Title: Deception and Desire
Author: Aubrey Wynne
Genre: Scottish Regency/Spicy
Book Blurb:
Two rebellious souls… An innocent deception… One scorching catastrophe…
Fenella Franklin is too tall, too intelligent, and has no title. Her talents lie in numbers and a keen business mind, not in the art of flirtation. When she becomes the object of a cruel wager during her come-out in London, she vows to put off the penniless noblemen vying for her sizeable dowry. But her season is cut short after her mother discovers the subterfuge, and Fenella retreats to Scotland.
Lachlan MacNaughton has neither the temperament nor the patience to be the next MacNaughton chief, preferring to knock heads together rather than placate bickering clansmen. He readily accepts a reprieve to help with the family’s textile mill in Glasgow. A sizzling chance encounter in the rain introduces him to the new female bookkeeper. His grandfather may want him back in the Highlands, but his heart has been lost in the Lowlands.
The attraction between Fenella and Lachlan sparks a passion not even two rebellious souls can deny. But an innocent deception tests their newfound love and threatens the freedom they both crave.
My Review:
Fenella Franklin is taller than most young ladies of the Ton and subject to their ridicule, and even a cruel wager. When she takes matters into her own hands, her social-climbing mother explodes in anger. Fenella escapes to Scotland to stay with her grandmother. When she sees an advertisement in the newspaper for an accountant, she applies in person. She’s always had a talent for numbers and after a bit of persuasion, she lands the job at the mill. From the moment she sets eyes on handsome Lachlan, one of the men who manage the mill, fire sizzles in her veins. She’s unsure why he lavishes his attention on her but for the first time in her life, she feels beautiful and feminine. When a small omission turns into a huge blow-up, Fenella’s heart shatters. Can she beg for Lachlan’s forgiveness or has she lost her only chance at true love?
Deception and Desire is the latest release by Aubrey Wynne and there are so many great elements in it including a sweeping romance between an intelligent English heroine and a brash Scottish man, historically accurate events serving as a catalyst to the plot, a social-climbing mother, a kind-hearted father, humorous dialogue and so much more. The characters leap from the pages and come alive. I connected with shy Fenella right away and my heart leaped in my throat several times. Mrs. Douglas is a wonderfully portrayed Scottish grandmother. The MacNaughton men are larger than life and their voices swirled around me as they talked. From beginning to end, Deception and Desire is a heart-wrenching read about striking out on your own and not giving in to familial expectations. If you’re a fan of Scottish Regency, this is a must-read. I can’t recommend this book enough!
My Rating: 5+ stars
Buy it Now:
Author Biography:
Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule, and barn cats. Obsessions include wine, history, travel, trail riding, and all things Christmas. Her Chicago Christmas series has received the Golden Quill, Aspen Gold, Heart of Excellence, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and twice nominated as a Rone finalist by InD’tale Magazine.
Aubrey’s first love is medieval romance but after dipping her toe in the Regency period in 2018 with the Wicked Earls’ Club, she was smitten. This inspired her spin-off series Once Upon a Widow and the Scottish Regency series A MacNaughton Castle Romance with Dragonblade Novels.
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Reviewed by: Mrs. N