This lighthearted historical romance was so fun! It kept me grinning the whole way through. I was excited to read it after loving Every Duke Has His Day and this one is just as good.

Beckett is a widower with a young daughter, Rebecca, whom he adores and he’s looking for a wife to be a mother to her. He wants someone that will help guide her and show her how to get along in society. His neighbor, Iris, is also a widow and mother to her ten-year-old son, Edmond. They live with her great aunt and uncle, for the summer, but they are unwanted and Iris is worried about where they will go next. Edmond and Rebecca are the best! They both have vivid imaginations and bring a lot of humor to the story. Iris and Beckett look forward to their time together and commiserate with each other about their lives. The story is fast paced with balls, a dinner party, horseback riding and lots of scheming.

Both Beckett and Iris have been burned by love in the past. Iris’s husband was a wastrel and when he died, they lost their home. She is strong and resilient, especially when it comes to protecting Edmond. She is getting ready to accept an offer from a wealthy, but rude, old duke, forty years her senior. She is dreading it, but wants her son to have a home.

Beckett doesn’t trust himself to choose a wife after his first abysmal marriage. His mother has found the perfect bride for him and he is ready to go along with it. Lady Pauline is polite and demure in society and is very eager to marry Beckett, who is a wealthy marquis and desirable bachelor.

It was a little bit of a slow burn for Beckett and Iris. It takes them a while to realize how perfect they are for each other. As their attraction grows, they look forward to their time together, especially when they meet privately in her rose garden and it gets steamy.

There are fun side characters including Beckett’s household staff and Edmond’s tutor (who speaks in rhyme) and together, with Iris, Beckett and the children, they create a found family. This is similar to The Parent Trap so while I could see where the story was going, the joy was in the journey to get there!

I have been a fan of Enoch’s romances for many years. I recommend this to readers looking for a light historical romance with lively banter, lovely leads and devious schemes with hilarious outcomes.