Tempting Mr. Townsend
Anna Campbell
Historical Romance
The beautiful widow and the man somewhere between hero and beast …
Fenella, Lady Deerham, has rejoined society after five years of mourning her beloved husband’s death at Waterloo. Now she’s fêted as a diamond of the first water and London’s perfect lady. But beneath her exquisite exterior, this delicate blond beauty conceals depths of courage and passion nobody has ever suspected. So when her son and his school friend go missing, she vows to find them whatever it takes. Including setting off alone in the middle of the night with high-handed bear of a man, Anthony Townsend …
When Anthony Townsend bursts into Lady Deerham’s fashionable Mayfair mansion demanding the return of his orphaned nephew, the lovely widow’s beauty and spirit turn his world upside down. But surely such a refined and aristocratic creature will scorn a rough, self-made man’s courtship, even if that man is now one of the richest magnates in England. But when Fenella insists on joining the desperate search for the boys, fate offers Anthony a chance to play the hero and change her mind about him. Will reluctant proximity convince Fenella that perhaps Mr. Townsend isn’t so beastly after all? Or will Anthony and Fenella remain forever opposites fighting their attraction?
Uncaged Review: In the second book of the Dashing Widows series, Lady Frenella Deerham was enjoying her embroidery when she was rudely interrupted by a furious Mr. Anthony Townsend demanded to know where his nephew and ward, Carey, had gone to. It seems that Carey ran off with Frenella’s son, Brandon, and has left school. Anthony assumes wrongly that he is at Brandon’s home in Mayfair, but not even Frenella knows where they both are. When Frenella receives a letter from Brandon explaining that they are going to see Carey’s old nurse in Winchester, both her and Anthony are relieved yet still plan to go there anyhow. As Anthony and Frenella travel there, a strong attraction forms between them. When Anthony and Frenella finally reach Winchester, will they be too upset with the boys to ignore how they really feel or end up taking it out on each other instead?
What an exciting cross-country historical Regency romance of two very unlikely people brought together by the unfortunate circumstances of some mischievous boys running off. Now, luckily, you don’t have to read the first book in the series to understand what is going on in this tale because it features a different couple than the first book, but you just might want to understand the strong friendship between the widows. Also, both books aren’t incredibly long, and you can read them very quickly too. Ms. Anna Cambell writes so fluidly and creates such wonderful characters that you can’t help but wish to be in her world just a little longer. I did kind of think that Caroline and Silas were already married, which they aren’t, so there is a little confusion about the timing of when things are happening, yet I still enjoy the story. Anthony does seem a bit frightening, but he’s lovable and might come off as a brute. He is just a massive guy with a true heart of gold, where Frenella might be a petite lady, yet isn’t scared off by him. Do I look forward to the next in the series? Well, of course, I do!
Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst
4 Stars
