Series: Imperfect Lords (Book 3)What’s an earl to do?
The Earl of Argyle has died suddenly, leaving his brother
Guy Neville at a complete loss. The dull-witted second son, as his father used
to call him, Guy is now responsible for the estate and his brother’s seat in
the House of Lords. Shamed by an inability to read or write, his distress is
multiplied by an inquiry from a dyed-in-the-wool bluestocking who wishes to use
the Argyle library and study a rare plant on the estate. Guy’s first instinct
is to decline her request—until he catches a glimpse of Miss Abigail Pinehurst.
How’s a girl to behave?
Abigail cares for only one thing: plants. She is
unconcerned about how she looks, what she wears, or the impression she makes on
men. An orphan who turned to books for solace in a miserly, cruel institution,
she now makes her living illustrating the greenery she adores. Lord Argyle, in
fact, with his uncanny memory and chiseled features, is the first man to
capture her attention—a ridiculous distraction since he is so far above her
station. But her unreasonable heart has a mind of its own.
Good book with an unusual hero and a heroine who turns
out to be the perfect match. Guy is the second son of an earl and never
expected to inherit the title. Severely abused as a child by his father, he ran
away to join the army when he was fourteen. After 15 years and a brilliant
career, declared a hero for his abilities as a tactician, he is back home. Guy
is devastated when he receives word that his beloved older brother is dead, and
terrified by what it could mean for him. Guy knows that his inability to read
and write if revealed could see him stripped of his title and lands and even
thrown into an asylum. His cousin Patrick Neville has tried for years to
discover what secret the family is hiding, determined to take it all for
himself. Guy's saving grace is his best friend and former army batman, Kit, provides
Guy with the assistance he needs. The arrival of Abigail, invited by his
brother to use the library and study the elusive Ghost Orchid, adds another
complication as someone he must hide his disability from.
Abigail is unwillingly involved in Patrick's plans. Her
plan to find and sketch the Ghost Orchid is real, and her motivation for visiting
Lord Argyle's estate. Unfortunately, Abigail has secrets of her own that would
ruin her life and that of her sister Dora if revealed. Patrick has discovered
those secrets and blackmails Abigail into spying on Guy and finding out his
secrets.
I really liked both Guy and Abigail. The things that Guy
experienced growing up could have made him a hard and bitter man. Instead, he
is an honorable man with a heart. I ached for the way he was made to feel
stupid and horrified by what his father did to him. I was also incredibly
impressed by the techniques he has learned to compensate for his disability. Abigail
also had a terrible childhood, experiencing things that no young girl should
have to experience. Her story is revealed slowly, and though I suspected the
truth early on, it did not diminish the impact. She is intelligent, determined,
and protective.
I enjoyed the first meeting between Guy and Abigail. Each
of them was bowled over by the other. I had to laugh at the way Kit ended up
elbowing Guy to break the trance, and Abigail gave herself a stern talking-to. But
in spite of his fascination and attraction, Guy still felt a niggle of
suspicion over the timing of her arrival, as well as later when he found her
near his study. I was impressed by Abigail's quick thinking. Over the next
couple of days, they spent some time together, and it doesn't take long for a
tentative friendship to build along with some fantastic chemistry. As Abigail
begins to suspect Guy's secret, she also can't deny that he is a kind and
honorable man. I loved how she chose to tell Guy and Kit the truth.
The pace of the story picked up as the three of them
worked together to bring an end to Patrick's plans. There was an attempt on Guy's
life that they were confident Patrick was behind. His arrival at Argyle ramped
up the intensity as we saw his threats against Abigail and Dora. I definitely
felt the waves of hatred toward Guy, and the evil of his intentions was apparent.
I felt their hopefulness as they laid their trap for Patrick and their fear as
they discovered his abduction of Dora as a bargaining chip. Though Dora had
previously seemed to be a somewhat naïve young woman, she proved to be much
stronger and smarter than I expected. I cheered that determination and rooted
for her success.
All through this time, the feelings between Guy and
Abigail grew stronger. Abigail has no hope of anything coming from it because
of who she is and what she was hiding in her past. Guy wants to believe that he
can make it happen. But when Patrick finds a way to threaten Guy's hold on his
title and lands, it takes all of them plus the help of two of his good friends
to counter the threat. I loved Guy's protectiveness toward Abigail and how he
was willing to give up his dreams to keep her safe. Abigail is just as
determined to protect Guy and his dreams, and I loved seeing her do what she
felt was right.
I was a little disappointed in the resolution, as I would
have liked to see a different outcome for Patrick (not that he didn't deserve
what he got). The way it happened was an interesting and unexpected twist. I
liked how Guy's friends helped him and Abigail find a way to be together. The
epilogue was a nice wrap-up.
There was also a sweet secondary romance between Guy's
friend Kit and Abigail's Dora. The attraction between them was also immediate.
I enjoyed seeing the two of them together, as Dora did her best to tempt him,
and Kit held tight to his honor and resisted her. He was very fierce when she
was in danger and so proud of her when she escaped.
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