Love comes when you least expect it in this captivating new novel in the Westcott Regency romance series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.Lady Jessica Archer lost interest in the glittering excitement of romance after her cousin and dearest friend, Abigail, was rejected by the ton when her father was revealed to be a bigamist. Now that she is twenty-five, however, Jessica … is twenty-five, however, Jessica decides it is time to wed. Though she no longer believes she will find true love, she is still very eligible. She is, after all, the sister of Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby.
Jessica considers the many qualified gentlemen who court her. But then she meets the mysterious Gabriel Thorne, who has returned to England from the New World to claim an equally mysterious inheritance. Jessica considers him completely unsuitable, especially when, while they are still barely acquainted, he announces his intention to wed her.
When Jessica guesses who Gabriel really is, however, and watches the lengths to which he will go in order to protect those who rely upon him, she is drawn to his cause–and to the man.
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Series: Westcott #8
Publication Date: 8/25/20
Number of Pages: 336
Wow! This is a perfect book – It had everything I want in a book. The main characters are delightful, the supporting characters are wonderful, there was a HEA (but it was a pretty slow slog getting there), and the very best part – the villain got his appropriate punishment and everybody helped to make it so. Loved it! This book is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone if you like.
Lady Jessica Archer, sister to Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, gave up on love, marriage, and romance eight years ago when her cousin and best friend, Abigail Westcott, lost everything. Abigail has since married for love, but Jessica still hasn’t found it within herself to want that yet. She’s just spent some time visiting with Abigail and has decided that this will be the season she marries. She won’t look for love – just a convenient marriage to a good man. It’s too bad she doesn’t know any.
Gabriel Thorne fled England thirteen years ago under dire circumstances. He’s lived in America since then and loved his life there. He had made his fortune and certainly didn’t miss anything in England – other than his aunt’s (by marriage) sister, Mary. Mary is a kind soul who sees only the best in everyone, so when she writes to Gabriel asking him to return home and assume the title he inherited almost seven years ago, he can hardly refuse her. It seems his malicious cousin is on the brink of having Gabriel declared dead and assuming the title himself. He’s even taken over the estate already and is evicting Mary from her small cottage. Mary couldn’t survive on her own because she has several deformities and she has no family to care for her. As much as he doesn’t want to be, Gabriel is back in England.
Gabriel knows that one of the first things he must do is marry and begat an heir – otherwise, his cousin would still inherit if anything happened to Gabriel. He has to have someone who knows the ways of the ton and whose reputation is spotless. The first night he is back on English soil, on his way to London, he is requested to give up his private parlor for an unexpected lady guest. His nose is a bit out of joint, but when he sees that haughty, aristocratic woman, he immediately decides she is the one he’ll marry.
In London, Gabriel pursues Jessica in his own inimitable way. He certainly does the unexpected as far as Jessica is concerned. But there is competition for Jessica’s attention – a newcomer in town – Anthony Rochford – heir to Manley Rochford who is soon to inherit the title of Earl of Lyndale. Anthony is a handsome devil – can he win Jessica?
Once Gabriel shares his whole story with Jessica – and subsequently, with her entire family, they all band together to clear Gabriel’s name, claim his title, and save Mary from eviction. I loved that Gabriel was such a giving, caring, loving man though he claimed to know nothing of romance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, well-plotted story and am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Every time I read a book by Mary Balogh I always think it cannot be as good as the last. And then it is. Someone to Romance is one of those books you want to keep reading, even when you have laundry to fold or dinner to prepare or it’s time to turn out the light. This is book seven of her wonderful family saga about the the Westcotts. I won’t describe wbat’s in the blurb. You can read that yourself. I will only say that there are several themes in this book: first impressions aren’t always reliable; marrying for practical reasons sometimes proves that the heart knows more than the mind; and finally, the support of family is worth its weight in gold. Happy reading.
Someone to Romance (The Westcott Series #8) by Mary Balogh, can be read as a stand alone.
Well written and well crafted with charming and enjoyable characters. The storyline is a riveting, and fast paced, story.
Lady Jessica Archer and the mysterious Gabriel Thorne are an interesting and enjoyable characters to follow and fall in love with. Regency readers will definitely enjoy this riveting romance!
SOMEONE TO ROMANCE is a slow burn Romance between Jessica and Gabriel
A heartwarming and fun with romance and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this story from the first page to the last page.
Another must read romance by the talented Mary Balogh.
#NetGalley, #SomeonetoRomance, #MaryBalogh, #Berkley
“I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however, these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review.”
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR
A woman determined to make her own choices. A man torn between his chosen home and his duty.
Gabriel Thorne left for America, intending never to come back. Not even the fact that he succeeded to his uncle’s title was temptation enough to return home.
But a single letter from a beloved aunt changed everything.
Once in London, Gabriel had until the end of summer to fix things and return to America incognito, or present himself and claim the title, becoming the new Earl of Lyndale.
He was torn between the desire to return to America, and his duty to his aunt and tenants.
To complicate things, the very haughty and beautiful Lady Jessica Archer was being courted by his cousin’s son, and she was not precisely the practical and cold aristocrat he had imagined.
Jessica was strong and determined to live her life on her own terms.
Both Gabriel and Jessica were very layered characters. I love how their relationship evolved through the story. How their views and feelings became more complicated as they got to know one another.
The side characters were charming, especially Avery, Jessica’s brother, and the Duke of Netherby. His love and respect for Jessica’s wishes were very endearing. For those following the series, Avery’s happily-ever-after is told in Someone to Love, the book that opens the set.
Mary Balogh is my favorite historical romance author because of her exceptional talent in translating emotion into words. The characters feel real, their feelings believable and relatable.
Highly recommended!
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book art, and book-related articles, please visit https://lureviewsbooks.com *
I loved the secret heir.
This is not your routine romance among aristocrats, but then, few of Balogh’s books are. I love her totally American earl who needs a “real” aristocrat to foil is manipulating relatives and give him credibility among the upper classes. Jessica Archer is just the woman to do it, so if she needs romance, he’ll give it to her. Fans of the Westcott series will be delighted to have Jessica finally find her way out of her self-imposed sadness, and, once again, her half-brother the Duke of Netherby steals every scene he’s in. No fool, he.
I love Mary Balogh’s books but this one didn’t really grab me, I loved the premise of the story and I liked the characters but I didn’t feel enough emotion, the chemistry beetwen the h and H. A little disappointing….
Anything Mary Balogh writes is excellent. Her plots are never predictable, and I never feel as if I am plodding along to finish the book.
Every book that I have read from Mary Balogh has been a masterpiece. But not being British, I find the numerous names of the characters, name, title, nickname, very confusing and with the Westcott novels definitely need the Family Tree, provided by the author at the front of the book. I found myself having to refer back to it quite often during the read.
This book is about Lady Jessica Archer, sister of Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, who had been so devastated by what happened to her cousin and best friend, Abby, that she had withdrawn from society as well, not having her coming out as scheduled. But now that Abby is happily married and a mother, Jessica has decided that this year, she will find a husband. She would really like to have a love match, like the other members of her family. However, none of her admirers set her heart aflutter. Until two men come into her life at the same time. One is charming, but works too hard at it, sort of giving her the creeps and the other informs her from the start that he intends to marry her. There is a villain, but all the authors books end with a HEA.
If you have not started reading the series yet, I suggest reading them in order, one after the other, to keep who is who and their relationships straight.
Gabriel returns home to England to claim his inheritance and protect his estate. He also declares to Jessica his intention to marry her after only very briefly knowing her. Will the stubborn beauty succumb to his charms? Can’t wait to read the next in this series!
I love Mary Balogh books. She has the unique ability to build characters that may have been and that readers end up loving. I think I own every book she has had published.
A Mary Balogh book is always a comfort read, but now more than ever it’s a comfort read. Reading about people being good to one another, discovering love, sharing passion and trying to do the right thing releases those endorphins that my brain needs to overcome the doom scrolling of the daily news and social media.
So: This is book #7 of the Westcott series. While I’ve enjoyed all of them tremendously, it’s a special pleasure to read characters who start out portrayed as callow and immature become the heroines of their own story. Lady Jessica Archer, sister of the Duke of Netherby (Westcott #1) is one such character. We’ve gone from her teenage histrionics into seeing her as a woman ready to settle down, but not ready to settle.
Enter Gabriel Thorne, English born but living in America for the past 13 years, he’s returned to his homeland because of an inheritance, but he’s not happy about it. Nonetheless, he’ll do his duty, then likely return to his true home of Boston.
But, of course, these two cross paths and make an immediate impression on one another, and it’s not a positive one. However, I loved how Jessica demanded more in her life. She knew her own worth as an heiress and the sister of a powerful duke, and she expected to be courted, but courted for her own self.
It was a comfort read, and if there was a certain point where one felt buried under an avalanche of delightful Westcotts from the previous six novels, it was worth it. I recommend it, but I also recommend starting with Westcott #1, Someone to Love
Love Mary Balogh and this series!
I just love this series. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the plot of this story. So happy Jessica has her HEA. Looking forward to reading more from
A top pick at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1k9
When he was only nineteen, Gabriel Rochford was falsely accused of two heinous crimes, and urged by his family to flee to avoid hanging. Gabriel had been orphaned ten years ago, and was living with an uncle who provided the necessities, but no love or affection. Willing to make a new start, Gabriel traveled to America, where he found a relative of his mother’s, one who loved him, and made him his heir. Gabriel even legally changed his surname to Thorne, willing to leave everything of England behind him. There’s only one person he keeps in contact with, and that’s Mary, his English uncle’s sister-in-law. Over six years ago, Mary notified Gabriel that his uncle and cousin have unexpectedly died, leaving him as the heir to a title. Gabriel chooses to stay away from England, until a desperate Mary begs him to return home. It seems that he’s only months away from being legally declared dead, and the next in line for the title has already moved in, making it clear that Mary no longer has a home. Gabriel can’t resist Mary’s plea for help, though he hopes to be able to return to America, leaving a capable steward in charge of his inherited estate.
Jessica Archer has avoided making a match for years, and now, at twenty-five, she has decided it’s time. Though she doesn’t expect to find love, there are several eligible men of her acquaintance who would be suitable. Determined to acquire a fiancé before the season ends, Jessica is nevertheless astounded when the brash new American in town calmly tells her that he intends to marry her.
It seems that Gabriel’s situation is not quite as simple as he had hoped. The heir presumptive to his title is making a big show around town about his upcoming inheritance, all the while pointing a finger at Gabriel (his supposedly dead cousin) as being a wicked criminal. Gabriel keeps his identity a secret until he can formulate a solid plan, but he realizes two things. First, a wife, one who is well respected in society, will be of immeasurable help to him. Second, if he does accept this life, there will be no returning to America. As the daughter and sister of a duke, Jessica is about as high in society as a female can be. When Gabriel tells Jessica of his intent, she is furious at being thought of as a commodity, and insists that if he is to have any chance, he must romance her.
I loved, loved, loved every minute of reading SOMEONE TO ROMANCE. Everything worked for me, both the courtship between Gabriel and Jessica, and Gabriel’s quest to claim his title and clear his name. Gabriel is such a straight-up, direct man, that he was taken aback at being told he has to romance someone, wondering if he even knew how. I love his character, his intelligence, and his integrity, and it obviously grated on him to have to temporarily deceive everyone about his true identity. Jessica can put on a haughty air, and act the part of a privileged aristocrat, but she also has a soft, womanly side. Her honesty to Gabriel, as well as her intelligence in being able to figure out who he really is, makes her a person to respect and admire.
I have read all previous books of the Westcott series – this is book number eight, so I’m well acquainted with this extended family. For someone who hasn’t read previous books, it may be hard to keep track of everyone, though Mary Balogh makes a point of including the details necessary to fill the reader in. I think this is the best book of the series, as the romance was unusual but captivating, and the conflict was very well written. I adored seeing the Westcott family come to the rescue once again, and Avery, Duke of Netherby, (Jessica’s brother) still manages to steal the scenes he’s in, simply by existing. I literally couldn’t put this book down, as it satisfied at all levels, and SOMEONE TO ROMANCE is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
There was mystery afoot!
A handsome newcomer with mystery surrounding him caught the eye of Jessica and soon the Westcott and their entire clans were embroiled in a dangerous situation…
This instalment of the Westcott series had everything I’ve grown to love about this series. Intriguing characters, close family ties and now, a huge shot of suspense as well. Gabriel’s past was a murky one but all was slowly revealed as he and Jessica, whether by design or not, fell in love…
This was my latest favourite (aren’t they all) as Jessica waded through the emotions she’d been wrestling with for years. To marry or not was the question and she made a decision that coincided with Gabriel’s future. From not quite liking each other to admiration, respect and yes, love, was a journey full of witty conversations, intrigue and a whole lot of tight-knit family. Witty banter was everywhere, and so were a lot of questions, as their romance played out amidst regency formality…
Another great read!
*Reviewed for 1-Click Addict Support Group
**Thank you to NetGalley
Mary Balogh’s books captivate me, and with each one, I find myself falling deeper and deeper under her command.
As this is the eighth book in the Westcott series (they can be read independently but be aware that you encounter a set of characters from one book to the next, so you will run into spoilers), you’ve had a chance to meet Jessica Archer previously. She didn’t always come across as the kindest soul, so I’m glad she gets a chance to shine.
Her imperiousness, in fact, draws the mysterious Gabriel Thorne to her. He needs a wife, and he likes the way she “looks down her nose” at people. He believes it’s a necessary trait to run his household. Theirs is a kind of Pride and Prejudice relationship in that he thinks she’s prideful and prejudiced against people who aren’t in her social orbit. Gabriel, though, despite not having the pedigree one would think Lady Jessica would demand, nonetheless piques her curiosity.
I loved the romance between Gabriel and Jessica. There is one scene in which they are as physically close as they could be while in society, yet they exchange only one word each. It is a heated, erotic moment.
I can’t wait for the next Westcott book. Thank goodness that family is huge.
Lady Jessica Archer, daughter of the late and sister to the current Duke of Netherby, has decided that this will be the year she finally marries. At 25, she has had many opportunities, but when her dearest friend and cousin Abby’s life was upended by scandal, Jessica stood by her in solidarity, but Abby married two years ago and Jessica realizes romance is probably not in the cards for her. She decides that she will make a practical match, much to Abby’s dismay. But little does she know that fate has something else in store for her!
Gabriel Thorne first sees Jessica at a small inn in the middle of nowhere and immediately dislikes her, as she is the reason he has to give up the private parlor he paid handsomely for! Gabriel is back in England not by choice, he left 13 years ago under a cloud of suspicion and made a new life for himself in America. His mother’s cousin adopted him and took him under his wing, leaving Gabriel a prosperous shipping business, that Gabriel turned into an even more prosperous shipping empire. But when the past comes back to haunt him and the fate of someone he loves is caught in the balance, Gabriel leaves Boston and returns to England to claim his birthright. Gabriel is actually Gabriel Rochford, the Earl of Lyndale and is soon to be declared dead. Gabriel was happy to let the title pass on to his cousin Manley Rochford, despite their past, but when Manley starts making changes that hurt people Gabriel loves, he will do his duty. Part of that duty will be to marry and he decides that haughty Lady Jessica is perfect for the job! He goes to London and meets with his godfather Sir Trevor Vickers, due to the accusations leveled against Gabriel when he left, they decide to keep his identity a secret until Gabriel can clear his name. But they do sponsor him and introduce him to the ton.
Jessica begins the season hoping that there will be some new prospective suitors in town and is surprised (and intrigued) to see Gabriel, but he is not the only new face, she is also impressed and attracted to the soon-to-be Earl of Lyndale’s son, Anthony Rochford. When Gabriel tells Jessica he intends to marry her, she is annoyed and tells Gabriel that if he wants to marry her, he will have to romance her! They spend more time together and it is not long before Jessica figures out who Gabriel really is and vows to help him claim his title and clear his name.
This was a well written, slow paced love story with a dash of mystery. The book chock full of betrayal, lies, murder, secrets, likeable characters, mild to warmish love scenes, a bit of intrigue, a vile villain, the entire Westcott family and lots of my personal favorite AVERY! I enjoyed the story, but I really didn’t feel the “romance”, it was definitely an unstated, slow burn type of love story – I did believe they loved each other – but that love did not leap off the page at me. This book is the eighth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title, I really enjoyed the story and would happily recommend it!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by the publisher*
Another excellent book in the Westcott series from Mary Balogh. It is an inheritance story with a twist. Gabriel Thorne left England for America after he was accused of a rape and murder. During his time away his relative dies and he is the heir to an earldom. Meanwhile in England other relatives are about to have him declared dead and claim the earldom. Gabriel secretly returns and realizes he should marry well to secure his place. Lady Jessica Archer, sister of a duke, is getting older and decides it is time to choose someone to marry.
This rather complicated plot provides the vehicle for a warm and sexy love story in which two unlikely people find they have much more in common that it seems. Gabriel is a terrific hero — caring and loyal. Jessica has been keeping people at bay with a kind of hauteur, but Gabriel finds and releases the warm woman within. There was a bit of intrigue and we are reacquainted with the most of the Westcott clan. Great writing.
ARC provided through Netgalley.