An Heiress at Heart (Love's Grace #1) by Jennifer Delamere

A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she's finally returning home, but she's still living a secret life. Her best friend Ria's dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . . 

A committed clergyman; Geoffrey Somerville's world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he's invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of the London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother's young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her façade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love?

Type: Historical Romance
Heat: 1 out of 5

Rating: 4 out of 5

I'll admit I'm a little shallow and love a gorgeous book and Jennifer Delamere's debut novel, An Heiress at Heart, definitely caught my eye right away with it's beautiful cover. She quickly won over my heart as well with a wonderful tale and characters that I truly liked and would love to know in real life. 

I really enjoyed the whole premise of the book. The basic gist is that in order to fulfill her best friend's dying wish of making amends with her family back in London, Lizzie, who is all alone in the world, travels to London and takes over her friend Ria's identity. Of course nothing goes quite right from nearly being run over by a carriage when she first arrives to an unexpected attraction with the potential for so much more and a surprising discovery that threatens everything Lizzie has grown to cherish.

Lizzie and Geoffrey were wonderful characters that I felt an instant connection with. Both are dealing with tremendous personal losses and with finding themselves smack in the middle of the ton. The romance was subtle and slow building and utterly perfect for the two even with the tremendous obstacles they have to overcome. I loved that there was an attraction from the start but Geoffrey and Lizzie were able to actually get to know each other and spend time together before the L word ever crossed their thoughts. They didn't just jump into bed together either which was refreshing. It's actually a very innocent book in that regard (there's just a little kissing) but it completely works and feels believable. 

"Though Edward would happily point out that I am a poor second, you have me as well."

She shook her head. "You are your own man Geoffrey. To say you are a poor second is to do yourself a great injustice."

As far as Geoffrey was concerned, the Queen herself could not have bestowed a greater honor.

The secondary characters were absolutely delightful as well and I'm so looking forward to seeing their stories unfold. From Lizzie's Grandmama and her cousin James, who have an infectious humor, to the awkward Miss Lucinda who caught my heart as well with how uncomfortable she was in polite society. I really hope we'll hear more from her as well. They all added so many wonderful moments to the story and interactions with Lizzie and Geoffrey. 

An Heiress at Heart was a truly lovely read that had me laughing, had me in tears and completely won me over. I loved that it wasn't your typical romance and had so much heart to it. It's definitely an inspirational story and one that has me looking forward to many more such books by Jennifer Delamere.

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The youngest child of a Navy pilot and a journalist, Jennifer acquired a love of adventure and an excitement for learning that continues to this day. She’s lived in three countries and traveled through the U.S. An avid reader of classics and historical fiction, she also enjoys biographies and histories, which she mines for the vivid details to bring to life the characters and places in her books. She resides with her husband in North Carolina. 

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