The Talk Of The Town
Series: The Brazen Burrells #3
Author: Lynne Connolly
Published June 6th 2023 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.

Goodreads Synopsis
Once Bianca was the talk of the town. Now all she wants is a quiet life. Until murder and mayhem erupt around her - again.

When Bianca, Duchess of Whiston is invited to a house party at Stonyhurst, she is looking to restore her reputation. But it doesn't work out that way. The marquess's heir, Mr. Alexander Fraser, draws her as no other man has, not even her late husband.

Events escalate, until Bianca finds herself in the middle of a scandal she may never recover from.

Alex's father turned his back on his aristocratic heritage. He made a name for himself in the new, exciting world of industrial enterprise. He was so successful that his son came to be called the Midas of The North. But when the Marquess of Stonyhurst's three heirs die in battle, Alex becomes the heir, despite his desire not to be so.

Until he meets Bianca. Then he's not so sure about anything any longer, except that he wants her.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After her estranged husband dies in a house fire, and is lauded as a hero, Bianca, Dowager Duchess of Whiston, retreats to Edinburgh to grieve, before she makes her return to society. When she is invited to a house party hosted by a former friend, Bianca decides it is time to live again, but she never expects she would meet someone who makes her consider marrying again. Alexander Fraser has always known he was descended from aristocracy, but after his father (the third son of a Marquess) married a woman from India, they were cut off. Making a name for himself, and his family, Alex's father leaves him wealthy, and with no need to rub shoulders with the ton. However his uncle is old, and has no heirs of his own, and Alex is next in line. Arriving at Stonyhurst's home, he is told he is the last choice, but he needs to learn how to act in case he ever inherits. Alex wants nothing to do with his uncle, or his uncle's young wife, but Bianca makes him reconsider.

This book was a lovely story for Bianca, though not an easy one. After what she went through in the previous books, she deserved a happy ending, but didn't believe it was ever going to happen. I loved that she was strong and stood up for herself, and didn't let Stonyhurst run roughshod over her, or play along with his games. Even so, she could still be vulnerable, and was able to open up to Alex, and he to her too. They may have started out with a simple basic attraction to each other, but it was soon obvious that they were the only thing holding the other at the house, and after some events put them more in the spotlight, they trusted the other enough to get through it all, even when it seemed like all was lost. A great ending to Bianca's tale, and the series as a whole!

Dates Read:
June 1, 2023

Rating
3 Stars