What a Lady Demands (The Eton Boys Trilogy #2) by Ashlyn Macnamara

Review for What a Lady Demands (The Eton Boys Trilogy #2) by Ashlyn Macnamara:

I'll start off by saying that I have never read this author before which, of course, means I have not read the first book in the series either. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed this endearing little historical romance.

On a bizarre and unusual note for me, I enjoyed the first half of the story more than the second half. I fully enjoyed the actual romance and family building while the confrontation with the antagonists toward the end left me a little wanting. I guess it wasn't meant to be an all out boss battle, due to several interactions with the antagonists that let up to the final confrontation, but it was like a blip then it was gone. *sigh* I'm a sucker for action though so I guess I am a little biased here. The beginning of the novel had me completely falling in love with our Heroine as well as our Hero's son, Jeremy. What a duo they made throughout the book!

Our Heroine, Cecelia Sanford, is a force to be reckoned with. Strong, independent, and not in the slightest bit a shrinking violet, she makes for quite the entertaining love story. Confrontational and defiant to her very core she is the last thing that our Hero would every dream of wanting for himself and his family. And doesn't it just always turn out that what you never thought you'd want is exactly what you need? *swoon* As I have said before, I love strong Heroines. Cecelia knows exactly when to push and when to back down while keeping her ward's best interest at heart at all times. As with about 70% of historical romances, our heroine is hiding a past that she would rather not confront but that she will need to in order to move forward in her life....enter our Hero.

Viscount Lindenherst. What can I say? A haunted and injured hero who is bearing the weight of a past that no one can clear him of guilt for...except, of course, our heroine. After fighting for his country in the Napoleonic Wars, and returning with an injury that almost killed him, he runs every single inch of his life with military precision. Unforgiving of even the smallest slight and burdened with constant guilt, anger, and loneliness, our hero could use a little help. Luckily, our heroine applies as a governess for his son and, after a plethora of arguments and steamy meetings in darkened corners, irrevocable cracks are made in his armor and it's all down hill from there.

A simple, sweet love story involving an entire family with substantial barriers to overcome, this is more of an emotional read than anything else. If you need to curl up on the couch with your ice cream and/or popcorn and have a good cry, this is the way to do it. Even with some drags toward the end, the surprises and shocking revelations will keep you on your toes while you fall head over heals for this wholly adorable family.


Hero: ★★★
Heroine: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★
Steam: ★★★★
OVERALL RATING: ★★★ 1/2

Favorite Scene: First time Cecelia meets Jeremy!

Favorite Quote: "Who are you to me?"

***I was given a free copy by NetGalley for an honest review***