This was the first Roseanna book that I have read. I didn't even know who Roseanna M. White was until a few months ago when I attended a book party on Facebook. She had been talking about her first book in the Ladies of the Manor series, 'The Lost Heiress'. That book sounded very intriguing, but after the party ended life got in the way and I forgot about it. When the Bethany House email came around for us to choose which book we would like to review, I picked The Reluctant Duchess for three reasons. One - it was the only one which sounded like something I would enjoy, Two - because I knew Roseanna's name (I couldn't recall why I knew her name, but I knew that I knew her name), and Three - the cover was lovely (What? I am picky about covers. I know, I know - 'You can't judge a book by its cover'. Well, I can and I do.) Boy was this a great choice!
Right away I got a real feel for Rowena's personality and could practically hear her voice in my head. This similar thing happened with Brice and Ella. I could picture them and what they looked like and acted like. In my opinion this is the mark of a great story.
There were moments when the plot line seemed to stretch on quite long when it could have been shortened and there were a few side stories that felt like they didn't quite fit with the main plot, but there weren't too many. All in all, the story was written beautifully with a strong line of faith weaved throughout it. Moments made me cry, some made me laugh, a few I related to, and a couple made me swoon. What? Come on, Brice is amazing!
When I first began to read the book, I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into it or if I would end up keeping it - but now you may have to pry it from my hands if you wish to borrow it. I have fallen in love with the characters and look forward to many more Roseanna books in the future. Five out of five stars!
Here is the link to buy a copy: http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Duchess-Ladies-Manor/dp/0764213512/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1461193919&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Reluctant+Duchess
