"The Lost Heiress" by Roseanna M. White

The Lost Heiress (Sept. 8, 2015) by Roseanna M. White.*

What would it be like to learn that you are not the offspring of an opera singer and Prince Louis Grimaldi, heir to the throne of Monaco, but a baroness, “whose title is by right and not courtesy,” and the daughter of an earl? Just ask Elizabeth Brook Eden. She’s grown up basking in the sun and warmth of the Mediterranean and suddenly finds herself in North Yorkshire, England. She’s still got a sea to look out at, but the temperature is not something she’ll grow accustomed to overnight. Nor will the staff at Whitby Park become accustomed to Brook overnight. In fact, they are prone to cynicism before trust, even though Ambrose Eden, the Earl of Whitby, has declared her to be his daughter and heir.

            Brook’s arrival at Whitby Park is thanks to her childhood best friend, Justin Wildon, who also happens to be the Duke of Stafford. He has long since realized that Brook is stunning, but he expects she doesn’t feel for him what he does for her. And, as heir to a dukedom, he’s got a plateful of responsibilities – and several side dishes – occupying his time. This creates physical distance between them and will be a barrier in their relationship that cannot be easily hurdled.

            Brook doesn’t know much about her past, but that will not stop the greed of unknown others to obtain what they think she possesses. Who can be trusted? What does the person(s) want and why? One thing is for sure: the person has no qualms about taking the lives of others to fulfill her/his desires. It’ll be a race to find out the whodunit before the heiress is lost for good.

            The setting is 1910 Edwardian England, and it is opulent, tragic and dangerous. The writing is top-notch, and you can tell that the author has done her research. Despite the length of the novel, it was a fairly quick read. The story is enchanting with its captivating characters – from the handsomely good if romantically bumbling (Justin) to the dashingly suave flirt (Brice, heir to the Duke of Nottingham) to the superciliously wicked (Pratt) – and its richness of royal locale. The romance is there, but isn’t steadily moving forward; therefore, it is intense in its stationary state. The only confusing part comes from my lack of familiarity with peerage terminology. It may also take some thought to remember who is who. All the nicknames and first name, last name, royal title – yikes! But all in all, a very delicious read. I look forward to continuing reading the Ladies of the Manor series.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”