Lady Helen Ravenel had been betrothed only two weeks before to Rhys Winterborne, but her sister-in-law had announced to the latter that Helen never wanted to see him again. To Rhys' astonishment, Helen comes to see him, unbeknownst to anyone else. Helen had been in dire straits, but it now seems her family's financial situation has improved, and she's come to ask Rhys to take her back. Naturally, Rhys presumes her interest in him had been mostly monetary, but he is wrong. His forwardness had frightened Helen, and she wants him to understand that she has lived a very sheltered life, and he must be gentler, as he has been with the orchid that she gave him.

I had read the previous book, COLD-HEARTED RAKE, and although I was dying to read Rhys' story, I was a bit hesitant because I had intensely disliked the hero: Devon Ravenel, Helen's cousin. This definitely is not a problem with MARRYING WINTERBORNE. Rhys is a dream come true! The seeds for Rhys and Helen's romance had been planted in the aforementioned book, and although it helps to understand their particular dynamic, it's not essential to savor MARRYING WINTERBORNE, and savor it must be; this is not a book to be devoured. The writing is absolutely exquisite: there is one particular passage at the beginning where we experience the Helen's beauty through Rhys' eyes, and I read it at least five times; it is poetic and so beautiful that I can hardly find words to express my joy at reading such glorious prose. Rhys and Helen, on the surface, seem polar opposites, however the delicate and very proper Helen is as determined as the gruff Welshman; he has definitely met his match, and he couldn't be happier. As a rule, I have an innate dislike for virgin heroines, but Lisa Kleypas has written a variation of this trope for the ages: Helen knows literally nothing about sex, and Rhys treats her as gently as the orchids she so favors, and Helen's first time is another lyrical, erotic, marvelous, and totally unforgettable passage.

Rhys comes from a very humble background, he worked his way up from working in a shop to owning the biggest department store in the world; he is uneducated, has no manners to speak of, he measures everything in terms of money. Helen is polished, refined; she's every inch a lady, and still when he was hurt, she took care of Rhys because the big man fascinated her. Rhys is very progressive, and a romantic at heart, and a hero I fell in love with; Helen is just as appealing, she is honest to a fault and very brave. Helen has a secret, and that led to amazing developments, which were masterfully handled by Ms. Kleypas.

My expectations for MARRYING WINTERBORNE were exceedingly high, and it is everything I had hoped for and more: the writing is magnificent, the characters very engaging, the attention to detail outstanding; it is a true work of art.