Avon
Featuring: Lady Helen Ravenel; Rhys Winterborne
416 pages ISBN: 0062371851 EAN: 9780062371850 Kindle: B0151VATDA Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
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.
Savage ambition has brought
common-born Rhys Winterborne vast wealth and success. In
business and beyond, Rhys gets exactly what he wants. And
from the moment he meets the shy, aristocratic Lady Helen
Ravenel, he is determined to possess her. If he must take
her virtue to ensure she marries him, so much the better . .
.
A sheltered beauty
Helen has had
little contact with the glittering, cynical world of London
society. Yet Rhys’s determined seduction awakens an intense
mutual passion. Helen’s gentle upbringing belies a stubborn
conviction that only she can tame her unruly husband. As
Rhys’s enemies conspire against them, Helen must trust him
with her darkest secret. The risks are unthinkable . . . the
reward, a lifetime of incomparable bliss. And it all begins
with…
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