Tall, bookish, and far too smart, Miss Cassandra Holwell has
become
known as one of the "spinster heiresses," a trio of wealthy
heiresses
who are all on the market to marry into the aristocracy to
bring a title
into their families, but who are all on the verge of being
considered "on
the shelf." Invited to a house party, Cassandra is
determined to finally
make a connection with the handsome Duke of Camberley... but
it is
Soren York, Earl of Dewsberry, and her family's sworn enemy,
that she
seems to be running into at every turn instead. Overly
confident,
unusually handsome, and one of the only men taller than her,
Cassandra can't help but find herself intrigued with Soren
and his
unique outlook on the world.
Dangerously close to losing everything, Soren is desperate
to marry
well to save his family from ruin after years away in the
Canadian
wilderness trying to make it as a soldier and then again as
a trader. His
father was less than prudent with finances and his mother
still expects
the best of the best. Marrying an heiress is Soren's only
option and it
needs to happen fast. While their families have never gotten
along,
Soren has always had a soft spot for Cass, who was his
friend when
they were young. He's always admired her tenacity for
knowledge, her
kind spirit, and has secretly always thought her the most
beautiful
woman in the ballroom. Soren thinks they could actually be a
good
match, and that she could save him in more ways than one.
Can he
convince Cass he believes she is worth every penny of her
expensive
dowry... and more?
A cute and easy historical romance, A MATCH MADE IN BED by
Cathy Maxwell is witty and delightful. Cassandra is an
interesting heroine with modern ideas, which makes
her relatable and someone you want to see succeed. Soren is
a great
hero--not too macho, but not a pushover by any means. Once he
decides what he wants, he is determined to get it, including
Cass!
While the main characters were really lovely, the side
characters and
side plots were somewhat distracting and seemed to pile on
as the
story moved forward with a lot of explaining in the end.
Additionally
problematic were the depictions used to describe Soren's
interactions
with Native Americans during his time in Canada. He wasn't
in the
wrong, but upper-class British society was less than
forthcoming, and
while it may have been a historically accurate portrayal of
reactions to
Native Americans, this element of the story was introduced
later in the
book and came across as an attempt to add yet another
conflict to the
book, that just didn't sit well within the rest of the plot.
Overall,
however, the second book in the Spinster Heiresses series is an
enjoyable read. I recommend it to historical romance fans.
Once upon a time there were three young ladies, who,
despite their fortunes, had been on the marriage mart a bit
too long. They were known as “the Spinster Heiresses”…
Miss Cassandra Howell is too tall, too bookish, and too
smart—but she does have money and a father who wants a grand
title for her. Cassandra hasn’t felt a desire to marry until
she meets the sinfully handsome Duke of Camberly, who
captures her imagination…until Soren York, Earl of
Dewsberry, and her family’s sworn enemy steps in the way.
The Holwells ruined Soren’s family, and he’s lived on the
knife’s edge trying to resurrect their fortunes . . . until
he considers marrying the Holwell Heiress. Not only would
her dowry give him the funds he needs, he has secretly had
an eye on the independent-minded bluestocking since they
both first realized the differences between men and women.
She likes to read; he has no patience for books. She knows
little of sex; he is a man of the world and willing to
school her. Her family destroyed his; his offer of marriage
may be her only salvation.
Now Cassandra and Soren must learn to love each other for
who they are, not what they are—and the lessons are
becoming an exercise in absolute pleasure.
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