Review: Finding More Than The Heir
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 5, 2014
***Received from publisher via NetGalley for an honest review***After reading the blurb, I thought this would be a Cinderella type Regency romance that explores the ins and outs of London society with a newly discovered heir/heiress as the lead. It was…but not really. While this does have that theme, there’s so much more to this story than that.It’s about Isabel and Sebastian. She is a neglected Viscountess who, on the heels of her husband’s death and displaying very little despair over it, finds and brings to Branstone House the new Lord Somerton, Sebastian Alder. He is the stepson of a reverend from a small village, an English Captain who lost his wife to the French, and has no idea who the Somertons are as he has no memory of his  real father. She is struggling to move toward fulfilling her dream but the memory of her unhappy marriage haunts her. He appears to fit right into his new role but there are secrets that come with it, secrets that do not want to be brought to light.I loved reading about Sebastian and Isabel. The attraction and romance between them developed throughout the entire story and it was beautiful to watch because it felt natural. Every part of their relationship, going from being strangers to acquaintances, from friends to wanting to be more than friends, and eventually to lovers. By the way, Ms. Stuart, thank you so, so much for writing their lovemaking toward the end of the story instead of before. Reading it then was so worth the wait!To be honest, the suspense is what kept me reading. Don’t get me wrong. I wanted Sebastian and Isabel to have their happy ending, but I was more interested in peeling back the multiple layers of mystery surrounding the Somerton name and house. Finding out the answers one at a time, that there was so much more than meets the eye, is what compelled me to keep turning the page.This is a well-paced, detail oriented novel that might be slow for some but was perfect for me. I’ve not read anything by Ms. Stuart before, but I guarantee this won’t be the last and I’ll be looking for whatever she writes next.