Vying for the Viscount
Ratings1
Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
For Hudson, the newly titled Viscount Stildon, moving to England from India where he was born and raised was already an arduous enough endeavor. When he learns the fate of the racing empire he inherited along with his title depends upon him getting in the good graces of another stable owner, he's even more at a loss. The stable at the neighboring estate has been Miss Bianca Snowley's refuge for years, and when a strange man appears to be stealing the horses, she jumps to their protection without a second thought. Upon learning Hudson is actually the new owner, she can't help but be intrigued by the area's newest eligible bachelor. Any thought of romance is quickly set aside, however, when Hudson proposes they work together to secure suitable spouses for each other. As their friendship grows, Hudson and Bianca begin to reconsider what they truly want in life. But will societal expectations and the weight of their responsibilities keep them from pursuing their true desires?
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3.5 stars
A light-hearted historical romance with a light smattering of Christian faith. I loved all the horse details but did not love the dashes of “romantic heat” that popped up in the story. I did appreciate that it's a lot lower level of “heat” than a number of Hunter's other books! I'd give an average appropriate age rating of 16-18+ on this one.
Bianca and Hudson have a pretty quick bond as he finds her in his stables giving his horses exercise. Then she teaches him a few things to survive in a polite drawing room, especially how to dance. Since Hudson has been in India all his life, he doesn't know about many of society's little things; she starts it out, but other friends have to go through with things like teaching him popular card games. (I'm glad to see that one of his friends, Aaron, will star in the next book.)
The overall tone of the story is a light, humorous one. I would have liked to see the secondary characters a little better developed, because many of them seemed more wooden than anything, but that didn't keep me from liking the leads. There were several characters mentioned from other Hunter novels, but an error hopped out at me: Trent and Adelaide are said to have “married for love” but an entire novel was previously devoted to their marriage of convenience and their awkward attempts to find love. Also a couple anachronistic words like “dad” hopped out at me. Otherwise I like the story and the historical feel of it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.
