Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Heirs of the Aristocracy #5
Publication Date: 5/25/21
Period: Victorian

This was a delightfully witty, well-balanced, well-written story filled with some very likable and relatable characters. You will absolutely adore Stella and Harold who were featured in The Epiphany of an Explorer. As always, we have two romances – we have Stella and Harold who have different ways of dealing with the fact that they are getting older – and we have their son Alexander who finds his romance with Margaret Ewen who is a gemologist.

Harold Tennison, the Earl of Everly, and his still strikingly beautiful wife Estelle (Stella) are approaching their twenty-second wedding anniversary. While they are still very much in love, life has become a bit routine over the years. Neither of them is ready to just roll over and curl up their toes, so they are both coping with their middle years just a tad differently – but they definitely end up in the same place. I absolutely adored their scenes in the book – they were irreverent, randy, funny, and thoroughly entertaining.

Twenty-one-year-old Alexander Tennison, the heir to the Earl of Everly, looks like a Greek God. That would make most people arrogant and self-centered, but not Alex. He is a very loving, dutiful, honorable young man who really has no clue about the effect his looks have on others – especially those young marriageable ladies. The Tennison family is one with a scientific bent – Harold is a botanist and Alex is a metallurgist with an interest in making fine jewelry. When Alex learned that he was color blind, it was a devastating blow to him because he suddenly understood why he had difficulty choosing stones that worked together in his jewelry creations. He just needs someone to help him ‘see’ the colors.

Margaret Ewen is a gemologist in her father’s shop, Ewen and Ewen. When this tall, handsome Greek God walks into their shop, she has no idea who he is, so she teases him – and he teases back. He’s in the shop to buy several ounces of gold for a jewelry project he’s working on, and Margaret is a bit concerned that he’ll be setting himself up in competition with their already faltering shop. Then, she learns who he is and she can’t believe she teased him the way she did. However, that doesn’t stop her from selling him several hundred rubies and citrines the next time he comes into the shop. Then, when he shows her his designs and asks for her help – well – goodness – who can refuse a Greek God?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that both families are warm, loving, and accepting of themselves and each other. I loved that the nasty villain got his comeuppance and our couples got their HEAs. If you are looking for a happy read, this is the book for you.

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