The Reluctant Countess

The Reluctant Countess is the debut release from Wendy Vella.  The ebook release date was January 14, 2013 and the publisher is Loveswept. From the author’s website.~

From rising romance star Wendy Vella comes a Cinderella story of whirlwind passion between a dashing earl and a beautiful countess—and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.
 
Regal, poised, and elegant, Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is everything that a highborn lady should be. But Sophie is hiding a past that is far from royal. When Patrick, Earl of Coulter, realizes that her story doesn’t add up, he resolves to find out the truth of what Sophie and her sister-in-law are concealing. Although Sophie has every reason to avoid him, the handsome and charismatic Patrick awakens something wicked deep within her soul . . . a powerful need that Sophie must stifle in order to protect her place in society.
 
Despite Sophie’s humble background, the raven-haired beauty has won Patrick’s heart. But what Sophie needs now is an ally. Viscount Myles Dumbly, the disgruntled former heir of Monmouth, is determined to expose Sophie as a fraud to recapture his lost inheritance. Soon Patrick is drawn into a fight for both their lives. Somehow he must find a way not only to rescue Sophie from poverty once and for all, but to keep her in his arms forever.

I was lucky enough to be approved for a review copy of The Reluctant Countess thanks to the publisher through NetGalley.

I enjoyed The Reluctant Countess very much. While I thought it moved a little slow in the beginning, once it got going, it was a really fast read. I really loved Patrick and Sophie both as individuals and a couple. I loved that even as Patrick was trying to figure out Sophie’s secrets, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. They had some of the best chemistry and I loved watching them fall for one another. I loved that even the discovery of Sophie’s secret only made Patrick want to protect her even more than before.

I loved the secondary romance that developed between Stephen and Amelia every bit as much as Patrick and Sophie’s. Stephen and Amelia fought like cats and dogs from almost the minute they met and I couldn’t wait for them to admit their true feelings for one another.

I really liked Wendy Vella’s voice in this book and look forward to more books from her in the future. I’m a huge fan of historical romances and am glad to have found another go-to author for the genre. For more information about the author, check out her website.