The Scoundrel in her Bed by Lorraine Heath
I do not like age gap romances. I realize that with most historical romance novels there's going to be an age gap to keep with the times, but that doesn't mean I like it. Especially when their first meeting occurs when she is 15 and he is 21. They form a friendship and nothing happens until she is 17, of age (at the time). It's still gross. Especially since in the future timeline we realize that the delivery we witnesses was not his, but hers with his child. That's right. They have a kid together. And Finn doesn't find out until seven years after the fact. I was correct in that book 2 set up book 3. This is Finn and Lavinia's book. And this story jumps from the aftermath of her leaving Thorn at the alter to the past. The "future/current" story is fine, enjoyable even. The past story line is not. So, she leaves Thorn at the alter and runs away to Whitechapel where she is living in a convent, buying by-blows from the baby farmers. Finn catches her, follows her, saves her. They build a friendship but she can't go back to him because too much has happened. We finally find out that they planned to run away together, that she was late and he wasn't there. She believes that he gave up and abandoned her. His version is that he showed up and her father was waiting; he told him he would never see her again and had him sent to prison. Aiden made sure he didn't get sent to the Australia by getting their father to pull some strings in return for 60% of the profits from his club for eternity. So Finn spent 3 (maybe 5? can't remember) years in prison. Once they clear the air they are friends again, but they still have feelings for each other. Finn is opening his own club, for ladies, and he makes her a partner in the club, and moves her into the rooms above it. Then she finally tells him about the child. He goes to his father to ask who his mother was but he doesn't even remember. Finn almost kills him, but gets him to give up his holdings in Aiden's club. He and Vivi both end up at her brother's house, the house she grew up in. She is demanding answers from her mother about the baby; her brother had no idea any of this even happened and is flabbergasted that he was so blind. But her mother is horrid and refuses to tell her anything other than that she gave it (the baby) to a footman and had it disposed of. Meanwhile, Finn showed up on his own and is interrogating the staff. They know nothing. We find out later that her brother moves their mother out of the house and into the cottage because he can't stand to be around her anymore either. They go home and get a visitor; it's one of the footmen from her past. He was the one give the baby, but he didn't take it to a baby farmer, he gave it to his sister and her husband because they couldn't have children and desperately wanted one. It's a girl and they love her and treat her wonderfully. Vivi is ecstatic; she is determined to go and get her child. Finn, is glad she survived, but as someone who was raised by an adopted mother he can't fathom taking a child away from the only home they have known. They fight and Vivi quits. Finn goes to Gilly's and ends up talking to one of his brothers about what they would have done if their real family showed up to take them away; they agreed that they would have run away back to their mom Edie Trewlove. Finn shows up to go with Vivi to see their daughter. She is tall and blonde and adores her parents. Vivi realizes that she can't take her, but asks if they can come by and see her again. Everyone is happy; Finn and Vivi get to be part of their daughter's life, and her parents get to keep her. Finn and Vivi make up and get married. Their marriage makes the lands that Thorn wanted hers, so she sells them to him and she and Finn buy land where they build an orphanage and a horse farm. Fast forward two years, she is pregnant with a child they will keep. They first building of the orphanage is full and they are building another. And they still get to see their daughter; she calls them Auntie and Uncle. Second chance romance is in my bottom for preferred tropes. This book had 2 of my least favorites: age gap and second chance. So, while I am glad they got their happily ever after I could have done without. Also, this book did not set up the next book so I'm not sure which sibling it will be.
No comments:
Post a Comment