"The love of a good woman will alter the character of the Marquis of Huntley"
Reviewed by Leanne Davis
Posted January 14, 2009
Romance Historical
Phillip Kensington, Marquis of Huntley, has lived a
degenerate life. As the heir to the title, he was able to
do whatever he wanted and when. His life took a twist when
his father left all the money to his twin. Phillip went to
France and continued his life of dissipation. When he found
out that he lacked funds to pay the moneylender who had sent
men after him, Phillip returned to England. His inability
to escape the men, lead him to being left for dead. He was found by two brothers and taken to an abbey where he
is tended by the sisters who reside there. One is
particular has been charged with his care. Angela
Palmerston has been at Stanbrooke Abbey for years but has
never taken her vows. She is charged with the task of
tending to the invalid by the Abbess. Angela sought refuge
at the Abbey after she was ruined and evicted from her home. Phillip spends his time at the Abbey by trying to seduce
Angela. As he spends more time with her, he begins to
appreciate her for more than her nursing skills. Phillip gets engaged to Angela but he is pulled away from
her by the men who sought to take his life. This will send Angela on a quest to discover what she wants
from her life. Her aunt in London takes her in to introduce
Angela to the ton. When Phillip returns to the Abbey to
find Angela gone, he goes to his estate and starts to put
his life in order. While I enjoyed the The Heir and the Spare, this book
left
me feeling less than satisfied. First, the presence of an
Abbey in Regency England went contrary to everything I knew
of the English Reformation. The care the author took to
keep religion out of the identity of the Abbey made it even
more confusing. Second, I felt the story took a long time
to make its way to the main point. The terms used in reference are generally Catholic in origin
but the Abbey has the daughter of a vicar as a sister. I
contacted the author and asked about the Abbey. She
referred me to a website which referred to one small
Catholic nunnery that was established in the early
nineteenth century in England. She also explained why she
kept the name of the religion out of the story. I still
feel that a small paragraph establishing the credibility of
the Abbey would have improved my ability to suspend disbelief. The story spends a large amount of time in the Abbey and a
relatively short time with Angela in London. Once I got past the issues I had with the Abbey, there were
some amusing and enjoyable moments in the story.
SUMMARY
If Lord Phillip were not in pain, he’d consider himself
lucky to be in a hospital full of women, albeit nuns. His
reputation has preceded him, but as he stays on, his
thoughts of novitiate Angela Palmerston grow nobler—as her
thoughts of him become less than holy…
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