Benjamin Bailey is an American with an interesting history. He was born into the printing business in Boston and after a tragedy, moved to London to try his hand there and to stay with his grandfather. He’s got long hair and an unkempt beard. His clothes are too big and not all fashionable and his fingers are stained with ink. He doesn’t keep track of his schedule and is either late or forgets all together for meetings and events. He’s a busy man and is trying to buy out Prudence’s brother, the Duke of Clearford, who is part owner of the print shop.
The duke has a proposition for him. Samuel knows that Prudence is hiding something. She has an aversion to marriage and often slips out of balls to go meet with her friends. He has no idea what she’s doing and in order to find out, he asks his friend, Ben, to spy on her. If Ben finds out what she’s up to, Samuel will sell his interests to Ben.
Prudence…how I loved her. She’s witty, intelligent, and by the standards set forth by the ton, not the prettiest of the Merriweather sisters. She’s often overlooked and underestimated, which made it easier for her to sneak away during social events. She’s also a stickler for schedules and keeping them. So when her brother’s friend, Benjamin Bailey, starts showing an interest in her, she’s naturally suspicious. Nobody has ever wanted her for her. There was always something else in the mix; something for the perspective suitor to gain. She was never the prize…until Benjamin Bailey.
I loved this story. Ben is not at all what the ton expects him to be and he really doesn’t care. But he does care what Prudence thinks. What started out as a business deal soon became an affair of the heart, something neither were expecting and something Prudence wasn’t at all convinced was real. This was a novel of acceptance, forgiveness, and redemption. It fired on all cylinders. It had some moments of humor (I adored Ben’s grandfather), some angst, some feels, steam, and the happy ending they both deserved.
There was a side story going on with just enough detail to keep me intrigued. Cora and her forced marriage to Lord Norton is the subject of the next novel in this series and one I’m anticipating. Cora and Prudence are friends and Prudence goes to great lengths to help Cora in this book. I’m anxious to see how Lord Norton and Cora come out in the next installment and hope to see Ben and Prudence again
