Book Review: An Heiress at Heart by Jennifer Delamere

An Heiress at Heart

By Jennifer Delamere

Release Date: October 25, 2012

Source: Author

Summary: A New Beginning

A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she’s finally returning home, but she’s still living a secret life. Her best friend, Ria’s dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . .

A committed clergyman, Geoffrey Somerville’s world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he’s invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother’s young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her façade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love?
Review: I seriously cannot get enough of historical romances, especially during this time of year (somehow the holidays make me want to read about that fantastic era). Needless to say, I could not wait to get into this one! 

The story starts off when Lizzie almost gets run over by two gentlemen on the street. Lizzie was in the middle of contemplating going into the house of her long lost sister Ria (who happens to have just died) and fulfilling her dying wish of taking her place in an upperclass home. Luckily, the men happen to be Ria's cousin and Ria's husband's brother. Lizzie is forced into taking Ria's persona on right away and has to fool everyone into thinking she's the woman who ran away with her then fiance's brother and is only returning because her love has died, leaving her devastated and alone. 

Seems simple enough, right? Well, it is until Lizzie begins to grow closer and closer with Geoffrey, who happens to be the other brother of Ria's deceased husband. Since Ria and Geoffrey are related by marriage and everyone assumes Lizzie is Ria, there is no way they can ever be together. But Geoffrey seems to be the only one who gets the "new" Ria and is one perfect gentleman. That's not the only problem either. People keep on popping up from Lizzie's past who threaten to expose her little charade. Lizzie has to stop this from happening before she loses her new home, family, and budding love. Talk about a crazy life!

While I greatly enjoyed the time this took place, with the balls, courting, walks in the park, and callings, the story ended up being a bit too slow for my taste. There was a lot of talking going on among the characters, so I definitely thing it could have used some more action. Also, some parts seemed to drag by because it was all Lizzie's thoughts or someone else's thoughts. Things definitely could have picked up and if they did, I probably would have enjoyed this one a lot more. I'm happy, though, that the author could take a unique side of a story that seems to be overdone by the way she makes Ria already dead and certain people from Lizzie's life come back into the story. So overall, An Heiress At Heart was a pretty good read, I just wish there was more action and a livelier plot.