Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Matchmaker of Mayfair #1
Publication Date: 11/10/20
Number of Pages: 99

This was a lovely, fast-paced, well-written romance between two people who each had flaws to work through. Both sets of flaws had to do with their upbringing, she didn’t trust men to be faithful and he submerged himself in order to please others. I enjoyed watching them get to know each other, and most importantly, trust each other. It was a lovely romance which was first published in the Dukes by the Dozen anthology, but it has been updated just a bit since then.

Julia Sinclair, the Duchess of Stedton, married in order to get out of her deceitful father’s house. Not that she didn’t care for William, she did. However, when she awakens after a rather awkward wedding night and finds William has left, to go see to Maribel, well – that just doesn’t work for her at all and she plans to inform him of that fact as soon as she sees him again – hopefully at the house party they are both to attend. She’ll tell him that she’ll provide the required heir, then she’s going to retire to the country because she won’t live as her mother did.

William Sinclair, the Duke of Stedton, married Julia because he wanted her very much. He was smitten from the first time he laid eyes on her. He hated to have to rush off to his country estate to care for his father’s horse Maribel, but she was his last link to his father and he had to see to her welfare when she fell ill. He left Julia a note – surely she’d understand.

William was expecting a warm welcome from his new wife when he arrived at the house party, so he was shocked when she told him she’d be leaving him as soon as she bore the required heir.

I loved watching William woo his new wife and seeing Julia learn to trust him. That was not an easily won battle and both of them had to face past demons to get to their HEA.

The reason I didn’t give it a 5-star rating – as I usually do with this author – is that I found his leaving to be implausible. I know it is a novella and there wasn’t a lot of room for explanations, but I find it hard to believe that a newlywed would just up and take off for an extended stay without more than a note to his new wife.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.