Rating: ★★★ +.5 | The Spinster Heiresses #1 | 368 pages | Avon | Historical | 12/26/17
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Leonie Charnock is one of the three notorious spinster heiress–three best friends of marriageable age who haven’t been able to find a husband for a variety of reasons. Leonie’s father wants to hold out for the highest title he can get for her, which is fine by her since she’s not that interested in marriage.
Enter Roman Gilchrist–the newly appointed Duke of Rochdale–who has not only just inherited his estranged Uncle’s title, but also his gambling debt and crumbling estate. Roman needs Leonie’s dowry and she is the perfect match, especially since they share a dark secret from seven years ago that ruined Roman’s military career and left a man dead.
I don’t usually pick up ballroom historical romances but I enjoyed this book. It has everything I want in a romance; female friendships, sexy consent, and complex female characters. One of the issues this book tackled is alcoholism, and it was interesting to watch Leonie’s journey with this issue when there wasn’t a clear understanding of it, especially for women.
This is a charming opening to a new series that’s not afraid to tackle the tough stuff.
Received as part of the Avon Addicts program!