Daniel's True Desire

September 21, 2015
Burrowes’s second True Gentleman Regency (after Tremaine’s True Love) sets
up a very period-appropriate conflict between love and duty. Lady Kirsten Haddonfield, sister of the Earl of Bellefonte, is beautiful, accomplished, and forthright. Her village’s new vicar, Daniel Banks, is everything Kirsten
could want in a man: kind, humble,
and too handsome for his own good. Unfortunately, he also has an estranged wife. While both Daniel and Kirsten acknowledge their attraction to each other, he admirably refuses to break his vows. Kirsten and Daniel continue to behave as friends as she assists him with turning the dower house into a school for the mischievous young men of the village. Yet when circumstances change, they wonder whether they can anticipate a life together. The protagonists are perfectly matched for each other in a novel complete with touching romance and an undercurrent of suspense. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency.

Starred review from October 15, 2015

After her rejection of two suitors ruins her marriage prospects, outspoken Lady Kirsten Haddonfield retires to the family's country estate to live life on her own terms. Then the new vicar--handsome, dedicated Daniel Banks--arrives, and the attraction that flares between them surprises them both, plunging them into a situation that Kirsten had never envisioned and seems almost impossible to resolve. An unconventional but caring heroine who is honest to a fault and an honorable hero caught in a web not entirely of his own making find love despite the obstacles. VERDICT Beautifully wrought characters, both good and stunningly wicked, interact with a knotty plot that will keep readers enmeshed. The tidy resolution and elegant compromise nicely set the stage for the next in the series. Touching and intense. Burrowes (Matthew) lives in rural Maryland.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
Lady Kirsten Haddonfield was a memorable character in previous titles in Burrowes' True Gentlemen series (Tremaine's True Love, 2015) and is now in the spotlight. Reverend Daniel Banks is happy for the chance to be vicar in a small Kentish town while he waits for his estranged wife, Olivia, to make her next move. He is quickly taken in by the villagers and the Haddonfields, especially Kirsten, whose honesty and cleverness reportedly put off two suitors. Daniel sees past her defenses and curbs his attraction while trying to solve his marital dilemma. A letter proclaiming his wife's death moves his new romance forward, but his family suspects Olivia is perpetuating fraud. Burrowes manages to find new twists on romantic conflicts while adding humor and creating wonderful minor characters. The boys in Daniel's fledgling school serve to pull together the main characters' dilemmas while offering humorous warmth. Burrowes continues her trademark portrayal of frank and loving families in her latest memorable romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)