Lily Wilkins is a ‘dollar princess’, a daughter of a wealthy American known as the Coal King, brought to London by her mother in order to, hopefully, marry a title and increase the family’s prestige. Quiet and not at all outgoing, Lily meets a man named Aidan at the first ball she attends who is utterly charming… and a duke with a crumbling castle, in desperate need of an heiress bride.
It all seems inevitable, and so very predictable… and it is, rather, though things don’t run entirely smooth with Aidan’s own sense of pride troubling him as he knows he can’t provide for Lily, can’t keep her in the manner to which she is accustomed without her father’s money. There’s also the matter of a jealous ex lurking in the wings, as well as his judgemental mother and the entire upper echelon of the British aristocracy sneering behind their hands at Lily and her ‘new money’.
This is a pretty low-stakes romance, and there’s not a great deal of drama, though there is a lot of introspection from both the main characters. I liked both Aidan and Lily but it was hard to get particularly invested in their love story. It all felt a bit slow and the same scene seemed to get rehashed several times with Aidan’s ex until it was finally resolved. If you’re in the mood for a low-angst romance it’ll fit the bill nicely, though. I’ll give it four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via Rachel’s Random Resources.
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