Series:
Brides of Bellaire Gardens (Book 3)
Heiress Clarissa Studley yearns to be loved for more than
her fortune. Warmhearted, but plain and shy, she wishes to marry, but has two
firm rules: no rakes and no fortune-hunters -- her father was both, and she'll
never forget the misery he caused.
So, when Race, Lord Randall, starts to pay Clarissa
attention, she knows she must keep him at a distance. Attractive and charming
he might be, Race's reputation precedes him and she's observed first hand his
flirtatious ways with London society beauties. But Race sees a beauty in
Clarissa that others cannot, and for the first time in his life, he is truly in
love. And when a rival for Clarissa's affections appears -- a handsome, wounded
war hero, heir to his great-aunt's fortune -- Race becomes desperate as
Clarissa seems tempted to make a safer, tamer choice.
Can Race convince Clarissa that his love is true and that
she can trust him with her heart? And can Clarissa put aside her unhappy past,
and follow her heart, despite the risk of loving a rake?
Good book. Clarissa and her illegitimate half-sister,
Izzy, came to London to find husbands. Izzy's story was the previous book in
the series,
The Rake's Daughter, which gave the girls' background. This one has
enough information to provide a good picture of their backstory to read it as a
standalone. Izzy and her husband, Leo, also Clarissa's guardian, are off on
their honeymoon, leaving Clarissa to navigate the Season without Izzy's
support. Clarissa is shy but sweet and not beautiful, which doesn't bode well
for a successful husband hunt. Unfortunately, she is also an heiress, which
makes her a target for fortune hunters. Clarissa wants what most people want -
love and happiness. She also has two requirements - no fortune hunters or
rakes, and there must be love. Her father was both, and she wanted nothing to
do with a man like him.
Lord Randall, Race, is her guardian's best friend. Leo
asked Race to take Clarissa riding occasionally because her chaperone doesn't
ride. Race is happy to do so and looks forward to spending time with her. He
fell hard for her when she stood up for Izzy in front of Society without caring
about her reputation. But he has the reputation of being a rake so she wants
nothing to do with him, even though he stirs her senses like no one else ever
has. Unfortunately, Clarissa's self-esteem is so low that she can't believe a
man known for being with beautiful women is genuinely interested in her.
I ached for Race. He has it bad for Clarissa and nothing
he does will convince her that he wants her for herself, as she is. He gets
tongue-tied when trying to tell her of his feelings, and she consistently
misunderstands what he tries to say to her. Another man is paying attention to
her, and Race is determined to win her. I loved how Race came to her rescue
when the other man turned out to be the worst kind of cad. I loved that scene
so much.
I was very frustrated by Clarissa and her refusal to see
past Race's reputation to the man he is. I understood her attitude toward
rakes, but he proved himself in so many ways. I loved that she finally dared to
share her concerns with him and, by doing so, got everything she could hope
for. I loved Race's promise to be open and honest in his answers and how she
finally believed in him. The ending was terrific; I can't wait to see them in
future books.
In an interesting twist, Clarissa made an unexpected
discovery when she went to an orphanage to hire a new lady's maid. She found a
young girl, about fifteen years old, who looks like her sister Izzy. Clarissa
is sure that she has found another sister. Zoe is wary and reluctant to trust
that it is true. I enjoyed watching Clarissa try to convince Zoe that she
belongs in the family. I understood Zoe's wariness. I liked the compromise they
settled on in the end. I look forward to reading Zoe's story next.
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