Catch a Falling Heiress
Linnet Holland, an American heiress living in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1889, is so determined to thwart her mother’s plans to marry her to a British peer that she flouts convention and arranges an unchaperoned meeting with an American suitor. When a fortune-hunting earl, Jack Featherstone, interrupts and ruins a perfectly good proposal, Linnet is furious. With her reputation in shreds, Linnet travels to England and hires a marriage broker to arrange a competition for her hand, before rumors of her disgrace reach London. Although Lord Featherstone insists that he be one of the candidates, Linnet vows she will never marry him.
The basic romantic conundrum of this book is intriguing, but the story is burdened by its connections to the previous titles in the “An American Heiress in London” series. The reasons for Jack’s ruination of Linnet, the secrets he keeps from her, and the names of his friends mentioned repeatedly, all limit the development of the hero and heroine’s personalities and weaken the impact of what could have been a top-notch story. Although not as captivating as the author’s previous works, Catch a Falling Heiress is still an entertaining Victorian-era romance that I warmly recommend.
