Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces.
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury’s heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn’t impressed by good looks, or fooled by false charm. He’s sure Robin is a liar—a fortune hunter, a card sharp, and a heartless, greedy fraud—and he’ll protect his niece, whatever it takes.
Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care—more than either of them thought possible.
But Robin's cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
But Robin sets his sights on the wrong heiress, coming face-to-face with her curmudgeonly and overprotective uncle, Sir John Hartlebury.
Few tropes titillate me as much as a good enemies-to-lovers tale. Throw in Regency high society, a cast of interesting characters, and some damn good UST, and you can consider me thoroughly titillated.
I was rooting for Robin and Marianne from the beginning. Two upstarts able to turn le bon ton’s game on its head; more power to them! Plus, I adored how devoted they were to each other.
From the outset, Robin’s ambitions and Hart’s suspicions mean that the two are bound to clash. Hart is immune to Robin’s social charms, unlike the rest of London society.
But despite their frosty interactions, there’s an underlying tension between them that goes beyond the Marriage Mart.
I thought their mutual dismay at how attractive they found the other was hilarious. Even better was how Hart and Robin unsettled one another.
When the situation finally implodes - it was only a matter of time - the outcome was delicious. Hart and Robin really don’t hold back on working through that bottled-up tension!
Where this book really shines is that the physical relationship solves absolutely nothing. I really liked how the two men were still ideologically opposites for the majority of the book, which made their growing feelings for each other all the more complicated.
Hart needed quite a few teaching moments on hypocrisy, class, and gender (though the last could have been explored a bit more), and Robin didn’t hold back. It was great!
However, I did feel like there were some missing bits at the end. It seems like a lot changed, but was only summarized, in the epilogue. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I ended the book feeling distracted.
That being said, Hart and Robin’s HEA was very well-deserved and was perfect for them. Recommended read if you’re looking for an MM Regency romance!
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