After he deceived her, she never thought she would see him again. Now one summer could change everything.
Being an heiress is not all it’s cut out to be, as Ruth found out during her first London Season. Now, she has retired to the relative quiet of Bath for the summer to repair the reputation she garnered for herself as a ruthless rejector of every offer of marriage she received. All hopes of marital bliss were dashed long ago by a young man in Devonshire who was as deceitful as he was handsome. But a good match is essential not only to Ruth’s success as the daughter of a well-to-do merchant with his sights on the highest places in society, but the success of her young cousin, Isabelle, whose past could hinder any chance of future security and comfort. Ruth is determined to put aside her old heartache and preferences to pave the way for her. But the growing resentment of how she got her fortune is proving most difficult to keep under control.
She broke his heart. Now she’s right next door.
Julian Lyte has but one objective in save his family from ruin and keep his father out of debtor’s prison. With every other avenue to economize over the years exhausted, he now has no choice but to turn to the one thing he swore never to marry for money. And his mother, just removed to Bath with his sisters, seems to have found the perfect candidate. But Ruth Hanaway has for many years been the sole reminder of every failure in Julian’s life after that one, idyllic summer in Devonshire. Now he is caught between saving his family and confronting the past.
But as lies unfold and past treachery is revealed, will Ruth’s and Julian’s hearts mend along the same path during their summer stay in Bath?
Ruth and Julian have an unresolved past with both of them thinking that they had ended their relationship. In this era when letters were the main means of communication, they depended upon a friend to deliver their correspondence. But, what if that backfired?
Ruth and Julian’s love story was one of learning to let go of the past and trust no matter what the circumstances looked like. They both still loved each other, and I enjoyed watching their journey of discovering their commitment and that joy once again.
The secondary characters, both human and animal, were a great addition to the story. Isabelle, Ruth’s cousin, hasn’t quite figured out the way to act in polite society and Ruth finds herself coming to her aid on several occasions. Ruth’s compassion for her cousin shows the kind of caring young woman she is, especially in helping her to get through memories of her past. I love that pesky Lord Duckworth. He goes around Bath unchecked, causing all kinds of trouble. This time, he has Julian in his sights and Isabelle to witness the encounter too!
Things to enjoy:
music box
Bath, England
dancing
humor
beach and shells
castle ruins
reconciliation
Mr. Bomford
“Now tell me of your sorrows, and when you are done, I shall kiss them away, if you like.”
This is the sixth book in the Hearts of Somerset series. While there is some overlap of scenes from other books, it can still be read as a standalone. I loved each book, and if you enjoy Regency period romances I recommend reading.
I received a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
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