MINISTRY OF MARRIAGE #1
Official Blurb
When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry…
Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time…
Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title—while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her—body, heart, and soul…
★✩★✩★✩★✩★
“Clever, lush and lovely – an amazing debut!” – Suzanne Enoch
“One of the most compelling heroes I’ve read in years.” – Anna Campbell
With such praises from two of the most respected authors of the genre, HEIRESS IN LOVE certainly piqued my interest. It’s my first book by Christina Brooke and, although there were some flaws, overall I really enjoyed it.
WHAT I LOVED
I love very character-driven romances and this book really scores in that respect. Constantine and Jane and their growing relationship are always the central focus of the story. Constantine has such depth to his character. His reputation suggests he’s a complete scoundrel with no thought in his head save the next faro bank, the next wench, the next bottle of wine. But, behind this mask, he hides bitter memories. Memories of how, as a young man of twenty, he found himself betrayed and forced to make a choice that would alter the course of his life. The scandal that ensued left him shunned by decent society and even disowned by his own family. Only his younger brother, George, stood by him over the years. He has never been able to forget the pain of knowing his father believed him capable of the dishonourable act of which he was accused.
I enjoyed watching him emerge from his self-imposed prison to reveal the man he truly was; honourable, hard-working, warm-hearted, caring and courageous. I love the way he takes Jane’s son, Luke under his wing when he sees how much the boy needs a man’s influence in his life. This is one of my favourite scenes because it shows the warm and caring side of Constantine that he rarely reveals to the outside world.
Constantine looked like a sultan or a pasha lying there on the carpet, completely at his ease. Exotic treasures lay scattered around him like the spoils of war or offerings from foreign princes eager to win his favor. In the midst of all this paraphernalia, he and Luke seemed to be engaged in some sort of game.
At first, I didn’t warm to the prudish and opinionated Jane. Like Constantine, her life hasn’t been easy. After her frightening experiences as a little girl and the years spent in a loveless, arranged marriage with an unfaithful husband, it is easy to appreciate why she finds it difficult to trust people. Constantine is everything she despises in a man and her attitude of icy disdain is understandable. A very different Jane emerges when she’s with those she loves and trusts, her son, Luke and her cousins, Rosamund and Cecily. I enjoyed watching her gradually shed that protective shell and liked the warm, loving and passionate woman she became.
From the moment Jane and Constantine meet, it’s obvious that these two flawed people are perfect together. I liked the way their romance develops slowly, making their growing trust and love for each other seem natural and believable. Ms Brooke’s love scenes are full of emotion and passion and I liked that Jane doesn’t overcome her fears of intimacy and self-doubt as a woman too soon. In each love scene, she steps that little bit closer to embracing her passionate nature in full but each time the spectre of past hurt and humiliation pulls her back. I’m glad she finds the courage to bury the past and make the move to finally consummate their relationship. I loved the way Constantine understands all her self-doubts and is so determined to show her just how beautiful and desirable she is. The scene involving the cheval mirror is definitely one of my favourites!
She swayed, and he steadied her, his hands closing over her breasts. “Watch us, Jane,” he whispered into her ear. “Look how beautiful you are.”
We are introduced to some of Jane’s cousins in this book; the beautiful and kind-hearted Rosamund, the outspoken Cecily and the solid and reliable Earl of Beckenham (aka Becks). Of course, we are also introduced to the major players in the Ministry of Marriage; the Duke of Montford, its founder, Lady Arden and Oliver deVere. Montford really intrigued me because he appears cold and ruthless on the outside but it’s obvious he cares for his six wards more than he will admit. I’m also speculating about his relationship with Lady Arden. Is there more going on with them than meets the eye? Then there’s Adam Trent, Jane’s devious neighbour. He obviously has designs on Jane and claims to know more scandalous secrets about Constantine.
WHAT BUGGED ME
I did have some issues with this book which prevented it from being a 4 star read.
I really wanted to know more about Jane’s earlier years spent in the sordid boarding house before Montford rescued her. They were obviously very traumatic but Ms Brooke glosses over this period in her life.
The final argument between Jane and Constantine seemed very contrived. Jane’s belief in the lies that the devious Adam Trent tells her about Constantine seemed totally out of character. She knows that Constantine to be a man of honour and integrity and trusts him. Above all, she loves him! Why would she believe a man of questionable character who has been hell bent on discrediting Constantine in her eyes? I can understand Constantine’s reaction because he sees Jane’s willingness to believe the worst of him as history repeating itself. At least, Jane has to step up and do the grovelling which was a refreshing change from the usual scenario of the hero grovelling!
Overall, HEIRESS IN LOVE is an enjoyable read and I will certainly be looking out for the other books in this series.
Rating: ★★★½
Note
I did find a scarcity of background information about the Ministry of Marriage in the book but I have included a link to Ms Brooke’s website where she has a dedicated Ministry of Marriage page.
http://www.christina-brooke.com/the-ministry-of-marriage/
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