Reviewer: Tracy A Lady by Any Other Name by Jennifer Kitchens
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: July 3rd 2012
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A Woman in Hiding
Nicole Farrington's life had never been easy, but it had always been bearable. At least it had been until now. Faced with a horrible marriage her step-brother has contracted for her, she will do anything to get away. She'll run...run to anyone who might be able to help her. But running blindly down an unknown path may take her to an unexpected destination.
A Man Seeking Answers
Julian Huntington, Earl of Foxley, wants nothing more than to have his carefree life back. Now he is left with a title, a child, and a future that he never expected would be his. He refuses to believe his brother's death was an accident, no matter what people say. Someone killed him and Julian plans to find out who and why. Maybe then he can go on with his life...his brother's life. But will the answers he seeks be enough, or will he find love to be a worthier goal?
Tracy’s review of A Lady By Any Other Name by Jennifer Kitchens
Nicole Farrington’s father told her on his deathbed that he wasn’t her biological father. He managed to tell her the tale of how her mother’s new husband died on their way home from Gretna Green and when she found herself pregnant ended up marrying Lord Farrington. Nicole didn’t think too much of it all as the he had been the only man she’d known as a father.
Six years later and Nicole is working as a servant in her own home now that her step brother has inherited. When he shows up unexpectedly and lets her know that he’s basically traded her in for his debts. Her dowry will cover his gambling debts to an odious man that Nicole wants nothing to do with. In the middle of the night she runs with the thought that she will contact her real father’s family and hope they will take her in.
When she arrives she finds her real father isn’t dead. He takes off to Gretna Green to find proof of his marriage to Nicole’s mother and sends her to his friend in London for safe keeping. When she gets to London Nicole finds that her father’s friend is deceased and his brother inherited. Being afraid to tell the truth of the situation for fear that Lord Julian Foxley will turn her over to her brother Nicole makes up a fake name for herself and creates a story of why she is there.
While there Julian and Nicole fall in love but she is afraid to act on her love as Julian thinks that she’s Anna Peachly. She feels he’ll hate her when she finds out her falsehoods – especially when he finds out that she may have been the cause of his brother’s death.14
This was a bit of a convoluted story but it was a good one. I really liked Nicole and her inner strength. She had a bit of a temper on her which served her well at times. Julian was a good guy as well but I found him a bit self-centered for the first part of the book. Thankfully he got less so as the book went on.
My issue with the book mostly lies with the speed of falling in love. Now, as a romance reader I knew that that’s where the book was headed, but I didn’t feel that there was enough hero/heroine time spent together or enough emotional build up for the I Love You to be spoken. It wasn’t insta-love as she had spent some weeks living in Julian’s house but when it comes out of Julian’s mouth I actually thought – WTH? It was too much too soon and that put a bit of a damper on the rest of the book for me. I think had the author spent a bit more time building the relationship between the h/h it would have worked for me.
Overall, however, it was very readable and a nice clean cut (only a little kissing involved) novel.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.
This title is self-published. You can buy it here in e-format. This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.