The Viscount's Mistress by Claire DuLac

 The Viscount's Mistress by Claire DuLac

Blurb:

Lawrence Sutherland, Royal Navy Captain and the Viscount of Glenrith, has just struck a devil’s bargain. To save his family from financial ruin, he needs the help of his closest childhood friend, Violette. They must work together so he can gain the hand of her wealthy but spoiled heiress cousin and make a mutually beneficial marriage—a sound business arrangement for them both. In return for her help, Lawrence offers Violette the one thing she covets most—freedom. With his help, she can leave England and her cruel family behind.

But there is a vital flaw in this near-perfect plan. Violette Pélet de Castelmarou is secretly in love with Lawrence and has hidden it for years. Yet now she finds herself feeding him lines and coaching him through sticky social situations in order to win over her cousin. But when emotions get involved, hearts become inextricably entangled.

When the time comes, will Lawrence be able to say goodbye to Violette or will he compromise her virtue and make her his forever?


I'm not completely sure how much I like this book.
I was so furious sometimes because the hero just behaved like an insensitive, egoistical ...erm, let's say... idiot. Yes, an idiot because he is so convinced to do the right thing and that he has to suffer just to help and that he has to act selflessly and in the end, well, right, he loves her, that's why he hurt her with his stupid, absolutely egoistical and ...argh...well, idiotic ways. There's nothing selfless and just suffering because you behaved like a boar doesn't make it better. I might have thought better of him if at least in the end it would have been totally clear that it is the love for the heroine that gets him to use his brain again but that's only a part of it. He just realises what he doesn't want and what is not worth his interest and that it might be better to pursue the one he loves. Well done, right? NO.
It might have been easier to deal with all this, if I hadn't taken Violette to my heart almost from the moment I "met" her. Violette is so sweet and life has been so hard for her that I just wanted to protect her because the one she loved and who supposedly loved her, our friend and hero Lawrence, didn't really do a good job of it.
Well, all is well, that ends well, isn't it? So I guess, on the whole the book is good. It is well written and despite being a bit (more) upset every now and then, I really enjoyed reading it.

★★★