Series: Sommersby Brides (Book 4)She’s played Cupid for others
Now she’s met her own unlikely match!
Widowed society matchmaker
Mrs. Clara Sommersby thinks handsome, self-made businessman Mr. William Lane is
just the man for her neighbor’s overlooked daughter. He’s successful and
confident, if somewhat emotionally distant, until suddenly—shockingly—his
attention turns to Clara herself! She thought her days of romance were over,
but is this younger man intent on giving her a second chance?
Good book that is a bit different than the usual Regency
romance. We have two people that are older, Clara, who is 45, and Lane, who is
37. Neither of them are in the upper echelons of society, though both have
friends who are. It also takes place in Bath instead of London, which was a
nice change of pace. Bath is frequently mentioned, but I rarely get a good feel
for the area in those books. Here most of the action takes place away from the
Pump Room setting.
I liked both Clara and Lane. Clara is a widow who has a
bit of a reputation as a matchmaker. She is also independent, personable, and
an astute businesswoman. Because of the financial problems encountered during
her marriage, she is determined never to give another man that kind of power
over her livelihood again. Due to the stigma against women in business and the
need to maintain appearances, Clara's ownership of her hotel is secret. She has
employed a male cousin to manage it for her, but she retains control over it.
William Lane, who prefers to be called Lane, is a
self-made man. Raised in a London Foundling Hospital, he was determined from an
early age to make something of himself. He is reasonably wealthy, with
investments in many businesses. He is in Bath to start another one. Having
discovered a hot spring under the coffeehouse he just purchased, he wants to
expand from a coffeehouse into a spa featuring the waters from that spring. To
do so, he needs to buy the hotel next door.
I loved the meeting between Clara and Lane. He is at the
Pump Room investigating the waters as research when Clara teases him about the
intensity of his gaze. He is immediately intrigued by her, with his thoughts
being on the somewhat racy side. Clara is intrigued by him also but recognizes
that she is older than he and instead plots to match him with the daughter of a
neighbor. William is far more interested in Clara and is determined to pursue
her for himself. He is helped along the way by Clara's little dog Humphrey, her
friend the Dowager Duchess, and even the girl that Clara tried to match him
with. Clara fights her attraction and growing feelings for Lane, feeling that
her age makes her unsuitable for a man who is young enough to want children.
Both Lane and Clara have insecurities that make it
difficult for them to see any permanence to a relationship between them. Clara
has her age and her reluctance to trust any man to respect her need for
independence. Lane's background has him believing that he isn't good enough for
her and feeling that is reinforced when he has to deal with aristocrats who
look down on him. There was a heartbreaking scene at a dinner one night that made
me tear up for Lane's hurt. I loved Clara's reaction and what it meant to him.
Clara and Lane's relationship goes along quite nicely as
they grow closer. I liked that they could share their pasts without fear of
judgment. There was a good amount of respect between them, and I loved that
their maturity made it possible for them to talk through any problems that came
up. But there was one issue that was left hanging until near the end, and that
was the attempt to purchase the hotel. Clara's secret was so well kept that it
took most of the book for it to come out. When it did, there was shock and
dismay on both sides. It was interesting to see how it all played out, with
doubts, fears, and emotions all tangled up. There were times I wanted to shake
Clara because of how she would push him away. The ending was fantastic. I loved
the extraordinary thing that she did for him and how it brought him back to her
side. It warmed my heart to see him finally break through her fears.
The secondary characters were great. Humphrey, the dog,
was adorable, not too sweet with just the right of puppy mischief in his
actions. I liked how the Dowager Duchess encouraged Clara, along with that hint
of matchmaker competitiveness. Clara's nieces made me laugh when her hotel
ownership came out, and their support of her no longer hiding it. I also liked Juliet's
efforts to make Clara see that there was nothing wrong with loving Lane. I
liked Lane's friend and partner, Hart, especially the way he would give Lane a
hard time about his people skills.
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