The Hamilton sisters have found true love to rival any novels sold in their famous London bookshops. And the story continues, as each of their offspring discovers the perfect partner . . . Quiet and intuitive, Lady Mara Reeves has always felt more at home amid the green hills of her native Ireland than in London’s stifling ballrooms. Determined to remain single, she’s adept at gently rebuffing … gently rebuffing any suitor who comes her way. So why is she so drawn to Foster Sheridan, Earl of Sterling? It’s a connection unlike anything she’s ever known, yet complicated by one scandalous fact: the man she believes to be her destiny is already married . . .
Trapped in a loveless union with a woman who refuses to divorce him, Foster is resigned to loneliness until he meets the exquisite Mara. Her wants her as a wife, not a mistress, but he can’t resist her unconventional offer. Their passion is intense, as is the risk. For even as Foster follows Mara home to Ireland, their pasts will lead them toward danger that only the deepest love can overcome . . .
Praise for The Heiress He’s Been Waiting For
“This charming romance is a strong start, and readers will eagerly anticipate the next installment!” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The same mix of engaging characters and an emotionally compelling love story found in O’Riley’s Hamilton Sisters books provides a solid foundation for the launch of her series.”
—Booklist
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A nice surprise to read a totally unexpected plot.
Quiet, contained Lady Mara Reeves has never had a suitor and wouldn’t marry or have children even if she did. Mara has premonitions that have always come true. The night of a ball, Mara meets the man in her most recent premonition. Foster Sheridan, Earl of Sterling. An instant bond between them leads Mara to make a most unusual proposal. Foster can’t refuse even though he’s married. An evil wife, the threat of blackmail and premonitions of fire keep their affair on edge. Very entertaining, a real page turner that kept me in suspense to the end of the book. Absolutely loved reading it!
An author to keep on my TBR.
A free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
September 1894
“She knew it was about to come over her, a premonition. She was in a fire and knowing she was going to die. But a man was calling her name with his hand reaching for her, a look of love, mixed with anguish. His eyes, deep green and filled with abject longing and desire, they implored her to come to him. He pulled her into his arms and Mara had never felt such a ebullient happiness and tranquility. This man loved her deeply and she loved him.” Paraphrased but this story opened with Mara at her uncles ball, having a premonition and then she saw him. The man in her vision. As she looked at him, she could see him staring at her, a deep connection.
Sigh.. It only gets better if you can believe it but it there is so much emotion swirling around. Foster Sterling, Lord Sheridan was an unhappy man. He had been married for over ten years, yet he and his wife did not live together or ever have a real marraige. She was just a bitter, unhappy human being and he had no hope of children or happiness.
This is a journey of the heart and trying to hold on to an instant connection when so much is against them. There is a terrible villian in the middle, his wife that has a story of her own that comes out.
Can these two find happiness? But how can that be with him married? A real page turner that will pull at your heart….
The Irish Heiress by Kaitlin O’Riley is book Two in the Hamilton Cousins Series. This is the story of Mara Reeves and Foster Sheridan, Earl of Sterling. I have read the previous book but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Mara has settled into being a spinster basing this on her feelings about her mother who died that was labeled has ‘mad’ and her being able to know of things that have come to pass. So when she meets Foster they enter into a scandalous relationship. Foster is married to someone who he wishes he wasn’t but she will not let him go at all. So of course this plays into the added issues with Mara and Foster. I am not a fan of hero being involved with someone else bad or good relationship then wanting someone else but this author writing help to get over my issue in this book with that.
2.25*
Review originally published at Romancing Romances.
I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.
This book just wasn’t right for me. I wanted to try this author but this book wasn’t a good idea.
It says clearly in the synopsis that this book deals with the hero and heroine cheating the hero’s wife. She was a broken person, for sure, but I still don’t like the idea of Mara and Foster cheating.
To be honest, I wasn’t even a fan of Mara and Foster. I loved Mara’s family, but Mara herself spent most of the time crying, and she was a bit annoying. Foster was… he didn’t act. He only acted when it was convenient for him, and then told himself that it wasn’t just for him, it was for his wife, Rose, too. Well, it might have been true, but it didn’t feel like it.
To be completely honest, I liked Rose – aka the “villain” – more than our heroes. She was broken hearted, which made her cruel. I am in no way excusing her actions – she was a horrible woman, but life made her that way. She could have been happier – not happy, happier – if she had chosen too, but she walled in her sadness, and everything and everyone she missed. She was miserable. And yet, she was so much more interesting than the main characters.
The writing didn’t captivate me, and the story, which sounded quite interesting, just didn’t live up to the expectation.
The Irish Heiress
Hamilton Cousins book 2
by Kaitlin O’Riley
This is my first ever read from Kaitlin O’Riley and I can honestly say that I’ll be reading her again. I love her writing style it’s sexy and steamy but not in a vulgar way.
Mara Reeves believes she’s following her mother’s footsteps in her madness, therefore decides to remain single, even though she wants to find love and have a family. Her outlook changes when she meets the man that will be her destiny, there’s only one thing that he’s married!
Foster Sheridan has been in a loveless marriage for the past 10 years resigned to be lonely with no family to love……until he meets Mara and their hearts connect! Their lives get intertwined and things get difficult and things defiantly get worse before they can be together. All in all I really enjoyed this story and will be looking forward to reading more from Kaitlin O’Riley.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
3.25 Stars
Lady Mara Reeves is determined to remain single, she’s adept at gently rebuffing any suitor who comes her way. She also has lashes of seeing future event & just after seeing one event she sees Foster Sheridan Easl of Sterling & realises he’s the man in her vision. There’s a connection unlike anything she’s ever known, yet complicated by one scandalous fact: the man she believes to be her destiny is already married . Trapped in a loveless union with a woman who refuses to divorce him, Foster is resigned to loneliness until he meets the exquisite Mara. Her wants her as a wife, not a mistress, but he can’t resist her unconventional offer.
I’ve loved the previous Hamilton books & I did enjoy this book but I couldn’t condone Foster’s behaviour. Yes Rose was horrid to him but did he ever try to find out why – no, he just upped & left. As Rose’s backstory emerged I felt sorry for her but again couldn’t condone her behaviour towards Foster. I’m also not a lover of instant love so I came close to putting this book down & if it has been the first I’d read by the author I would have done but because of her other books I continued to read. I liked Mara & to some extent Foster, the road to their HEA was pretty predictable but also enjoyable.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is the first book I read from this author and I must say, I was quite impressed! I really enjoyed this story and thought it was very well written. The story itself is very unusual and it had my interest from start to end.
Lady Mara Reeves is such a loving and warm character, you can’t help but love her:) Foster Sheridan, Earl of Sterling, is also a wonderful character and my heart really went out to him with what he’s been going through the last 10 years. When they meet, it’s love at first sight but they shouldn’t be together because Foster is married!!!
The villain of the story is his wife and although she is a cold and cruel person, when you find out why she is the way she is, you can’t help but feel sorry for her. Because of Mara’s premonitions, you pretty much realize what will be happening in the story but that’s ok, it didn’t ruin the story for me:)
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I was a little surprised with this book I didn’t expect this story line. So we meet Mara who thinks that she will never marry, yet she meets and falls in love with Foster. That is the part that was not what I would have expected. So they meet he also falls in love but is married, now I am not the one to condone infidelity, and I know that the author tries to portray that it is ok for them to have an affair because his wife is truly awful and treats him like crap and refuses to divorce. I don’t care I don’t like it. Then we have the you know what the outcome is going to be so predictability and that she (Mara) has some sort of visions that explain what is going to happen with her. For that time frame didn’t jive with me.
Rcvd and ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
Lady Mara Reeves has always been determined never to marry and has spent several seasons quietly rejecting the attentions of potential suitors. Now her reputation for being shy and reclusive has been solidified. Then she has a premonition or vision, something that happens to her quite regularly, although this is the first time it’s been about herself. In the vision she sees herself with a man and very much in love, so when she meets this man in person, their connection is instant.
Foster Sheridan, the Earl of Sterling feels this connection too, unfortunately he is trapped in a loveless marriage with a wife who despises hm, but shuns the idea of divorce. Since Mara has never intended to marry anyway, she thinks she and Foster could still have an arrangement suitable for them both. Foster wants Mara as his wife and tries to keep his distance, but she proves irresistible. Soon, however, an affair is not enough and Foster follows a reluctant Mara to Ireland to try to understand her reasons for not wanting marriage, but danger follows them there, threatening any future they could hope to have together.
Unpopular opinion time. Other reviewers thus far seem to love this book and I just didn’t. It was okay for me, but Mara was just a little bit too perfect. The adultery aspect didn’t even bother me since Foster’s wife was so awful, but then it did a bit when I got more of Rose’s backstory, and then it didn’t again, because she was awful again. Clearly, I had mixed feelings. The writing itself was good, it was just that there was quite a bit of repetition. Mara kept having the same vision over and over so that was understandable, even if I didn’t need every detail of it each time, but many of her conversations with Foster seemed the same as well and that got to me a bit.
All the same, I really did enjoy how close the family was and all the secondary characters were wonderful. I would love to read more books in the future about their stories. I also appreciated how original this story was. I’ve never read anything quite like it before and will read more from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lady Mara has the “sight” and when she sees Lord Foster Sheridan she knows he belongs to her. The fact that he is married does not deter her from pursuing a relationship with him! That is so out of character for a lady of that time to do, no matter how much the author tried to justify it. It is the reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5. I do like the way this author writes and look forward to reading more by her. I received and ARC for my honest review.
This story sucked me in from the very beginning, Mara and her peculiar gift had me on edge as I wondered and worried about what to expect at each turn of the narrative.
Mrs Kaitlin O’Riley is a new author to me, and it was quite a wonderful journey she embarked me following Mara and Foster’s traveling to their happily ever after.
It was a magnificent story about instant recognition, when they saw each other, they knew they were sharing a common destiny, and despite the odds against them, they could not turn their back to their growing love.
It takes a talented author to craft a vilain I did came to hate.
Mara and Foster are two nice characters, they have their flaws but they face life’s issues their head held high, Mara took a decision for her future as a young girl, against her own wish but with only the others in mind, she thought by refusing to marry and have children she would protect her people. Maybe instead of hiding everything happening to her, if she had shared what occurred in her vision, she might have found solace earlier. Foster has lived with his parents deciding his life’s course, so he simply accepted what was asked from him. When his marriage showed it would only be a scam of the institution, he let it go. He should have fought earlier to free himself before but meeting Mara, only enforced his will to put an end to this masquerade.
I pitied his wife, sure she is the vilain of the story and she had some right to be angry but not to be so hateful. She is the wronged party but an annulment would have freed her too, even if I do know it is the women in these who always bear the fault.
Foster’s wife is a bitter woman, not by her doing even if she fueled her hate after. Her trust and hopes were destroyed before her wedding, pinpointing Foster as the perfect target for her resentment and venom. Despite her anger and resentment, I felt sorry for the young Rose who had her dreams and life shattered by dominating and overbearing parents so selfish they thought only for themselves and never had a consideration for the young woman their daughter had been. By their uncaring and selfish actions, they changed a nice young girl in a rancorous woman, angry at everyone and needing to make other pays for her past pain. At some point her grief moved to madness.
Foster and Mara have a beautiful relationship, never they doubted their feelings as from their very first meeting, it was meant to be. They choose a very unconventional path, agreeing to a secret affair, even if longing for more and at every turn, they choose the other. They might have reservations but their soulmate was whom mattered the most.
The author added plenty of side characters, from her previous work, but never I felt lost as she painted them the right way to just get to know them with only few lines. Mara’s family is a handsome lot, so many amazing people, whose stories I hope to read soon.
The Irish Heiress (why this tittle?), is a delicious jaunt with a touch of fantastic to spice a delightful love story which brave society’s propriety.
I was granted an advance copy by Netgalley and the publisher Kensington Books, I will also purchase my own ecopy when available, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
This is a first read for me by Kaitlin and I’m BLOWN AWAY! This is so far easily one of my top favorite historical’s this year! The beginning sucked me in and is was such a page-turner. Kaitlin’s way of writing is so vivid, I can feel like I’m actually inside the story. I loved how Foster and Mara met. This has a few great tropes that I love! Forbidden romance, secret lovers, insta-love, marriage of inconvenience, revenge plot and with a bit of supernatural twist. And can I say I absolutely adore this cover!
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.