Fun book about two people who are very different than their peers. I enjoyed the story's premise and the two main characters' interactions.
Caelan is a widower whose wife died two years ago. He's not interested in remarrying and prefers simply to be left alone to write his books about whisky and fishing. His family and the villagers believe that he is lost in grief over his wife's death. Most of his staff are gone, and his castle is a filthy mess. He doesn't care. However, his sister insists that he needs a new housekeeper and sends to England for one, as no one locally will touch the place.
Clara is a young lady whose fourth Season comes to a disastrous end. A beautiful and curvy young woman, she unfortunately drew the attention of the (married) Prince Regent. Matters come to a head when a drunk Prince makes a spectacle of himself and her, ending with him groping her and ripping her dress in full view of a ballroom full of people. I thought her reaction was great, but it didn't go over well with the Prince. Clara's mother, who is far more concerned with appearances than her daughter's feelings, banishes her to stay with a distant relative in Scotland.
However, Clara isn't about to roll over and accept her mother's plans for her. At a coaching inn, she bails out of her carriage and jumps into one taking a housekeeper to Scotland. She looks at it as an adventure despite having no experience. Her arrival at Castle CaerLaven is an eye-opener, as she stumbles on Caelan while he is fishing (kiltless) in the loch. The encounter is highly amusing and sets the tone for the book.
While Clara attempts to pass herself off as the new housekeeper, no one believes her. That doesn't slow her down, and I enjoyed seeing her put everyone to work - including Caelan. I loved the cleaning scenes and seeing Clara steamroll over his reluctance.
I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Caelan made no secret about his desire not to remarry. Clara is off men, thanks to her recent experiences. However, there is no doubt about the sparks that fly between them. After spending lots of time together cleaning and getting to know each other, Caelan realizes he wouldn't mind marrying again as long as Clara is the bride. Clara fights her feelings for Caelan because, like everyone else, she believes he's still in love with his late wife. She won't risk her heart on someone who can't love her back.
I got frustrated with Caelan's refusal to talk about his wife and the truth of their relationship, which allowed the misunderstanding to go on way too long. Caelan keeps proposing, and Clara keeps turning him down until an unexpected twist forces them to marry. The misunderstandings continue until a crisis forces them to face that which keeps them apart. I liked the ending and have high hopes for a happy future for them.
The secondary characters provided additional humor to the book. From Caelan's sister, Fiona, who ignores his protests to hire a housekeeper and has a matchmaking glint in her eye, to Elspeth, the maid, and Cobbledick, the driver, each one provides lighthearted moments and occasional serious advice. But my favorite was Fiona's son, Alfie, and his pet chicken, Wilhelmina. Alfie is adorable, and his unfiltered comments are fun.
Caelan is a widower whose wife died two years ago. He's not interested in remarrying and prefers simply to be left alone to write his books about whisky and fishing. His family and the villagers believe that he is lost in grief over his wife's death. Most of his staff are gone, and his castle is a filthy mess. He doesn't care. However, his sister insists that he needs a new housekeeper and sends to England for one, as no one locally will touch the place.
Clara is a young lady whose fourth Season comes to a disastrous end. A beautiful and curvy young woman, she unfortunately drew the attention of the (married) Prince Regent. Matters come to a head when a drunk Prince makes a spectacle of himself and her, ending with him groping her and ripping her dress in full view of a ballroom full of people. I thought her reaction was great, but it didn't go over well with the Prince. Clara's mother, who is far more concerned with appearances than her daughter's feelings, banishes her to stay with a distant relative in Scotland.
However, Clara isn't about to roll over and accept her mother's plans for her. At a coaching inn, she bails out of her carriage and jumps into one taking a housekeeper to Scotland. She looks at it as an adventure despite having no experience. Her arrival at Castle CaerLaven is an eye-opener, as she stumbles on Caelan while he is fishing (kiltless) in the loch. The encounter is highly amusing and sets the tone for the book.
While Clara attempts to pass herself off as the new housekeeper, no one believes her. That doesn't slow her down, and I enjoyed seeing her put everyone to work - including Caelan. I loved the cleaning scenes and seeing Clara steamroll over his reluctance.
I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Caelan made no secret about his desire not to remarry. Clara is off men, thanks to her recent experiences. However, there is no doubt about the sparks that fly between them. After spending lots of time together cleaning and getting to know each other, Caelan realizes he wouldn't mind marrying again as long as Clara is the bride. Clara fights her feelings for Caelan because, like everyone else, she believes he's still in love with his late wife. She won't risk her heart on someone who can't love her back.
I got frustrated with Caelan's refusal to talk about his wife and the truth of their relationship, which allowed the misunderstanding to go on way too long. Caelan keeps proposing, and Clara keeps turning him down until an unexpected twist forces them to marry. The misunderstandings continue until a crisis forces them to face that which keeps them apart. I liked the ending and have high hopes for a happy future for them.
The secondary characters provided additional humor to the book. From Caelan's sister, Fiona, who ignores his protests to hire a housekeeper and has a matchmaking glint in her eye, to Elspeth, the maid, and Cobbledick, the driver, each one provides lighthearted moments and occasional serious advice. But my favorite was Fiona's son, Alfie, and his pet chicken, Wilhelmina. Alfie is adorable, and his unfiltered comments are fun.
