Title: Viscount in LoveAuthor: Eloisa James
Series: Accidental Brides #1
Pages: 384
Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Publisher: AVON BOOKS
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical
Synopsis:
Two eccentric orphans bring together a grumpy viscount and the free-spirited heroine who steals his heart in the first novel in Eloisa James’s new Accidental Brides series, in which haughty aristocrats find themselves married to the wrong women. He wants a nanny, not a bride…
Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady—until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée’s unconventional sister. Torie isn’t perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he’s actually chosen her. She wants to marry for love…
Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is… but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny. But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he’ll have to give all he has to win her love.
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The first in the Accidental Brides series, Viscount in Love follows Torie and Dominic. Eloisa James writes such great historical romances, and this one is passionate, funny, emotional, and, at times, a little heartbreaking.
Dominic has recently become guardian to his sister’s children and has been rejected by Torie’s sister, whom he was betrothed to. Dominic was, at times, difficult to like. At the start of the story, he’s arrogant, condescending, and so closed off. His views on Torie because she can’t read, and his underwhelming reaction to her artistic talent, disappointed me. And there were times when his words and actions were so hurtful! Luckily, he redeems himself and proves to be a layered character with an interesting arc.
I’m glad Dominic finally changed the way he thinks because Torie is wonderful. I loved her character, and it made me so mad that she was treated so harshly by everybody because of her inability to read. She is a strong woman, and I love that she doesn’t let the ignorance of other define her self-worth. Dominic had a lot of soul searching to do before he could find happiness not just with Tori’s but within himself, and that made me more sympathetic to him.
One of my favorite parts of the story is the twins. They are an absolute delight, and they bring so much character and charm to the story. They’re impetuous, curious, and so endearing, it’s easy to see why Torie becomes so attached so quickly. My other favorite part is the romance. Even though Dominic drove me crazy at times, he and Torie have so much chemistry, and their love story is steamy and passionate. He falls for her first and fast, though he doesn’t really realize that until much later. And I think Torie felt the same. What started as a formal and distanced relationship quickly becomes a passionate romance, and it is fantastic!!!
I did expect a little more development and closure with Torie’s sister and father. I felt like those subplots weren’t resolved. But I liked how the story highlighted inventions, art, literacy, and women’s roles in each. The messages about intelligence and worth, and the literary discussions, which involved a couple of my favorite classics, are fantastic too.
Overall, I enjoyed this story, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series. Special thanks to NetGalley and. For providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own
- The twins!
- The romance.
- The humor.
- He falls first
- Neurodivergent FMC
- Miscommunication
- Found family
- Grumpy/sunshine
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa’s very first book that she “found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar”; later People Magazine raved that “romance writing does not get much better than this.” Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers’ Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her “double life” is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she’s written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women’s magazines such as More to writers’ journals such as the Romance Writers’ Report.
