Lord Archer Catches a Contessa (Windermeres in Love – Book 2)

Valentina Hart is on a quest to recover money stolen from her family and other residents of her small town, by an unscrupulous Lord. To get close to the culprit, she pretends to be a Contessa. When Viscount Archer (Archie) stumbles upon Valentina and hears her sing, he’s immediately drawn to her beautiful voice. Being a composer himself, he connects with her through their shared love of music. Once she reveals the story of the swindled money, Archie agrees to help her turn the table and cheat the thief. As the plot unfolds, they become friends and then, predictably, they fall in love.

 

“Lord Archer Catches a Contessa” is a well-written Regency romance with a fun storyline. There is a look at both the predictable side of London society in both setting and era, but also a bonus of seeing the seedier side. The many, many love scenes are steamy, and eventually, become more gratuitous than a vehicle for moving the story forward in any way. Because of this, the character development suffers. It’s more about sex than an actual development of feelings for one another. While Archie’s talent as a composer is celebrated, the one area that first drew him to Valentina, namely her beautiful voice, is given very little attention throughout the remainder of the story. The resolution to Valentina’s financial losses is fun and interesting, and helps to move the book toward its resolution. The epilogue to the story provides a very satisfying conclusion for the characters. For lovers of steamy, Regency romps, this will be time well spent.

 

N.E. Kelley