July 1, 2020
In this third installment of the "Disreputable Debutantes" series, heiress Olivia de Vere is living with her cold, uncaring cousins after being expelled from a ladies academy for "inappropriate behavior." A marriage to her dissolute cousin Felix seems inevitable, until a runaway cat chase leads Olivia to the property of her next-door neighbor, the mysterious Marquess, Hamish MacQueen. Having been infatuated with Hamish for years, and sensing an opportunity to escape, Olivia offers to accompany him to his Highland home as a nursemaid to the little girl unexpectedly left on Hamish's doorstep. The rugged, eyepatch-wearing Scotsman is more accustomed to the battlefield than taking care of children, so he agrees to her offer, unaware of Olivia's true identity or the threat her cousin poses. The long journey to Scotland provides plenty of time for feelings to develop between the two characters, even though Hamish, who is clearly suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, tries to keep Olivia at arms' length. VERDICT Kind hearted protagonists and a tender, though quite steamy, romance make this a solid entry in the (not-quite-so) disreputable debutantes saga.--Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.