Holly‘s review of A Lady Never Surrenders (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 5) by Sabrina Jeffries
When the youngest Sharpe sister hatches a plan to gain marriage offers, the straight-laced Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter knows he’ll do whatever it takes to ruin her scheme…
With two months left to find a husband to fulfill her grandmother’s ultimatum, Lady Celia Sharpe sets her sights on three eligible bachelors. Becoming betrothed to one of these wealthy, high-ranking men will surely prove her capable of getting married, so hopefully the wedding itself won’t be necessary for Celia and her siblings to receive their inheritance. Step two of her audacious plan is hiring the dangerously compelling Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter to investigate the three men she’s chosen. But with Lady Celia bedeviling Jackson’s days and nights, the last thing he wants is to help her find a husband. And when she recalls shadowed memories that lead his investigation into her parents’ mysterious deaths in a new direction—putting her in danger—Jackson realizes the only man he wants Celia to marry is himself
This is the final installment of the Hellions of Halstead series. I’m sad to see it end. I’ve enjoyed spending time with the Sharpe family.
I have to say, I was much more bothered by Hettie’s interference in this novel. I’m not sure if it’s because we got more from her POV, or if her meddling went over the top. While I understood her reasons for being wary of Pinter, it didn’t make a lot of sense for her to push him so hard. Especially when it was obvious Celia cared for him. It went against her actions in previous books, where she played the part of disapproving harpy, but was secretly working to push the couple together.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the novel. I liked that Pinter wasn’t a member of the aristocracy. He was an investigator with Bow Street and lived in a modest home in Cheapside. Though he wasn’t dirt poor, he wasn’t rich, either. We don’t see enough of these types of heroes in romance. Of course it was somewhat ruined by Celia’s giant inheritance, but whatever.
Celia has a lot of insecurities. Her grandmother – and some of the other members of her family – have made her feel like she isn’t good enough to find a husband. “Who would want to marry you” is what she feels like they’re saying to her. Especially her grandmother. Because of this, there was additional conflict with Pinter (who himself had insecurities about marrying above himself). While it could have been extreme, I think Celia’s issues gave her an air of vulnerability that made her more likable. She wasn’t just a brash young woman looking to challenge the men of London to duels.
There were several times I snickered over Celia’s attempts to downplay her knowledge about weapons and Pinter’s determination to see her outed. The two of them had great chemistry, as well as quick-witted banter.
The mystery behind their parent’s murder is finally resolved here. While I wouldn’t say it was completely contrived, I did think the resolution was somewhat anti-climatic. I might have liked to see it come about earlier in the novel so more time could be spent on the reactions of the family. Still and all, this was an enjoyable read and a nice way to close out the series.
4.25 out of 5
The series:
This book is available from Pocket Books. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
I still haven’t read the last book in this series. Need to get on to it as I am looking forward to reading about Pinter and Celia!