Series: Westcott #1
Published by Berkley on November 8, 2016
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Length: 11 Hours and 31 Mins
Pages: 382
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
ISBN: 0451477790
Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune that will forever alter the lives of everyone in his family—including the daughter no one knew he had...
Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of the family she came from. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. She is also overjoyed to learn she has siblings. However, they want nothing to do with her or her attempts to share her new wealth. But the new earl’s guardian is interested in Anna…
Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, keeps others at a distance. Yet something prompts him to aid Anna in her transition from orphan to lady. As London society and her newfound relatives threaten to overwhelm Anna, Avery steps in to rescue her and finds himself vulnerable to feelings and desires he has hidden so well and for so long.
Someone To Love is the first book of the Westcott series and I finally caved into starting this series. I had thought about working on her other previous series before beginning these books, but I realized I have been wanting to read these books so much. Mary Balogh is an author I have respected for so long and she was one of the first that introduced me to authentically real regency. I was thrilled to see that my local library carried this one in audio format. Sometimes this author writes more slow burn and it can be difficult to get fully into, but she has some wonderful narrators that portray the story so well in the way that it deserves.
Someone To Love is a story that begins with our heroine, who grew up in an orphanage. Anna Snow is now a teacher in the orphanage in which she grew up. She has very little memory of her time before the orphanage. But then she is brought to the Wescott family and delivered the startling news that she is the sole heir of the Westcott fortune and that the truth of her stepfamily was hidden from them as well. While she has been aching for a family all of her life, the moment she realizes she has one, many of them distrust her and don’t want to be involved with her at all. It is heartbreaking for Anna to have her dream come true only for all the hope of it to have dwindled in such a way. But there is one person that gives her the light and hope she has been looking for….Avery Archer. He is distantly related to the family she has now become a part of (but they share no blood with each other) and he becomes a true friend to her in the time of need. He is steady and strong and when a scandal erupts, he shows up for her and offers her a marriage of convenience. While she expects a contented life with Avery, she doesn’t expect passion and deep love to form with him. But will Avery be able to give her what she needs and hopes for?
“Why ask a question,” she said, “if one does not want a truthful answer?” Ah. Now he understood. He liked her. That was extraordinary enough, but it was easier to understand than sexual awareness.
Someone To Love is a story that I found to be a really beautifully sweet story that I was definitely in the mood for. I had such a fun time with this book. It was highly intriguing to see this setup and seeing the way that this author starts off the series involving this family. And color me intrigued, because I can’t wait to get all the stories from all these family members and seeing them all find their HEA. I found it truly an interesting situation that this heroine finds herself in. The story is more focused surrounding her and her path. I loved her growth while at the same time standing her ground for her own values and integrity. My heart just ached for Anna especially her thirst for family connection and being pushed out the door out of a situation that is not her fault at all. While I could understand why her step-siblings were angry, I really couldn’t stand how they treated her but since their father had passed and they couldn’t be angry with him they wanted someone to pin the blame on. It should prove interesting to see how Mary Balogh writes their stories and what she has planned for the series as a whole. Now on the part of the hero, I really found Avery to be quite different from what you normally expect in regency. He isn’t this big and brawny male at all but has his own reservoir of strength and solitude. He has had to fight for everything he has gained in his life. I loved the core of his character and seeing the aspects of what has built him into the man he has become. The romance that develops between Anna and Avery is quite interesting. It’s so slow and sweet and has a power of strength and resilience hidden underneath the depths of it all. Seeing them having developed the seeds of friendship and with the blend of passion that builds into a powerful love story, I couldn’t put this one down.
“You can be and may be and already are, Anna. My someone to love. My everything”
Overall I found Someone To Love to be a captivating story that was yearningly deep and sweet. it has a perfect blend of authenticity and realism that is balanced with a connecting romance to empower its reader.
The situation this family finds itself in was a fab foundation for this whole series. I loved Anna and Avery’s story and it’s a favorite even after reading them all. Glad you enjoyed the start, Renee.
Wasn’t it a sweet, emotional story? I’ve read all but the most recent in the series and they are still one of my favorite couples. Mary Balogh writes Regency so perfectly.