What I Read This Weekend . . .
The Heiress's Homecoming (The Everard Legacy) by Regina Scott--Regency Inspirational Romance
Now 25, Samantha Everard is faced with the possibility of losing her inheritance if she doesn't marry by the 25th, her 25th birthday. She's returned to Dallsten Manor to help plan the annual summer party and say goodbye. William Wentworth returned home from the diplomatic corps eight years ago after his older brother's murder. Shortly after, his father succumbed to influenza and died, leaving Will as the new Earl. Now he's faced with losing all he's worked hard for because times have been changing and his father couldn't keep up. He isn't sure what the Lord's plan for him is, but he knows he's been tested too many times. When he learns of his son James's intentions towards Lady Everard, he fears his son has fallen prey to the older woman. He's determined to learn Samantha's secrets and keep his son safe. He soon discovers that Samantha is lovely, bright, and vivacious. Will longs to help Samantha, if she'll let him, but he refuses to admit he's falling in love. He lost his true love and knows he'll never love again. . Samantha is so tired of everyone pressuring her and asking her plans. She knows she'll never marry and she has her reasons. She can not burden anyone with her troubles, not even if Will is kind and caring. She's determined to help herself, even in this face of danger.
I couldn't put this book down until the end, yet it ended up as my least favorite of the series. My feelings stem largely from the fact that this book is more inspirational than the previous books in the series. Samantha and Will are both followers of Christ and pray for guidance. They plan to follow God's path for them but are so convinced that their own personal feelings are right that they ignore what is in front of them. I found both Samantha and Will's stubbornness very annoying. I understand some of Samantha's concerns, yet she has three wonderful role models. She could have talked to Adele who knew her mother. She could have also figured out that her parents married for the wrong reasons and they didn't really love each other. Maybe she could also have figured out that her mother didn't just have normal "fits of the dismals." Yet, as an independent person who leads with her head, I could relate to Samantha on some level. I probably would have had some of the same concerns if I lived at that time. I also missed the eagerness and innocence she had at sixteen. I wanted to love Will. He's a paragon and very easy to love, but as with Samantha, his pigheadedness turned me off. His fears are completely irrational and I disliked how he used his diplomatic skills to try to charm Samantha into telling him what he wanted to know. I liked the appearance of Samantha's family and wanted more. Vaughn, grown a bit less hotheaded and without his sword was sad. He's now involved in a club of men who are prepared to do their Christian duty and protect England. Boring! Thankfully, when danger comes too close to home, he's eager to be off and fighting. The mystery doesn't really happen until the middle of the book. I knew who the villain was as soon as they were introduced and I felt that Samantha was incredibly naive. After what she had been through, I would have expected her to be more cautious.
I think fans of the series will like knowing what happens next and those who love inspirational romances will enjoy this one. Those of us looking for good, clean fun probably won't find this as engaging as The Rake's Redemption or Regina Scott's books for Zebra.
Now 25, Samantha Everard is faced with the possibility of losing her inheritance if she doesn't marry by the 25th, her 25th birthday. She's returned to Dallsten Manor to help plan the annual summer party and say goodbye. William Wentworth returned home from the diplomatic corps eight years ago after his older brother's murder. Shortly after, his father succumbed to influenza and died, leaving Will as the new Earl. Now he's faced with losing all he's worked hard for because times have been changing and his father couldn't keep up. He isn't sure what the Lord's plan for him is, but he knows he's been tested too many times. When he learns of his son James's intentions towards Lady Everard, he fears his son has fallen prey to the older woman. He's determined to learn Samantha's secrets and keep his son safe. He soon discovers that Samantha is lovely, bright, and vivacious. Will longs to help Samantha, if she'll let him, but he refuses to admit he's falling in love. He lost his true love and knows he'll never love again. . Samantha is so tired of everyone pressuring her and asking her plans. She knows she'll never marry and she has her reasons. She can not burden anyone with her troubles, not even if Will is kind and caring. She's determined to help herself, even in this face of danger.
I couldn't put this book down until the end, yet it ended up as my least favorite of the series. My feelings stem largely from the fact that this book is more inspirational than the previous books in the series. Samantha and Will are both followers of Christ and pray for guidance. They plan to follow God's path for them but are so convinced that their own personal feelings are right that they ignore what is in front of them. I found both Samantha and Will's stubbornness very annoying. I understand some of Samantha's concerns, yet she has three wonderful role models. She could have talked to Adele who knew her mother. She could have also figured out that her parents married for the wrong reasons and they didn't really love each other. Maybe she could also have figured out that her mother didn't just have normal "fits of the dismals." Yet, as an independent person who leads with her head, I could relate to Samantha on some level. I probably would have had some of the same concerns if I lived at that time. I also missed the eagerness and innocence she had at sixteen. I wanted to love Will. He's a paragon and very easy to love, but as with Samantha, his pigheadedness turned me off. His fears are completely irrational and I disliked how he used his diplomatic skills to try to charm Samantha into telling him what he wanted to know. I liked the appearance of Samantha's family and wanted more. Vaughn, grown a bit less hotheaded and without his sword was sad. He's now involved in a club of men who are prepared to do their Christian duty and protect England. Boring! Thankfully, when danger comes too close to home, he's eager to be off and fighting. The mystery doesn't really happen until the middle of the book. I knew who the villain was as soon as they were introduced and I felt that Samantha was incredibly naive. After what she had been through, I would have expected her to be more cautious.
I think fans of the series will like knowing what happens next and those who love inspirational romances will enjoy this one. Those of us looking for good, clean fun probably won't find this as engaging as The Rake's Redemption or Regina Scott's books for Zebra.
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