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A review by laurenjodi
The Heir by Grace Burrowes
3.0
The Heir
3.5 Stars
As the heir to the Duke of Moreland, Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, is under pressure to marry and produce offspring. Determined to thwart his father’s matchmaking machinations, Westhaven sequesters himself in London and is put straight in the path of his young and lovely housekeeper, Anne Seaton, whose secretive past intrigues Westhaven almost as much as his attraction to her.
Not bad for a debut novel but it does suffer from several shortcomings. To begin with, the pacing is sluggish and the suspense plot lacks the tension and excitement necessary for a truly engrossing story. Nevertheless, the villains are exceptionally smarmy and get their just desserts.
Second, Anne’s character is problematic as she devolves from a smart, witty and endearing heroine into an indecisive, secretive and blubbering twit. The keeping secrets trope has never been a favorite and makes absolutely no sense here as the hero is well aware that all is not as it seems.
On a more positive note, Westhaven is a scrumptious hero and his chemistry with Anne is off-the-charts sizzling. Burrowes certainly knows how to write a smoking’ sex scene. The banter between the Windham brothers is another plus and I look forward to reading Dev’s and Val’s books.
3.5 Stars
As the heir to the Duke of Moreland, Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, is under pressure to marry and produce offspring. Determined to thwart his father’s matchmaking machinations, Westhaven sequesters himself in London and is put straight in the path of his young and lovely housekeeper, Anne Seaton, whose secretive past intrigues Westhaven almost as much as his attraction to her.
Not bad for a debut novel but it does suffer from several shortcomings. To begin with, the pacing is sluggish and the suspense plot lacks the tension and excitement necessary for a truly engrossing story. Nevertheless, the villains are exceptionally smarmy and get their just desserts.
Second, Anne’s character is problematic as she devolves from a smart, witty and endearing heroine into an indecisive, secretive and blubbering twit. The keeping secrets trope has never been a favorite and makes absolutely no sense here as the hero is well aware that all is not as it seems.
On a more positive note, Westhaven is a scrumptious hero and his chemistry with Anne is off-the-charts sizzling. Burrowes certainly knows how to write a smoking’ sex scene. The banter between the Windham brothers is another plus and I look forward to reading Dev’s and Val’s books.