... dashed hopes and daunting gossip!


A pair of stories that both start of with what seems like very shallow minded ladies as the heroines who fortunately develop into more than thought at first glance. Gossip at both the village level and within tonnish circles certainly comes to fore in some way in both novels.

Rivals of Fortune.
The story of a young woman whose marriage hopes are dashed in no uncertain terms when her childhood sweetheart goes to London Town and very quickly marries another. A quite superior and sure of herself wealthy woman. Broken hearted and convinced that this is the end of the world Joanna Rowntree is positive that she will never recover. Can she survive the village gossip surrounding her dashed hopes? As time goes on she eventually does, particularly with the advent of an attractive new neighbour,  but perhaps not so compelling as the man of style and tonnish manners, Sir Rollin Denby, the brother of her true love's wife.
Add a delightfully recalcitrant younger brother and rumours of treasure to be found on Rowntree's inherited Abbey property--a ramshackle ruin, and the story gets better further along--once all the wailing has stopped!


The Impetuous Heiress.
Lady Alicia Alston is mean sprinted and misunderstood. High in the instep and yet incapable of feelings beyond her own satisfaction. Spurned by Ian MacClain, Earl of Cairnyllan, she determines to make him suffer and leads his younger sister into a devastating situation. Not well done Alicia! It was at that moment that I did not like you and wondered how on earth your behaviour was going to be redeemed?
Fortunately Jane Ashford is able to just that. I ended up quite liking Alicia once I'd seen past her  unthinking and reprehensible behaviour towards a young woman she really had no grudge against. And yes old stories can provide new flesh for gossips! Certainly the resolution to the challenges we are presented with are convincing.

A NetGalley ARC

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