The Desire of a Lady
by Linda Rae Sande
Genre: Historical Romance
A sensual tale of a maid, four suitors and a clerk on a
mission
As the illegitimate daughter of an earl, Lily Harkins spent her early years
toiling as a scullery maid and later as a lady's maid. When her brother, Gabriel
Wellingham, paid a call to claim her as his sister, Lily was surprised and a bit
overwhelmed. With recognition as the Earl of Trenton's half-sister came the
responsibility to learn the ways of the ton as well as the promise
of a substantial dowry—an irresistible draw for many a man who might require the
income to pay off gambling debts or shore up flagging bank
accounts.
William Overby may have started his life as a street urchin in the Seven Dials,
but he worked his way from being Thomas Wellingham's caddie to clerking at the
man's business. Having outfitted his bachelor quarters with excess inventory from
Wellingham Imports and rather satisfied with his lot in life, William has no need to
wonder what's next. That is, until he meets the comely blonde chit who's paying a visit
to her cousin, Thomas. The idea of courting—the idea of taking a wife—are suddenly
all William can think about.
Thanks to patient tutoring, Lily had a successful come-out—too successful.
Having read the stories in the gossip sheets from London suggesting his sister is being
courted by no fewer than four aristocrats, Gabriel sends for her. He’s determined to
hear her side of the stories before deciding which man is worthy enough to be her
husband.
Having suffered a good deal of embarrassment in her encounters with
gentlemen claiming they wished to court her, Lily wonders if any of her suitors are
sincere. And just who is the young man who works for her cousin Thomas? Is he a
suitable suitor? Or just another fortune hunter after her dowry? While on her way to
meet her brother in Staffordshire, Lily decides she may have to spin a few tales of her
own to get her way in The Desire of a Lady.
Shawna's Review
The Desire of A Lady is the third book in The Sisters of The Aristocracy by Linda Rae Sande. I fell in love with the two main characters, Lily Harkins and William Overby from the beginning. They are both such great characters who just want to find love. William is my absolute favorite and I was rooting for him from the beginning, hes such a down to earth hard working man who is doing the best he possible can to make it in a world where he was doomed to live a poor life from the beginning. He works his way up from the bottom of the ladder all the way to a clerk and is doing quite well for himself and wants nothing more, until he meets Lily Harkins, the illegitimate daughter of an earl who must find her a husband soon or end up getting married to whomever her brother decides. Sparks fly from the beginning, but will her brother approve? Will she decide on someone wealthier or is William just what she wants? I really did enjoy this book but was a little disappointed when I realized the most of this book was about her telling tales about other men who had tried to court her. There wasn't much of a love story with the two, the honestly only meet face to face five times in the entire book and only two of those had any depth to them. Either way it was a really good read and can be a stand alone even though it is the third in the series. I didn't even know it was a serial until the end and I do plan on reading the others since there were many times I wished I knew about certain characters that I now know have books of their own.
3.5 out of 5 stars
A former technical writer, Linda Rae’s interest in the Regency has resulted in
ten books set during that era. Employed at Goodyear Printing, she can frequently be
found at the local cinema enjoying the latest movie. During the winter, she houses
junior hockey players and follows the San Jose Sharks. She makes her home in Cody.
Read more about her books on her website:
www.lindaraesande.com.
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