A Debutante’s Desire by Felicity George

Tracy’s rating: 3 maybe 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Gentlemen of London, #3

Release Date: April 11, 2024

Georgiana Bailey is the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Amesbury and opera star Anna Marinetti, but her mother died not long after her birth and her father had just married, so Georgiana was raised at Monica House, a home for women in need and their children. For years Georgiana’s father kept her a secret from society and his family, but now that his duchess has learned of her, she insists on treating Georgiana as family, going as far as launching Georgiana into society. Though she agrees to playing the part of a debutante, at 26 Georgiana has no intention of finding a husband. No, her goal is to find sponsors for her precious Monica House. When she meets John Tyrold – rumored to be the richest man in England and dubbed King Midas – she believes she has hit the donor jackpot, but John is used to people wanting his money and quickly shoots her down. Georgiana accepts that John won the first round but refuses to concede the war. And when he comes to her for help, she agrees, but makes it clear that her help will come at a hefty price. As they begin to work together, Georgiana realizes that John is not the man she thought he was and knows that she can never be the woman he wants. But things aren’t always as what they seem and hearts change.

John Tyrold has no use for society, since it seems all anyone wants from him is money or advice on money. And after suffering a devasting heartbreak years ago, he has no desire to find a wife, therefore, no reason to associate with the ton. So when he is neatly corralled in the park by the very lovely Georgiana Bailey, he is secretly intrigued, even as he refuses to donate to her charity. But when his ward, Flora disappears from school and none of the men he has hired can find her, he realizes that Georgiana is his best bet to find her. He thinks he has Georgiana figured out and is surprised when he realizes he was wrong. The more time spent with her, the more he wants her. But it appears that Georgiana’s heart is locked away, will he be able to find Flora and win Georgiana’s love? Or is he doomed to lose them both?

I have mixed feelings about this book, the first half was long, repetitive and started to get boring, but then around the halfway mark things perked up and I started to really become invested in the story. I liked both Georgiana and John and I was rooting for their HEA, but the story was not without its flaws. There is a cringeworthy connection between John and someone near and dear to Georgiana that was just ICK and, in my opinion, completely unnecessary to the story. Then there was Georgiana’s excessive guilt and refusal to accept happiness, I understood it, but it felt like it dragged on for much too long. Overall, it was a touching story filled with emotion, triggers, loss, secrets, warm love scenes, a bit of heartache, healing, acceptance and finally HEA. This is the third book in the series and there are characters in common, but this book could easily be read as a standalone title without any problem. While this book wasn’t a grand slam for me, I liked it and would recommend it to other historical romance lovers. However, I would strongly suggest reading the content warning before reading the book as there are several triggers including off-page rape, and child loss that might upset some readers.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*