Synopsis
Iain finds himself half naked and without his possessions; he has no way to prove that he is an earl, but he goes to his destination anyway. There he finds Lady Rose Thornton (yes, her name is like, 50% of why I picked this!) - a woman unable to walk (there's the other 50%). He must marry an heiress in order to save his home in Ireland from the famine, and she is determined to walk again to marry a man who has neglected to communicate with her since her illness. But will Rose and Iain get together?
It does deal with rape to a small extent; it happened years before the book is set, is not described, but it is mentioned and the consequences do have an impact on the plot. It also deals with disability; the main female lead is disabled, her mother is mentally ill, and there are negative reactions to both of these from other characters.
Characters
I loved how Iain, the Earl of Ashford, was introduced. He wakes up and finds himself alone, and the rest of the story seem to be him "collecting" (for lack of a better phrase) friends and family. He actively communicated his thoughts and feelings, without hesitation for most of the time. This was a pleasant surprise, considering most of the romance I have read has been rife with miscommunication.
Lady Rose was a delight to read. Unable to walk after contracting botulism from potatoes (I had no idea this was a thing, but after a bit of searching, it really is) she is carried around by a servant, but in secret she does her best to stand and walk. With Iain's help she is able to, after a huge amount of work. Personally, being a disabled woman, I felt like this was a bit of a cheat; she overcame her disability and look how happy she is now! She would never have achieved this level of happiness when still disabled! Look how much she has overcome!
Although the main focus was on Rose and Iain, I loved the other characters as well. Lily - the main lead of the next book in the series - was a fascinating character, and it felt like she was doing her best while still being flawed. None of the characters are perfect, and I think that helps make it feel a little more realistic.
Plots
This is where the story falls a little, to me. Iain's mother just happens to come across proof, and his belongings are found just in time for a trip to London from Yorkshire. It felt a little too perfect. The ending (bit of a spoiler here) also felt off. Pregnancy in romance tends to be either punishment or reward; either the woman is in a happy relationship and is overjoyed at having children, or the child is a sign of her having an affair. It definitely felt like this sort of pregnancy-as-reward style ending, and this was so disappointing especially since it was said earlier in the book that Iain didn't necessarily want children out of a marriage. I know it might be a small thing, but to me the ending is the chapter that should stick with you the most, and in this it does for the wrong reasons. I loved almost every moment before that, and it just destroyed the story for me.
Time it took to read - one long morning
Would recommend to - romance fans looking for a happy ever after
Enjoyed with - peach tea and a slice of Victoria sponge
My initial reaction can be found on Goodreads here