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MoRWAReviewsSTL
Posted July 15, 2012
After a fifteen year delay Patricia Rice finally brings us the story of Blanche and Michael that was begun in The Marquess (recently re-released). English Heiress picks up two years later. During this time Lady Blanche Perceval, daughter of a duke, has successfully avoided marriage and is less successfully managing the affairs of the dukedom. The enigmatic Michael O’Toole re-enters Blanche’s life with a desperate young Irishwoman in tow. Blanche, who has been attracted to Michael for years, is tired of Michael’s constant disappearances and irresponsibility. Little does she know, but Michael often disappears as a means to fight his intense attraction to her.
This star-crossed couple does not seem to be destined to fulfill their passions. Blanche is a deeply entrenched daughter of the aristocracy. Michael may or may not be related to the marquess brother that claims him. Michael needs to discover who he really is. They both need to discover where they fit into the world. Blanche and Michael embark on a series of adventures which involve Irish revolutionaries, disgruntled mine workers, and a plot to destroy the aristocracy. Through it all they find that love and trust may be the only things that matter.
Michael O’Toole (or whatever the real name) is a delightful character, full of charisma, humor and charm. He is a master of sleight of hand, juggling and disguise. Rice’s descriptions lead us to believe that he may even have Attention Deficit Disorder. He lives by his wits, but has a soft heart for the difficulties of others. We readers so passionately want him to find his identity along with some stability and peace in his life.
Blanche is kind and good. She demonstrates great concern for the situations of those for which she is responsible. However, she is not nearly as effective at looking out for herself. Blanche had an instinctive understanding of Michael’s character, but struggled with trust issues. It was such a pleasure to see Blanche’s character emerge and take charge of her life.
English Heiress was a wonderful read. Patricia Rice’s writing truly shines in her development of interesting, multidimensional characters. The only problems were some pacing and plot issues that slowed the movement of the story and caused the reader to be occasionally bogged down by secondary characters and subplots. Rice concludes the book with a nice setup for a subsequent book featuring characters Neville and Fiona. It is not absolutely necessary to read The Marquess first, but it is certainly recommended since the two stories are very much intertwined.
Anonymous
Posted July 19, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted July 8, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted June 23, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted December 6, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted June 30, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted August 12, 2012
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Overview
“Finally, Michael O’Toole! I’ve been waiting for his story ever since I read Patricia Rice’s The Marquess years ago. Michael and his delicious duke’s granddaughter demonstrate why bad boys are best!”
Mary Jo Putney
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