Midsummer Madness (A Lord for All Seasons, Book 2)

Hope Templeworth is a beautiful and brazen flirt who really wants to escape her life in the small village of Halton, England. Because of her beauty, she has had numerous offers of marriage. She has turned them all down, because not one of them took the time to get to know her as a person; instead they stopped at her exterior ‘trappings’ and deemed those ‘enough.’ She has a lot of freedom out in the country, and one day while swimming, she meets Gideon Bell, the Earl of Claremont. He lets her believe he is the new vicar, because he is drawn to the notion that someone could like him for who he is instead of for his title. Recently removed from an embarrassing scandal, he is likes the idea of hiding out in the country for a bit. This well-written story is set up to allow for multiple misunderstandings, which allows these protagonists to grow as individual people and as a couple, eventually.

Hope and Gideon’s path to love is often rocky, but it makes the journey so much sweeter when the end arrives. There are a few cringe-worthy moments that add a measure of humor to the telling. The banter between the protagonists and between each set of siblings adds an extra layer of fun. Also, there are a couple of tense situations that provide some unforeseen conflicts that eventually get resolved, which leads to the happily ever after ending. The story is believable in most areas; however, the scene where she meets Gideon is hilarious, yet more brazen than expected for the time. Nevertheless, this story is utterly delightful!

Carey Sullivan