything, was revealed to Blythe – but James’ actions (or non-action as was the case) after the reveal were odd. I know that he grew up during the course of the book and his priorities changed so that made it a bit better but I have to say I felt a bit let down by it all.

Overall a cute story that I had some issues with.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The Series:


Seducing the HeiressNever Trust A Rogue (Heiress in London)Scandal of the Year (Heiress in London)

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Review: Seducing the Heiress by Oliva Drake

Posted April 15, 2010 by Holly in Reviews | 2 Comments

Holly’s review of Seducing the Heiress (An Heiress in London, Book 1) by Olivia Drake

Her wealth and beauty have made Miss Portia Crompton the catch of the season. Secretly determined to wed the maharajah’s son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons. But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous—and wickedly tempting.
Colin has no delusions about romance. He’s a rogue, a womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes as easily to him as breathing. Portia’s fortune is an irresistible lure until Colin’s mercenary scheme hits a snag. Winning her dowry is no longer enough—he wants her heart and her passion. The more adamant she is in her refusal, the more determined he is to seduce her…


Colin is desperate for money. Because of a past scandal he’s basically ostracized from society, which means he doesn’t have a slew of heiresses to choose from. He sees Portia Crompton as the perfect solution to his problem. If only he can convince her of that.

Portia has no delusions about Colin and what he wants from her. Unfortunately for him, she’s already got her heart set on someone else – someone much more worthy of her. But she finds herself charmed despite her conviction not to be and is drawn to Colin in ways she hadn’t predicted. When the Duke of Albright, Colin’s bitter enemy, sees Colin is interested in Portia, he does his best to court her himself. Caught between two men, Portia is unsure what to do.

Colin becomes even more determined to win Portia’s hand once the Duke makes his intentions known. Now all he must do is seduce Portia so she’ll agree to marry him….But in the end, will Colin be the seducer or the one who is seduced into love?

I really enjoyed both main characters. Colin at first comes off as an arrogant, indolent man who wants an easy way to fix all his problems. As the story progresses we see there’s more to him, however, and it was easy to sympathize with him. Though he intends only to seduce Portia into marrying him, he finds himself falling for her – which is very disconcerting to him. He doesn’t want to want her, he only wants her fortune. But once he sets his mind of having her he sets about it in a very charming way. I thoroughly enjoyed his efforts.

Porita was a practical, level-headed woman. She didn’t suffer delusions about herself, her family, or – most importantly, Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliff. She’s determined to wait until the end of the season so that she can return to Arun, the love she left behind in India. I liked that though she was set on her course, she wasn’t stupid about it. When presented with what the consequences of her actions would be if she did flee to India, she didn’t just shrug it off or willfully lift her chin and exclaim she would do it anyway. She thought. And considered. It was very refreshing.

I was disappointed that the focus seemed to be taken off Portia and Colin once they did become a couple. The first half of the book is devoted almost solely to them, yet the second half focused more on intrigue and outside conflicts.

This was a quick, light read. I breezed right through it, thoroughly entertained.

3.75 out of 5


This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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