A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Somerset Stories, #5

Release Date: July 30, 2024

Hannah Heywood is the youngest child of Captain and Mrs. Heywood, she is lovely, shy and a bit over-protected. Her parents were concerned that a debut season in London might be too much for her and opted to have her first season in Bath. Hannah is nervous yet excited to go to Bath, not only for her debut, but to finally meet fellow animal activist, Miss Winthrop. What she didn’t expect was the arrival of James Beresford, Viscount St. Clare. James is the elder brother of her brother’s fiancée and Hannah is secretly attracted to James but knows that they would never suit. So, she is surprised when he takes a marked interest in her, could she have been wrong about a future between them?

James Beresford, Viscount St. Clare, and heir to the Earl of Allendale, should be in London looking for the perfect bride, someone of impeccable lineage and social standing, someone who will help him restore his family name. Hannah Heywood is undeniably lovely, but her shyness and her work in animal advocacy will not help him sway the ton’s opinion of his family’s scandalous past. But even knowing this, he just can’t seem to walk away until she makes it clear that they will not suit. It isn’t until he returns to London and his quest for the perfect bride that he realizes he has already found her, but is it too late?

This was a sweet, gentle story that is a lovely addition to the series. James and Hannah are easy to like, and you can’t help but root for their HEA. The story is a bit shorter than the previous installments, but no less potent. I enjoyed their interactions and the slow, yet steady development of their love story. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and especially hope that there is a HEA in the works for Jack! Overall, this was a delightfully traditional Regency romance that employs the opposites attract trope and ends with their HEA. This is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title.

*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. *