Grandmother, grandmother, who shall it beWho shall it be who will marry me?Duke, Earl, a powerful marquess?When my heart is given to Fyclan Morris… marry: Fyclan Morris. He’s a brash adventurer, witty, courageous…and Irish! Even worse, her father blames her for their reversal of fortune…
And it’s a fortune—or rather, his grandmother the fortune teller—who foretold that Fyclan would meet “the one,”, a love prophesied in the stars. He vows nothing will stand in the way of making Jennifer his bride, but is the price too high? Or is a thing called love worth every challenge?
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A terrific little novella that introduces the series Marrying the Duke. I didn’t know about this story until after I read the main books, but it made no difference to my enjoyment of it. This is the story of the parents of the heroine in the first book, The Match of the Century. Jenny is the youngest daughter of the family and the most beautiful of the three. Her father is determined that Jenny will marry well enough to rescue him from his gambling debts. Jenny isn’t thrilled with any of her suitors but is willing to do as she must – until she meets the bold and handsome Fyclan Morris.
Fyclan is an Irishman with a gift for making money. He is an officer with the East India Company and has been charged with recruiting various noblemen as investors. He is distracted from his goal when he catches sight of Jenny. He immediately recognizes her as “The One” his gypsy grandmother predicted for him. Even the knowledge that her father hates him doesn’t deter Fyclan from his pursuit of Jenny.
I loved Fyclan’s complete belief in his grandmother’s prediction. His initial meeting with Jenny was very cleverly handled. I especially loved the fact that while he appreciated her beauty, it was her intelligence that he was drawn to. Jenny was stunned to encounter a gentleman who wasn’t put off by her height or her bookishness and was thrilled to find someone who saw past the surface to who she was. Because of her father’s attitude, their relationship was not an easy one. The method that Fyclan devised to enable him and Jenny to get to know each other was clever and very effective. But with time running out, he had to act fast. Jenny’s father lived down to my expectations with his reaction to Fyclan’s proposal. I loved seeing Jenny overcome her fears and believe in their love enough to go after what she wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue and seeing how happy she and Fyclan are, and that the best revenge is being happy.
Review Originally Posted at Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/2015/09/arc-review-little-thing-called-love-by.html
This short novella’s existence reminded me a little of The Governess Affair by Courntey Milan. It’s a short little romantic back story that introduces the reader to a new series. It’s not crucial to the plot of the full length novels, but gives readers either a little taste of what is to come, or a little something extra for those who cannot get enough.
Fyclan Morris is an Irishman who has made a fortune with the East India Trading Company. His gypsy grandmother told him when he was young that one day he would meet his destiny in a young woman, and when he saw her he’d immediately know. This is just what happens as he is walking through London, as he catches a glimpse of Jennifer Tarleton. I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight, but it was mystical all the same.
Jennifer Tarleton is desperate for a book. Her family has put a lot of pressure on her to marry well to save them from her father’s gambling debts. Since money is tight, she sneaks out of her home to a gentleman’s library in hopes of borrowing something. Upon arrival though she learns that without paid membership she cannot borrow anything. In swoops Mr. Morris to save the day.
Unfortunately, there is some bad history between Morris and Colonel Tarleton (Jennifer’s father), which makes the young couple’s blooming relationship difficult. It makes the story quite lovely, them finding ways to continue getting to know one another without alerting Jenny’s father. There were a lot of “cheesy” lines, but oddly enough I found them to be adorable instead of annoying. It was a very sweet story that did it’s job with me! I now have The Match of the Century on my To Read list!
**ARC provided by Publisher**