Friday Book Report: The Heir by Grace Burrowes

I love Romance Novels and I’m not ashamed of it.  While the thought provoking and sentimental books do hold some appeal, sometimes you just have to escape and indulge in a little romantic liaison with characters you can root for.  And for me, the typical clichéd romance novel allows me to do just that.  There’s just something about the hunky hero saving the headstrong woman and living happily ever after.  Grace Burrowes’ debut novel, The Heir definitely satisfies those guilty pleasures with a compelling tale of love and trust and the desire to have both without sacrificing ones true self.  It was published in 2010 by Sourcebooks, Incorporated and is a delightful read for any fan of historical romance novels.

Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven is the first legitimate heir to the Duke of Moreland.  To dodge his father’s matrimonial machinations, Westhaven escapes to London Town where his father’s schemes can be somewhat thwarted.  But instead of hiding out and evading his father’s pressure to marry, Westhaven finds himself deeply intrigued by his new and beautiful, yet secretive housekeeper. 

Anna Seaton is a beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed woman.  Definitely not one born to service, Westhaven is perplexed that this genteel woman would endure the life of a mere housekeeper.  But Anna has secrets, and ones she is not willing to divulge to her charming employer.  As the two grow closer together, the secrets become harder and much more painful to keep.  Her hidden background catches up with Anna and she has to choose to either run away from the only man she’s ever loved, or trust in him enough to allow Westhaven to protect her.

For a debut novel, this one is crafted very well.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about Regency England from this author.  Burrowes captures the spirit of the times splendidly and her prose is sharp and refined with just a touch of English wit that will keep you turning the pages.   The banter between Westhaven and Anna is clever and the dry humor they both provoke in one another gives the reader a lot of entertaining moments.  Westhaven is a charming, intelligent, and cunning earl and Anna complements his character perfectly.  She is not afraid of his station, and has no bother telling him like it is.  I really enjoyed the interaction and dialogue between the two.

And while Anna and Westhaven are brilliantly created, the same can be said for the secondary characters.  Westhaven’s brothers provide ample opportunities for more of that English wit and Anna’s sister Morgan is a character you really want to cheer for.  The Duke of Moreland and his duchess are the perfectly meddling parents, but you can easily see their meddling is done out of love for their offspring.  I admire the way Burrowes was able to not just bring all these personalities together, but provide the depth and strength of character that romance readers want in their protagonists.

The only fault I would give this book was that the actual conflict didn’t seem to fully develop until close to the end, and then I thought it was wrapped up much to neatly for my liking.  Of course romance novels are really about the love story and the conflict is a secondary plot, but I do like the predicaments to hold some water.  I just felt it was hastily thrown in at the end to just get it out of the way and make room for more of the love story.  And while the conflict didn’t resolve itself as I thought it should, the love story is definitely worth reading.  It’s not just about the love the two have for each other.  This book is about gaining the trust of the one you love, and gaining that trust isn’t just about loving a person.  It’s about the little details, the small and sometimes insignificant gestures one does for the person they love.  I thought Burrowes captured that vividly.

I really liked this book and give it a B+ grade.  The love story is wonderful, and while Anna’s secretive background could’ve been further developed it was still a witty and charming story about love and trust.  There is some coarse language and of course the obligatory love scenes which can be quite detailed and uninhibited.  For those reasons, this is an adult type romance and wouldn’t recommend to readers under age 18.  But if you are a fan of historical romance novels, you should really check out Grace Burrowes’ debut, The Heir.  I think you will be delighted with it as much as I was.