A lady’s companion and a roguish matchmaker trade quips–and glances–in this steamy Regency romance by the award-winning author of The Viscount’s Promise. Miss Rosalind Merriweather’s life has been one of hardship and servitude since her late sister’s ruination. Now a paid companion, her latest post brings her to London to watch over the daughter of a social climbing harridan. She vows to … climbing harridan. She vows to protect her charge―and her own heart―from rakes and libertines, the very type of man who destroyed her sister. This vow proves difficult when Sir Tristan Crosby, the epitome of all she despises, begins to show attention to the girl.
Tristan has spent decades perfecting his easygoing, charming persona to hide the damage done by years of abuse by his father. Finding he has a talent for matchmaking, he fills some of the emptiness inside him by helping the overlooked, shy women of London find true love. However, the latest young woman has a watchdog of a companion who seems to see beyond his careful façade to the flawed, uncertain soul he strives to hide from the world. Even worse, she affects him in ways no woman ever has.
But he will not give up his matchmaking, even for one such as her. What he does not expect is for Rosalind to be fired from her position because of it―nor that she will immediately find a position in his own household. When these two headstrong adversaries meet under one roof, will their attraction to one another lead to heartbreak, or have these two passionate souls finally met their match?
“A sweet, emotional Regency romance…simmering passion and lively, intelligent dialogue.” —Kirkus Reviews
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Can this be love?
Sir Tristan Crosby’s two best friends found love. He considers himself a matchmaker, but the chaperone of one young lady keeps getting in the way of his plan. Once the young couple is engaged,Tristan feels proud of himself, until the lady’s chaperone, Miss Rosalind Merriweather loses her position. Suddenly she’s living in his house as companion to his cousin, Grace. What’s a man to do when he can find no peace from the woman in his own home? Numerous confrontations pleasant…and no so pleasant, could be hiding deeper feelings for both. Engaging, engrossing, an absolute pleasure to read. If only Mr. Carlisle could find his HEA.
I’ll get straight to the review. First, Ms. Britton is an excellent writer. Her prose is impeccable. Very impressive. The words flowed smoothly on the page. There was a lot of internal narrative coming from both main characters that could have been edited out, which made the story longer, but it was still an enjoyable read.
Both characters had believable backstories that created conflict between them. Rosalind lost her sister to a rake, and she blames this man for her sister’s ruin and death. While Tristan has his own demons to battle from his childhood and upbringing.
The two don’t exactly clash. It’s Rosalind who’s hostile and mistrustful. Tristan is intrigued by her uptight, proper demeanour and although he wishes not to desire Rosalind, he does. As for Rosalind, she’s drawn to Tristan’s charm, which makes him an excellent matchmaker for the ton.
When Rosalind’s fired from her job, she is taken on by Tristan’s cousin Grace. I must say I adored Grace. She was such an awesome character that she almost stole Rosalind and Tristan’s spotlight. I do hope the author creates a story for Grace.
Anyway, back to the review. The two wind up under one roof much to Rosalind’s utter disgust, so they also wager a bet. Sparks are flying. They both are in denial, but can’t help the attraction.
The dialogue is witty and very much captured brilliantly for the time period. The setting and detail were excellently done.
It’s a light on conflict, nothing too deep since everything’s tied up with a perfectly neat bow at the end, but it does make for a wonderful lazy read at the beach. If you enjoy the Regency period and the rakes that go with it, you’ll enjoy the third book in the Twice Shy series, A Match Made in London.
Can’t stand it anymore!
It is very rare that I gave up on a book but I took an immediate dislike to the heroine and the more the story unfolded, the more I hated her.
First she decides at first sight, the hero is a vile rake to never be trusted, and when she discovers he plays matchmaker, she sees it as a way to overpower some plain shy girls not as a mean to help them find love when their shyness lock them on one place.
And later, they share their deepest secrets and when they kiss and engage to more, he told her she can stop at any moment, but she insists he goes on.
The next morning, because he is not next to her, she immediately jump to the worst conclusion and when he sees her later all joy to meet her again, she rebuffs him ugly and does not give him any opportunity to speak while he thought to propose to her.
She is an awful cold conceited and rude and does surely deserve no HEA.
Can’t read more without shooting!
Worst, she was even ready to help compromise her charge to keep her job, I can understand you have to put food in your belly and a roof over your head but to play with your integrity, how would she have been able to look at herself in a mirror, and then she suspects and despises others to play a similar game and faults them for this!!!
I’m disappointed as I liked the previous books but this is the kind of female character I can’t stand so weary of everyone she assumes because one is cheerful he is an awful man while she thinks others more sober in appearance are better.
2.5 because I like the hero and he never deserved such a wretched shrew.
Sorry I hate to write bad review as I think an author put a lot in its work but here despite turning and turning faster the pages, never the heroine became likable.