"Charming Regency romance"

Lord Roman Aylesgarth and illegitimate Tristan Nash fell in love, but family commitments forced him to marry for wealth. Tristan felt like a chip off the old matriarchal block and is left heartbroken, financially broke, and pregnant. Her cousin takes in Tristan, obtains work for her at a London millinery shop and helps her raise her son Andrew.

Seven years later, the widowed Roman sees Tristan and tries to start over, but she refuses insisting she loved her late husband. Not long afterward, Lady May Hayworth visits the shop to inform Tristan that she is her aunt, sister to her wastrel father. May, as she has successfully done with THE PRINCESS OF PARK LANE, launches her niece in high society. Although he knows he has plenty to overcome for failing her several years ago, Roman pursues Tristan, who is concerned with how he will react to having a son once he figures out that Andrew is his seed and that she never married or slept with anyone else.

The second Mayfair Bride tale is a charming Regency romance that readers will enjoy once they get over their initial ire at Roman for failing to marry for love (alas, idealists when it comes to romantic novels). Similar in many ways to Michaela (star of book one), readers will want the best for Tristan and her son. Forgiving fans will root for Roman to rectify his blunder though he blows it again with Andrew (patience). Although a secondary player, in many ways Aunt May steals the show as she did previously; for fans will want to know the love story between her and her beloved.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 9, 2004

Summary

In this follow-up to "The Princess of Park Lane"—the first in the Mayfair Brides—a young lord and the daughter of a governess must forsake love, for he must marry an heiress. If only a fairy godmother could reverse their fate.