Will's True Wish - Grace Burrowes (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Feb 2016)

Series: True Gentlemen (Book 3)

It's a dog's life...

Will Dorning, as an earl's spare, has accepted the thankless duty of managing his rambunctious younger siblings, though Will's only true companions are the dogs he's treasured since boyhood. When aristocratic London is plagued with a series of dognappings, Will's brothers are convinced that he's the only person who can save the stolen canines from an awful fate.

But the lady's choice...

Shy, bookish Lady Susannah Haddonfield has no patience with loud, smelly beasts of any species, but must appear to like dogs so as not to offend her sister's only marital prospect. Susannah turns to Will, an acquaintance from her most awkward adolescent years, to teach her how to impersonate a dog fancier. Will has long admired Susannah, though he lacks the means to offer for her, and yet as they work together to rescue the purloined pets, it's loyal, dashing Will who steals Susannah's heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Though it dragged a little bit in a few places, the rest more than made up for it. Will and Susannah have a little bit of a history before the start of this book. Seven years earlier, Susannah was in her first Season and the victim of a pair of particularly nasty fellow debutantes. Will, being the truly nice guy that he is, stepped in to give Susannah a bit of confidence. They parted ways not long after, but Susannah never forgot Will's kindness.

Fast forward to the present, and Susannah is back in London, this time as a chaperone for her younger sister, Della. Susannah would rather spend her time reading her beloved Shakespeare than spend time in Society, but she is determined to help Della land a husband. Then she can go back to her books and be content as the maiden aunt. Unfortunately, her sister's one beau is a self-avowed dog lover, and Susannah most definitely is not. So she went to Will to ask him to teach her how to look like a dog lover.

Will is the second son of the cash-strapped Dorning family. He has taken on the responsibility of watching out for his younger brothers, a headache of major proportions. His preferred activity is the training and breeding of dogs, and he prefers their company to that of humans. He has also never forgotten Susannah, and over the years has found himself watching her from a safe distance.

I really liked both Will and Susannah. Will is a nice guy. He is honorable, kind, and loves his family, even though they frequently exasperate him. I loved watching him with the various dogs, his patience and understanding of their varied temperaments were obvious. He was equally patient with the various owners, who were much harder to train. Susannah is strong and determined. She no longer worries too much about what people say about her. She's comfortable with her old maid status. She also loves her family and is determined to do her best to make Della's season a successful one. I did get a little frustrated with her focus on shoving Della and Effington together, especially since it is so clear that he isn't a good man.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Will and Susannah. There are sparks between them from the beginning, as well as an undeniable connection. Will tried very hard to resist the attraction, making it very clear to Susannah that he is in no position to make an offer for her. While Susannah would like to have forever, she will try to be content with having him for as long as she can. I enjoyed their interactions, especially when Susannah put her mind to distracting Will from his honorable position. I did get a little frustrated with Will at times because he was so convinced of his unsuitability when he actually had a lot going for him. I also thoroughly enjoyed her "dog lover" sessions and the clear evidence that she wasn't as "anti-dog" as she thought she was. I liked the way that Will brought Susannah out of her shell and the time spent with Susannah helps Will let go of some of his control issues with his brothers. I loved the ending and seeing Will realize that a future with Susannah is possible after all. His discussion with his brother-in-law, Worth, about his finances and his plans was pretty funny, but quintessentially Will. His big moment with Susannah was sweet, with an additional twist for him.

The secondary story with Susannah's sister, Della, and her suitor was interesting. Susannah's determination to get Della married off quickly seemed a little extreme to me, and a bit selfish. It was especially annoying as more of Effington's personality was revealed. I had a great deal of fun watching Will's brother, Ash, stir that pot whenever he could. It was no surprise to see him show such protectiveness toward Della the more time he spent with her. I thought Della was a little naïve about her relationship with Effington, especially once her true feelings and intentions were revealed. I thought that Effington was creepy from the beginning and those feelings grew stronger as the book went on.

The mystery of the missing dogs was a good addition to the story. I was a little disappointed in Will's reluctance to get involved at first, though his reasons were logical. His brothers, Cam and Ash, had no such qualms and I loved watching the two of them and their attempts. Even Susannah got into the act of trying to convince Will to take action. The final confrontation was fantastic, with an intensity that kept me on the edge of my seat until it was over. I loved seeing how it all came together, with Susannah playing a significant part. I laughed out loud at her actions once the dognapper was captured.

Out of all the secondary characters, my favorites were the dogs. I loved Will's Georgette and her obvious affection for both him and Susannah. Each of the other dogs had their own personalities and unique relationships with their owners. I loved watching the various interactions between owners and pups, and between owners and Will as he tried to train the owners along with the dogs.

Tremaine's True Love - Grace Burrowes (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Aug 2015)

Series: True Gentlemen (Book 1)

He's had everything he could ever want...until now

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren't for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita's heart.

Good story about two people who aren't looking for love but find it anyway. Tremaine is a wealthy businessman who has arrived at the Earl of Bellefonte's estate to negotiate for the purchase of the earl's flock of Merino sheep. Upon arrival, he discovers that he's not the only one interested and that the earl contemplates using the sheep as hooks to find husbands for his sisters. Tremaine has had no thoughts of marriage in the near future but finds himself intrigued by Lady Nita, the oldest of the sisters. Nita considers herself firmly on the shelf. After the death of her mother, she devoted herself to running the house and taking care of her siblings, as well as serving as a healer for the district. With her brother's marriage, she has lost the need to run the house and has thrown herself into caring for the villagers and tenants.

I liked both Tremaine and Nita. He is the son of a French Comte and a Scottish woman who lost their lives during the Terror. He is somewhat bitter about the way that his mother abandoned him with his Scottish grandfather and returned to France with her husband. His childhood with his grandfather wasn't very pleasant and has caused him to keep his distance from what little family he has left. He prefers increasing his fortune using his wits rather than depending on his aristocratic background. As plain Mr. St. Michael he doesn't flaunt his wealth. Though a bit standoffish at the beginning, as he spends more time with the family his kindness and thoughtfulness become more apparent. Nita is independent, forthright, and more than a little stubborn. After a brief brush with romance when she was younger, she avoids any plans for marriage. Her dedication to caring for the sick has put her at odds with her family, especially her oldest brother, the local doctor, and the vicar. She won't turn away anyone who comes to her for help, including the local fallen woman. She doesn't judge; she simply renders whatever aid she can.

The relationship between Tremaine and Nita developed slowly. Tremaine was drawn to and intrigued by Nita and the way that she cared for everyone else. They began with quiet conversations as they would encounter each other at various times of day. I loved the scenes where Tremaine accompanied Nita to Addy's house. His compassion and kindness were evident, as was the difficulty of the memories that were resurrected. His actions endeared him to Nita, who had expected him to stay distant while she did what she had to do. I also liked her calming effect on him when he had a problem with his sheep. The more time they spent with each other, the more a feeling of attraction grew between them. As Tremaine spent more time thinking about Nita, he began to contemplate the idea of marriage. His thought processes were interesting, as was his broaching of the subject with Nita. She had a rather pragmatic reaction, with an unexpected prerequisite to accepting. One thing they didn't do was talk about their expectations, and this would come back to cause problems. As much as Tremaine admired Nita's dedication to her healing, he didn't seem to understand that it was more than what she does, it was a bone-deep part of who she is. On her side, Nita didn't understand how deep Tremaine's need to protect her was. When those two things came up against each other, and neither was willing to bend, things did not look good for their future. Their eyes were opened by an unexpected crisis, and I liked how both of them took a hard look at their beliefs. I loved their well thought out solutions and compromises.

There was a secondary story going on involving Nita's sister Susannah and her determination to marry their neighbor, Edward Nash. It turns out that there is much more going on with him than most of her family knows. Nita has her suspicions, but because she learned it in confidence, she is hesitant to say anything. Personally, I think she was wrong in that instance. I understood Susannah's desire to marry since it was what was expected, but I thought she was settling for too little. I didn't like Edward's attitude and treatment of Elsie and Digby, which gave a good indication of his character. I thought he got off a bit easily at the end.

I enjoyed the other secondary characters in the story. Nicholas, of course, who is blissfully happy with his bride, though he also frustrated me at times. If he had simply explained his objections about Nita's healing trips to her, there might not have been so many confrontations. Nita's other two sisters, Della and Kirsten, had their unique personalities and storylines. As the youngest, Della is the one who is most aware of what is going on with everyone else. Kirsten sometimes appears selfish, but she does have a kind heart and ends up being very helpful to Nita. She is also adept at defusing some confrontations. My favorite was George. His differences are handled sympathetically and without judgment. I enjoyed his introspective moments and what they revealed about him. I also liked that Tremaine realized that George was much smarter than many gave him credit for. George also has a very protective side that is revealed in an unexpected way. I hope to see more of him in later books.