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Ever since the scandal surrounding his parents’ death, Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, has lived his life thumbing his nose at the Ton. He is unapologetic of his rakehell behavior, even going so far as to flaunt it. But now his Grandmother has decided it must stop, and to get Oliver to comply she has thrown down an ultimatum: he (and his brothers and sisters) must settle down and wed within the year or she will disinherit them. Oliver decides to rise to the occasion and bring home a fake fiancée from a brothel. What he gets instead is Maria Butterfield, an American who is desperately trying to track down her missing fiancé in London. The two strike a bargain to masquerade as a betrothed couple, but soon, Maria and Oliver’s charade begins to feel all too real. THE TRUTH ABOUT LORD STONEVILLE was my first Sabrina Jeffries book and it’s hard to imagine why I haven’t discovered her much sooner. Her writing is smooth and witty, her characters engaging and well drawn. This first book in the Hellions of Halstead Hall sets up a series that promises to be a whole lot of fun. I love how Ms. Jeffries manages to make each Halstead sibling unique. And the same goes for Maria and her cousin Freddy. There were so many moments in this book that I found myself smiling at their antics. Reading this book is truly a delight. Yet, THE TRUTH ABOUT LORD STONEVILLE is not all laughs. Oliver is a man who wrestles many demons, and Ms. Jeffries does a fabulous job balancing both the humorous moments with the poignant ones. I loved that Maria was the one woman who could coax Oliver to realize the truth about himself. To all Regency romance lovers looking for a book that will make you laugh while warming your heart, look no further than THE TRUTH ABOUT LORD STONEVILLE. It is an enjoyable, enchanting story, and I am anxiously anticipating the rest of the books in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series.
Reviewed by Cindy |
HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL BOOK
1:
Posted February 2010 |
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