VISCOUNT IN LOVE

An icy viscount melts after he faces a sunny artist.

In just a few months, Dominic, Viscount Kelbourne, has found his regimented world turned on its head. First he’s thrust into the role of guardian to his orphaned and charmingly odd niece and nephew and then jilted by a woman he thought would make his perfect viscountess. The solution to both problems would appear to be one Miss Victoria “Torie” Sutton, his neighbor and, unfortunately, the sister of his ex-fiancee. However, as much as Torie has come to adore the viscount’s family, not to mention his “burly physique,” she’s reluctant to be served as her “sister’s leftovers” to a man who’s her total opposite. Because she’s unable to read or do arithmetic, her family has always spoken down to her, and society has loved gossiping about her shortcomings—though they’ve overlooked her eidetic memory and extraordinary painting ability—so she fears he too won’t respect her. Nevertheless, after some steamy conversations in which both admit their attraction, she agrees to the marriage, but that’s just the start of a rollercoaster of attraction and frustration for both husband and wife. Although Dom finally comes to realize that Torie isn’t his perfect viscountess—she’s better—and that what he thought was just lust is actually love—he may have been a bit too imperious for their marriage to be repaired. This first volume in a new series is a return to form for James; though it has uneven moments, the emotions at the heart of the story are compelling enough to help readers get past them. In particular, Torie’s dyslexia (not identified as such in the story, but mentioned in an author’s note) and her vulnerability to unkind words after a lifetime of thoughtless remarks are sensitively drawn. Dominic is an arrogant nobleman for the ages, and readers who like to see such a hero humbled will enjoy it repeatedly here.

An unusual, dyslexic heroine provides depth to a solid Georgian romance.