I choose books to read based on the author or the cover. If I hadn’t been looking for a book by Virginia Heath I would have skipped over this book simply because the cover looks so old fashioned and not very interesting. I’m so glad I didn’t ignore it. After finishing the book. I am glad that I picked it up and look forward to reading more by Virginia Heath.
This is the story of a Jekyll & Hyde character. One the one side is the pompous, stodgy, imperious sixteenth Duke of Aveley. His whole life has been guided by his father’s words. His father had wanted to be Prime Minister but he died early and so the current Duke stepped in to try to meet those goals. Before his death, he had advised his son on how to find the “correct” bride for a Duke and Prime Minister. The Duke, collected those sayings, had them published and now they are coming back to haunt him as every eligible young lady on the marriage mart strives to become the woman they think he wants. At 30, he is looking for a wife and has managed to narrow the list down to 5 that his family calls “The Potentials”, a collection of Barbie dolls who are so molded into the idea of the book that he cannot really see who the woman beneath the mask is.
On the other side (and more hidden side) is Bennett Montague, the man. He’s a little socially inept and quiet but he has a good heart and wants to help the poor of the country. Unfortunately, he thinks that the only way things can change for the poor is if he works in Parliament and becomes Prime Minister.
Into the Aveley home comes the Duke’s aunt, Lady Worsted with her companion, Amelia Mayfield. Amelia is an outspoken, independent thinker, who is dedicated to reforming the life of the poor of London. Her dedication comes from having lived on the streets of Seven Dials and seeing what it means to be poor on a personal level. She wasn’t always poor. She began life as the daughter of a Viscount. When he tired of his mother’s inability to produce an heir, he moved them out of their house in Mayfair to Cheapside. After he managed to procure an annulment, Amelia and her mother were on their own with no means of support. Their situation became worse and worse while her mother became more and more ill. It ended with the two of them in the work house where her mother died. Because she was educated, Amelia managed to pull herself up and out of Cheapside but never forgot what it is to be poor and works to bring about change in society.
When The Duke and Amelia meet it is like oil and water, but she eventually manages to see beyond the Duke to Bennett. He is someone she could fall in love with but she would never allow a titled man to ruin her life again.
This is really a story about Bennett’s growing to become the man he wants to be and not the cookie cutter version of his father that he had been working to be. Amelia opens his eyes to what really is important in the world and helps him to see that he can effect change ever without being the Prime Minister.
The last few chapters are well written and show that someone (even a DUKE) can change for the better and that love can thrive and grow if given a chance. It shows that a strong woman can be an asset and make a man stronger.
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Review originally published at Romancing Romances.

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

First of all, I love the title. It makes me want to know more about the book right away.

Bennett Montague, sixteenth Duke of Aveley, is an interesting man. He wishes to follow his father’s footsteps, but he is so different from his father, that it doesn’t work. He wants a wife who is pretty much “perfect”, as in the perfect politician’s wife. And, of course, he has a list. And he’s narrowed it down.

Enter Amelia Mansfield, who definitely does not fit the mould his looking for. She’s stubborn, and feisty. And she becomes rather indignant with the way Bennett chooses to find and select a wife.

There’s lots of banter, and you could feel the tension between the two characters.

I really liked Bennett, how he grew to understand he was behaving in a way that did not match his personality, and he was trying to be someone he was not. And when he realized he could do his best by just being him, that’s when everything changed for both our main characters.

The book also discusses politics and how people of different stations lived in during the time period. It’s interesting to see how Amelia, who has been trying to adapt to her situation as much as she can, also battles herself about how to make the world, and especially Bennett, see the true life of the poor and weak.

An entertaining and romantic book, with just the right amount of conflict. ( )

2.5 stars ( )

Believable characters and witty dialogue populate this well-paced, excellently written, character-driven story. I loved that the heroine is very self-aware and the hero discovers that he really isn’t who he has been pretending (even to himself) to be. His metamorphosis is a sight to behold! You like each of the characters from the beginning, but as you learn more about them and their respective backgrounds you come to like and respect them even more.

Bennett Montague, sixteenth Duke of Aveley, has plans to be Prime Minister within the next few years. He is stodgy, extremely correct, pompous, and austere. He’s followed his father’s plans for his life to the letter and now, the next part of that plan is to find a wife – after all – a Prime Minister must be married. A year ago, he wrote down and then published, some words of wisdom his father gave him for finding a wife. He’s put those into action and has now narrowed his choices down to five ladies who seem to meet all of the criteria. Some of the words of wisdom are:
• Marry a woman who thinks before she speaks. It will save you a great deal of time having to correct her …
• A wife’s first duty is to obey her husband. Therefore, it is the husband’s first duty to enlighten her as to what he wants her to do …
• Do not allow your passions to control your decisions. Passion soon dies, attraction fades, but a pragmatic union to an obedient wife will stand the test of time …
• When selecting a bride, choose a biddable woman who defers to your superior opinion in all matters of importance …

Amelia Mansfield pulled herself up out of the gutter through sheer will and determination. She’s a beautiful, petite woman who spent quite some time living in Seven Dials alone and on her own. She’s gone from living and working in the workhouse to being the companion to Lady Worsted whose nephew is the Duke of Aveley. Amelia loathes and detests anyone with a title – and she has good reasons – which you’ll learn as you read the book.

I’ve read a number of books with the ‘stodgy aristocrat shown the error of his ways by enlightened reformer’ trope. Those were good, but the reformers usually come across just a bit like cardboard. That isn’t the case here. You see and understand why Amelia feels as she does. Why she fights for the poor. Why she crusades for workers rights. It is because she has lived it and she understands it. This author does that very, very well in this book.

Bennett does his dead-level best to adhere to all of his father's principles for finding the perfect bride – until he meets the outspoken, opinionated, disrespectful companion to his aunt. She certainly has no respect for him or his title. As a matter of fact, she thinks of him as His Royal Highness the Duke of Pomposity and wonders if being so adored becomes wearing on him.

Bennett really is a reformer at heart, but what he believes is fact, really isn’t. He wants to help the slums of Seven Dials, but believes what most folks think about the poor – that they are slovenly, lazy and much prefer to be on the dole. In his mind, he sees them living in homes – just poorer homes, etc. He has no idea that many of them, even though they work, are forced to sleep on the street along with their children. With their meager earnings, they have to choose between a place to sleep for the night or something to eat. Bennett is aghast and heartsick when he learns the truth. His awakening and transformation are a wonderful thing to read!

This delightful story is almost conflict-free and totally character driven. To me, the only thing that would have made it better would have been the addition of an epilogue. I would have loved to see them 5 years out (or even less) with a baby or two and their reform projects up and running, etc.

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The ending was a little abrupt, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ( )