Ash Dorning has loved Della Haddonfield from afar for years. He has played the part of the cordial family connection and battled every demon from lack of funds, to meddling relatives, to a recurring case of the blue devils–while other men have won Della’s smiles. When Della lands in the midst of scandal, those fellows who fawned over her hand disappear behind the nearest potted palms, leaving Ash … Ash to waltz to the rescue.
Della is compromised by a thoroughgoing bounder, and only Ash’s loyalty stands between her and hopeless ruin. But Ash has played least in sight with her for too long, and too many secrets lie between them for Della to believe that Ash is motivated by anything other than gentlemanly duty. When troubles comes calling once again, Ash and Della either learn to trust their love, or they will lose everything they hold dear—including each other.
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It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that I’m a huge fan of all Grace Burrowes’s work. Her characters have SO many layers…and she’s a master of peeling those layers back in a way that is so very satisfying. This latest book brings us Ash, one of the most swoon-worthy heroes of 2020!! He’s a hero in every sense of the word. He treats his heroine the way all heroines deserve to be treated. Not to be missed.
Oh my how I love reading a Grace Burrowes’ book. Her writing style is like no other and her characters are likable and captivating. Ash and Della’s story is wonderful and so sweetly romantic. A must buy!
I enjoyed this book a lot. Ash is quiet and intelligent, one of the two Dorning brothers who own a popular gambling establishment in London. Delia Haddonfield is the youngest, the smallest, and the darkest of the very numerous, loud, blonde, tall Haddonfields. As the youngest, the quietest and the smallest, she became accustomed to be overlooked – even to the extent of being left behind on some of their family excursions.
Except, now her large family has her in their full sights. She has had several seasons with no proposals, and they are anxious about her marriage prospects. Delia decides that a little misbehavior could gain her a nice long soujourn at home in the country, and a respite from the marriage market. Unfortunately, she chooses the worst possible partner and her plan blows up in her face. The scandal is so huge that the family decides she needs to marry in order to regain her reputation. Enter Ash, unmarried, solvent, known to the family and willing to marry Delia.
This book was a delight to read. Since the couple already knew each other so well (or thought they did), there was little in the way of courtship. Instead, they got to know each other after the marriage, and discovered they had more in common than they thought. Together they decided that their first social foray as a married couple was to attend a house party – only to discover after they arrived that the scoundrel Delia had ‘eloped’ with is there with his new wife.
I highly recommend this book. Since the couple was married for much of the book, it is a little different than most historical romance where the focus is on courtship, but it is a delightful difference.
I received this e-arc from the author who randomly selected several commenters from her website, and am voluntarily and happily leaving a review for this very enjoyable book.
This story didn’t seem to flow as smoothly as some of Grace Burrowes’ stories, but I admire her for tackling a tough subject so straightforwardly. I think I was a little disappointed that the characters weren’t completely honest with each other sooner, but that was far outweighed by the story’s complexity for dealing with what would now be termed mood disorders, in the context of a era when the concept wasn’t really acknowledged. I’ve been shipping these two characters since they were introduced, so it was great to finally see them get a happy ending!
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily giving an honest review.
I have been waiting for Ash’s and Della’s story for years and through many books in the True Gentlemen series. It did not disappoint. If you are not already invested in the characters, I cannot say if you will be as instantly swept into the story as I was, but I was caught from the first page, eager to see what would unfold for these two star-crossed lovers.
Ash and Della have been circling each other for years, each willing to admit to themselves that the other is the only person they will ever love, but unable to do anything about it. Della has the limitations of being a woman in a time when women rarely pursued their passions and being confused by Ash’s aloof demeanor. Ash has his own laundry list of concerns. When the time comes, however, Ash cannot allow her to marry anyone but him even knowing they risk terrible heartbreak if they cannot overcome their weaknesses to make the marriage work. Ultimately, they determine that they would rather attempt to muddle along together than separately.
One note of caution: This is not a traditional romantic romp through Regency England. The author tackles serious issues related to mental health in the book. She does it honestly and brilliantly. While the book is by no means depressing, it also isn’t a light, cheery read. There is a lot to digest.
4.5 stars, as reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1ll
Ash Dorning has finally found a degree of financial stability, as he and his brother, Cam, manage the Coventry Club, a gaming hall thinly disguised as a supper club. Ash has also found the woman he would like to spend forever with, but he can’t bring himself to burden Della with his affliction. So after the couple shared some lovely kisses, Ash decided to back off, leaving Della bewildered and hurt. Her overtures were met only with politeness and friendship. So, after years of having her loving but misguided family try to arrange a match for her, she takes a desperate step. She’ll take part in a fake elopement with William Chastain, who is already unhappily engaged to someone he doesn’t want to marry. When William’s father catches up with them, he’ll see the light and allow William to break the engagement. Della figures that she’ll be tainted sufficiently, so that her family will allow her to retire in peace to their country home. The plan goes awry, when William’s father is late catching up with them, and William becomes a villain by trying to force a real marriage. Della is not truly ruined, though she’s definitely suspect in the eyes of society.
The Haddonfield family won’t let Della hide away, insisting that she continue with her social obligations. Meanwhile, Ash has learned the news, and has arranged for several dance partners for her, including himself, to make it appear that she’s not being ostracized. When Ash and Della are finally able to have some time alone to talk, Della is insistent on knowing why Ash withdrew from their relationship. Ash finally confesses that he suffers from extreme melancholia, having bouts that can last from weeks to months. This news doesn’t deter Della, and the couple decides to marry quickly, then attend an upcoming house party to show the world that Della isn’t ruined. Little do they know that William Chastain is also going to be a guest, and that his villainy seems to have no limits.
Ash and Della already had strong feelings for each other, so their marriage gets off to a warm, companionable, and passionate start. Then things begin to fall apart. Chastain is enraged that Della got away, and that his family forced him into an unwanted marriage. He’s now determined to have his revenge not only on Della, but on Ash, and his club, as well. Chastain is a true lowlife – a spoiled, petulant bully who can’t see his own weaknesses, and blames everyone else for his woes. His anger fuels him into scheming, lying, and blackmailing seemingly most of the guests at the house party. If that weren’t bad enough, Ash is starting to feel his melancholia coming on, causing him to lose interest in things happening around him, even apparently, his own wife.
MY HEART’S TRUE DELIGHT is both a tender love story and somewhat of an eye opener as to the far reaching effects of melancholia. In today’s world, we call Ash’s condition depression, perhaps even SAD (seasonal affective disorder) since it seems to happen mostly during the winter months. The violence Ash was driven to in order to combat the condition is heartbreaking, and even shocking. I felt such compassion for his helplessness, and I still loved the man he is. When it is learned that Della had been hiding a secret disorder of her own, Ash’s reaction is supportive and loving, just as hers was to his revelation. I think that Grace Burrowes must be a very kind person, because her villain received what I thought was nowhere near the comeuppance he deserved, as he was truly a nasty piece of work. (I’m hoping that in a future book in this series, she throws in a little paragraph about him truly receiving his just deserts.) The relationship between Ash and his brother, Cam, is beautifully written, with a couple of very emotional scenes. There is also a satisfying epilogue, something I always love to see, which shows how this couple’s love and dedication carried them through the difficult times. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for readers who enjoy a strong and warm romance, along with complex characters, wonderful family relationships, and, of course, happily ever after.
While I received an ARC, I plan to purchase the paperback book when it is released. This is a book I will treasure for a long time.
Ash and Della are wonderful characters. Their journey is not necessarily easy, but it’s worth the ride. Grace Burrowes is BRILLIANT with her characters and the worlds those characters live in. Grace is able to weave difficult things into a lovely and superb story. She constructs an excellent story.