Probably deserves four (or more) stars, but I wanted the angst to be, I don’t know, angstier. It just moved a bit too slow for my tastes, and I am usually only really interested in books with chubby/plain/abused/spinster heroines. But I adored all of the characters, and the affectionate family. And the plot was good too, although, again, felt a bit slow. ( )

Adam Monroe's life is thrown into turmoil when suddenly he discovers that instead of being an architect, he's an earl. Now he's a bit of a fish out of water; now former clients are peers instead of customers and now he has to come to terms with it all. Added to the mix is the widow Catherine "Kitty" Fenton; the two of them were young lovers but he rejected her because he believed that she was so far above him that it would be impossible for them to have a happy relationship.
Now he needs to grovel a lot to get back to her good books, never mind rekindle the relationship they once had. He believes she got over her relationship with him too quickly and she believes that he abandoned her to her abusive father. Add to the mix a series of attempted murders and things get very complicated very quickly. There was also a certain level of abuse that she has to overcome.
I enjoyed the story even when I found the plot holes a little much and the added peril a bit too much extra on the story. Still an interesting read and I was hoping the two characters would resolve their issues. It was a good read. ( )