Review: Any Groom Will Do (The Brides of Belgravia #1) by Charis Michaels

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Avon Impulse (February 13, 2018)

From Goodreads.com: The Dreamer

Lady Wilhelmina “Willow” Hunnicut has always dreamed of leaving tranquil Surrey for sights and sounds London. She is a talented designer and has aspirations as grand as London’s finest mansions. But an unmarried heiress dare not relocate to the capital city alone, and her parents have forbidden the move. A married woman, however, may come and go as she pleases, not a hint of scandal. With this in mind, Lady Willow writes an advertisement that offers her dowry to potential husbands as bait. She is determined to conveniently marry any man who will give her his name and then otherwise walk, ride, or sail away.

The Desperate

Lord Brent Caulder, the Earl of Cassin, lives in one of the last-remaining castles in Yorkshire, but it is a castle in decline. The tenants are listless and destitute, his mother and sisters are barely getting by. It’s Cassin’s fault, unfortunately, because he’s sealed the dangerous mines that have brought the earldom prosperity for generations. Now he must discover a safe alternative or his people will starve.

The Deal

Relief comes in the form of an advertisement from a London investor. But when the “investor” is revealed to be a young woman and the money her dowry, Cassin must decide if he’s desperate enough to marry a stranger. The deal hinges on one stipulation: bride and groom will go their separate ways after the wedding and never look back.

The Discovery

When a family crisis forces the estranged couple to travel home to Yorkshire, Cassin seeks aid and solace from the new wife he barely knows. Lady Willow embraces the heated attraction that sizzles between them, and Cassin comes to see her as more than a financial backer, he falls in love with her as his wife.

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This was a brilliant first novel for this series! I have read other stories by this author, and each of them has contained the same kind of witty dialogue and strong characters that I knew I would not be disappointed. 

Willow is the kind of woman I can admire. She knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to achieve it. Even if her plan probably couldn't have been more unconventional if she had tried. What lady in their right mind advertises (at the docks nonetheless) for a husband? Brent aka Cassin was also an endearing character - he tried to tell himself that he would never marry a stranger, nor would he marry for money - even if that money was just what he and his friends needed to achieve their goals.  

The romance between Brent and Willow was one of those passion induced infatuations (with a healthy dose of annoyance and head-butting between the pair) that slowly turns to love that I have come to expect from a well written novel such as this. In fact, watching these two go from a reluctant acquaintance to a fraudulent romance to a full blown relationship was not only enjoyable, but believable as well. 

The secondary plot-lines (his troubles with his uncle, his estate and tenants needing funds to survive) were woven together seamlessly throughout the entire story coming together in a beautifully executed ending that I feel will leave the reader very satisfied.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a well-written and engaging historical romance (even moreso if you enjoy stories that take a somewhat unconventional approach). I will definitely read more from this author, and I can't wait to see what happens with the other two "brides"! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                Any Groom Will Do is available from Amazon.com