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True Gentlemen #7

A Lady of True Distinction

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Hawthorne Dorning either finds a way to turn his family’s vast botanical resources into a successful commercial venture, or the estate the Dornings have called home for centuries could be broken up. He loves the land and he’s never shied away from hard work, but he knows nothing about creating perfumes or fragrances.

Margaret Summerfield has put aside her passion for scent-making to tend to the serious business of raising her little nieces. She’s no longer the girl who wandered the countryside by the hour, lost in the pleasures of nature, nor does she want to be. Hawthorne needs her help, but what does he have that could possibly tempt to Margaret to entangle herself with his dreams?

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2019

465 people are currently reading
376 people want to read

About the author

Grace Burrowes

190 books2,914 followers
Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.

It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.

While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")

Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)

To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
Profile Image for Wollstonecrafthomegirl.
473 reviews255 followers
February 6, 2020
This was a pretty classic Grace Burrowes, which is kind of the best thing I can say about it and the worst.

The best because Burrowes is wildly consistent at writing books I want to read. They keep me entertained. They are comforting and familiar like an old cashmere cardigan at the end of a long day. There are always moments of joy in her writing: some cute conversation, funny observation or beautiful description. And there is no one else in the romance industry writing like Grace Burrowes: she is a complete and true original.

Except, of course, for all the other books she’d written. So that’s the worst. I have read this book before. I mean, I haven’t, but I’ve read Daniel's True Desire and A Rogue of Her Own and Nicholas: Lord of Secrets and they’re all pretty damn similar. There are changes in plots and the motivations of characters, but, by and large, the men are always cinnamon roll decent and the woman are reserved and self-possessed and harbouring some secret. There’s horse talk, and food talk, and a moustache twirling villain.

I won’t remember this book or recommend it. It will not stay in my memory with the best of what GB has to offer. But Burrowes is still on my autobuy list.
Profile Image for Jan.
1,100 reviews246 followers
March 17, 2020
3 to 3.5 maybe? I liked it OK, but didn't love it. This one's about another of the Dorning brothers and the girl next door he used to crush on. She married someone else, but is now a widow, and they decide they're interested in each other again.

There was a little too much of the stuff about scents and making perfume etc in the early part of the book. Frankly, I don't have much interest in that. I took quite a long break from the book actually, before recently going back to it and pushing on to the finish.

Overall, the plot was slightly complicated and confusing, with perhaps too many characters. I'm still not sure which of Margaret's girls was which LOL.

So I did finish it, but it's not my fav by this author. I do like the Dorning brothers though, and will continue to read other books in the series.

Pleasant entertainment, but nothing world-shattering.
Profile Image for Susan Gorman.
389 reviews1 follower
May 14, 2019
A Lady of True Distinction is a charming second chance romance set in Dorset, England. The novel is well -paced, the characters are superbly written and the rural setting is perfect. The romance which developed between neighbors Thorne Dorning and Margaret Summerfield captivated me and kept me turning the pages.
Hawthorne Dorning is one of my favorite Grace Burrowes male leads. He is a good, caring man who is liked and respected by everyone in the community. Thorne has assumed the role of land steward of Dorning Hall. He takes his responsibilities seriously. He deals with his older brother, Lord Casriel’s, demands, listens to his younger brothers concerns and works alongside his tenants during planting and haying seasons. The Dornings are the classic example of land rich and cash poor land owners. Casriel has issued an ultimatum to his brothers; they need to make their Father’s botanical inheritance into a thriving business or he will be forced to sell off pieces of the estate.
Margaret Summerfield is a widow who is raising her two young nieces. Margaret’s estate Summerton is thriving. She follows a successful crop rotation plan, visits her tenants and attends the local community events. Margaret was well regarded for her medicinal herbal remedies and perfumes before she married. Thorne is aware of Margret’s knowledge and visits her.
I love Grace Burrowes’ descriptive writing style and her dialogue. Loved when Thorne arranged a picnic dinner with sandwiches, his brother’s favorite chocolates and flowers in Margaret’s bluebell woods. I fell a bit in love with Thorne as he listened to Margaret’s talk about her lonely childhood, tempted her with apple tarts and chocolates and romanced her.
Margaret trusts Thorne enough to confide in him that she believes that her brother-in-law is scheming to take her nieces to the family estate. Bancroft Summerfield’s estate is heavily mortgaged and he needs to marry a wealthy heiress and get control of his niece’s inheritance to avoid bankruptcy.
Hoping to avoid this situation, Thorne and Margaret decide to marry by special license. Bancroft exercises his right as co guardian and the girls are taken to his home for a two week visit. Loved that Thorne and his brothers worked together to bring the girls home. Thorne accepted Margaret’s past actions without hesitation. He truly understands why the girls are so important to her and what she has given up to raise them
The conflict between Margaret and Bancroft kept the plot moving. Loved the scene when Bancroft told Thorne that Margaret killed her first husband and that was the real reason the girls should be raised by him. Bancroft is one of the author’s best villains- a greedy, jealous, bully masquerading as a charming, gentleman farmer. Bancroft’s actions combined with Thorne and Margaret’s romance held my interest throughout the novel. The conclusion has several surprising plot twists and reveals.

A Lady of True Distinction has all the feels—it’s an emotional, deeply romantic story with captivating characters and a fabulous storyline! It’s the perfect romantic read for a rainy weekend-be prepared to spend the afternoon with the Dornings as their story will captivate you from the first page.
.
3,211 reviews67 followers
December 13, 2022
Lovely story with the H admiring the h for rather too long. She's interested but dishonest with him and then she sets expectations about their marriage. I didn't enjoy much of their meandering dialogue, but I liked when he finally stood up to her, and for her. It ended well, pleased I persisted.
Profile Image for Alvina.
413 reviews24 followers
August 22, 2020
Daisy, Grey, Jacaranda, Will, Ash, Hawthorne, Valerian, Oak, Sycamore

I had to list them all out considering this novel was more of a “gathering of the Dornings” transition into future novels than it was a stand-alone secondchance romance. Hawthorne (Thorne) Dorning sounds like a wonderfully reliable brother, but for a book that suggests he’s the lead, we spend very little time with him.

Maybe Burrowes’ long-game is sacrificing a novel to set the stage for many characters? By investing our time in knowing these families, we’re curious about what happens to them regardless of the story. Cause that’s exactly what this was... a boring vehicle to set the stage for the remaining Dorning Brothers.

The heroine fell flat for me. Her personality wasnt enough to keep me on the hook waiting for the Big Secrets reveal. I was utterly bored by her and I kept wondering what made the hero fall for her. The only definitive characteristic I know is that she “smells nice” and she’s some sort of naturopathic paragon. The constant talk about foxglove (aka digoxin) made me think I was reading my medical texts.

She’s wishy washy prior to marriage, she’s wishy washy after marriage, she doesnt tell her nieces that she was married; I find her general lack of communication with her husband unforgivable. She had a terrific victim complex. The governess Fenny had more of a presence than the heroine did. It says a lot that I actually skimmed past all of her and the “villain’s” scenes.

There’s some vague implications that one of the children falls within the spectrum but its not further explored. Which is a theme for this book as a whole. It was supposedly about scent-making but nothing happens with that venture. It was supposed to be about a couple but we only catch glimpses of them between talk about crop rotation, business, and family. The book ends with them taking a nap and by then, I was due for one as well.

An aside, but this is the author writing realistically faulty characters or what, but this is the second book I’ve read which makes Grey seem like a selfish and unworthy ass. I felt bad for the brothers who are all trying their hardest to find vocations and raise money, while the sisters are hardly mentioned. It totally put me off reading Grey’s book at all, I hope someone can comment on that or convince me if it’s worth it.
Profile Image for eyes.2c.
3,112 reviews111 followers
November 14, 2019
So I was quite enamored by this further look into the Dornings. The whole family thing of being named for a plant and how their father's passion virtually ruined the family financially comes into play with what is being proposed. I really like Hawthorne and Margaret Summervield. In fact I'm thinking that I have to do a reread of any of the stories involving the Dornings, plus catchup on those I've missed thus far.
Profile Image for Elodie’s Reading Corner.
2,554 reviews152 followers
August 1, 2019
Yeeehhj finally, I did it!
Mrs Grace Burrowes was the last author in my list for Le Festival du Roman Feminin I haven’t yet read a piece of her work.
She has written so many books, I didn’t know with which one to begin for. So I took the easy road and choose her latest release to date, launched right ten days before the event.
I needed a little time to adjust Mrs Burrowes writing style, I’m no writing style specialist nor language expert but this author’s work was very specific to her name and so different from what I have read so far.
Despite this being the seventh in a series, i never felt lost.
After I turned the last page, I did comprehend all the different layers that composed Margaret ‘s personality, she is utterly loyal and payed her share for her past mistakes but will do anything for those under her care. The last twist surprised me but when I give some thoughts about it, it was ran smoothly by Mrs Burrowes, she distilled the right amount of clues, I do registered them but did not put them together.
Well done!
Hawthorne is probably not the first Dornings sibling who comes to mind but he is the one whom to rely on and so everyone relies on him, he is the quiet hard worker managing everything on the earldom estate, and his last near impossible task unsettles him.
So what began as a journey to help restore his family wealth turned to a pas-de-deux to rescue himself and Margaret.

« “You are the one who works hard, who never complains, who behaves well under all circumstances, who is loyal to his loved ones, and who knows how to kiss a woman so she dreams delightful dreams and stares out of windows, hoping to see you riding over the hill.” »

It was not the usual tale, there was no unnecessary angst nor miscommunication, Hawthorne is a very reliable man, he tells his thoughts and ponders all the ins and outs before acting and once he has made an oath, he won’t bulge. I adored how forthright he is, he does not lie nor hide behind banalities. He tells what he feels and what he hopes.
Bancroft was a ruffian I enjoyed hating him and his dismissal from Margaret’s life was awesomely crafted. I hope to read in the future more about the Dornings siblings, like Valerian and Miss Petter.
Profile Image for Susan.
423 reviews9 followers
May 31, 2019
💙💙💙💙💙Absolutely loved it!
I would give Hawthorne and Margaret 5+ stars. What an awesome couple with a beautiful story! This author’s writing style is one of the best in historical romance, and it draws me in and captivates every time. So many wonderful layers to her amazing characters. I want more, more, more!
Profile Image for Rose Blue.
644 reviews27 followers
May 13, 2019
4.5 stars, as reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-UC

Hawthorne “Thorne” Dorning and Margaret Summerfield fancied each other years ago, but Thorne had no prospects, so he never pursued his attraction. Margaret assumed that Thorne had no interest in her, so she moved on, and eventually married Charles. Today, Thorne still toils as the overworked land steward for his brother, the Earl of Casriel, and has never married. Margaret has been widowed for four years, and lives comfortably on a neighboring estate while acting as co-guardian for her deceased husband’s two orphaned nieces.

Thorne is one of seven brothers, and the earl’s estate is not in a position to support them all. Since the earl is a newlywed, he’s tasked his brothers with coming up with a way to make the estate profitable. Thorne’s late father’s collection of plants gives them the idea of preparing unique perfumes, herbal concoctions, and / or cosmetics. However, while they do have the plants, they don’t have the recipes or knowledge to prepare the products. Knowing that Margaret is somewhat of an expert on that subject, Thorne sets off to visit her and make a business proposition.

Though Margaret still finds that her heart beats a little faster at the sight of Thorne, she’s quick to let him know that she no longer is involved with any herbal or medicinal remedies and can’t help him. Her odious brother-in-law, Bancroft, has put a determined stop to that. He’s also the only demon in her little bit of paradise, as he lets it be known that he will be removing the nieces to his care. As their other co-guardian, he certainly can follow up on that threat. Though he has no love for the girls, he has substantial interest in their fortunes and dowries, which he plans to put to good use once he is in control.

Though turned down by Margaret as to the business proposition, Thorne feels some hope as far as a personal relationship goes. He decides to court Margaret, hoping that his brother’s venture will be successful, and that Casriel will bequeath him a small parcel of land for his own. Thorne has an affinity for children, and is quite willing to welcome the nieces into his household should he and Margaret ever marry.

When Thorne comes courting, Margaret confides her fears that Bancroft is planning to take the nieces away for his own financial gain. Thorne explains that their marriage would be to her benefit, as a married couple with connections to an earl would be thought to provide a better home than a bachelor. With that sound logic, as well as their long time simmering attraction for each other, Margaret and Thorne plan to marry. When they learn that Bancroft appears close to wedding an heiress, they step up their plans and marry immediately by special license.

While Thorne and Margaret enjoy a warm and satisfying physical relationship, they have many hurdles to overcome. They never came to an agreement where they would live, and each assumed the other would move into their home. Margaret is still unwilling to provide her recipes, which Thorne needs to make a successful go of his brother’s project. Bancroft has confiscated the nieces, hoping to convince his heiress that he’s a loving family man. And Margaret is still holding on to two very large secrets…

Thorne is truly the stuff heroes are made of – he instantly takes on Margaret’s battles as his own. He is so overwhelmed with his own work, yet he makes time for Margaret and the girls. When Bancroft appears to have won the war, he brings his brothers into the fight, ready to take any action necessary to bring the girls home, put the greedy man in his place, and save the quite likeable heiress from making a dreadful matrimonial mistake. His acceptance of Margaret’s past actions, as well as his not judging her for them makes me wish there were more men like him in the world.

Though their happy ending was a long time coming, Thorne and Margaret find that their genuine regard rapidly develops into love, one that I believe will last through the years. A LADY OF DISTINCTION is warm, interesting, and satisfying. The characters are fully developed, as I’ve come to expect in a book from Grace Burrowes, and I recommend it highly, especially for those who enjoy a character driven romance with plenty of heart.
Profile Image for Amary Chapman.
1,665 reviews27 followers
May 6, 2019
True Gentlemen #7
Another gem in Ms. Burrowes collection of historical romances.
Hawthorne 'Thorne' missed a chance with Miss Margaret Mallory, the young lady he adored in his youth.....or has he received a second chance? 'Thorne' is a perfect gentleman, hard working, loving and respectful.
Margaret was drawn to 'Thorne' as a young girl, but didn't believe she had a chance and moved on.
Fast forward a few years and circumstances allow for a second chance for both to find their HEA, but first they have to work through some difficulties together
Together they overcome the obstacles to their happiness and with the help of his brothers, they deal with her brother- in-law, the black spot in her life.
Ms. Burrowes writes about characters one would love to have in their life. Men of honor and women who care deeply about what's important, with descriptions of characters and their surroundings that come alive. I read it over a weekend, quickly turning the pages to see what happened next....but the end came before I was ready...as so often happens when I read her books.
I requested and received an ARC to peruse. I am free to offer my opinion or not as I choose and I choose to recommend it highly for any romance reader, but with particular interest to those who lean to historicals.
Profile Image for Gail.
Author 25 books216 followers
March 15, 2023
Sweet story about a widow with custody of her twin nieces and the younger brother of an earl (one of nine siblings altogether) who has been left in the country to manage his brother's property and figure out how to start up a family botanical perfume and lotions company, even though he and the rest of the brothers have no clue how to do anything from concocting to marketing. The widow does know perfumes, and the brother heads over to visit with aims of prying some of those recipes from her. They rather liked each other as teens, but it never went anywhere and then she married, and was widowed... And now things are complicated. It's a lovely romance, with a dastardly villain and lots of allies. I liked it a lot. Good read.
Profile Image for Kiki Z.
1,093 reviews54 followers
February 1, 2020
I mean, all of Burrowes's books have basically the same plot line but this was sweet.
Profile Image for Shirley.
707 reviews2 followers
June 16, 2025
Not my favorite Dorning brother but a fun book. I like that it sets up several future books but I need more Ash and Cam!
Profile Image for piranha.
366 reviews15 followers
October 27, 2023
Better in some respects than much of what I've read by Burrowes, but not actually worth remembering or re-reading.

Hawthorne is like all of her men, near-perfect, except he's a more subdued version, and IMO he's actually too passive -- he's had his eye on Margaret for years, and has occasionally contrived to engage in business deals with her, but has felt his tendre wasn't reciprocated, and so just let it go. How could he possibly know that? He never even gives her a hint, and considering the time, that onus was squarely on him. It made the impression that his feelings didn't go very deep. But it sort of fits his general personality, he also never gives his older Brother Grey, the title holder, or his younger brothers any hint that he's feeling just a tad used, until a proverbial straw breaks the camel's back. Who knows whether that straw hadn't just piled on top of all the others without him having to choose one or the other in that moment (that was well done, the dilemma, his vacillation, and the final choice).

Now that I think about it, that's actually a more nuanced characterization than we normally get for Burrowes' men, and I appreciate that. Except that a passive hero and a passive heroine need external events to push them around and I don't find that as satisfying as internal character growth.

Margaret isn't the type to encourage a man who never makes it clear he has a tendre for her, even though she spent much of her school days daydreaming about him. I like her better than most Burrowes heroines because she doesn't turn into a complete ninny after half the book. She is also kind of subdued, quiet and easily convinced to hide rather than fight for herself, but she is competent and remains so. While I generally would prefer my Regencies not to have any sex, she takes to sex without being missish, and, if anything, takes charge of her and Thorne's happy copulating. It's not particularly steamy, which is fine by me, but I appreciate that there is one thing where she actually initiates. Margaret has a deep, dark secret (don't they all), but for once there's a good reason to keep it secret, and equally unexpectedly, Burrowes doesn't make a huge deal out of it, and one could conceivably miss the hints altogether. Angst over it doesn't threaten or delay the marriage. I have a quibble in that I dislike it when people get married without disclosing secrets that might be a deal breaker, and it bothers me that Margaret doesn't even seem to consider it, but judging by Thorne's acceptance of other things that would be a problem for many, one could argue that it wouldn't be a deal breaker for him. Meh. Yeah it soured me a little on Margaret, but the times were hard for women.

The villain was, as always, very nasty and uni-dimensional. I prefer villains to have more depth.

I was hoping there'd have been a bit more progress about the botanical enterprise Grey pushed on his brothers, which I thought was a brilliant idea, and it was equally satisfying to see how a brilliant idea doesn't get you very far unless you have some idea of how to execute it. But I can see that the drama about the girl children was more attractive to write than the newlyweds being busy getting the business off the ground. I dunno. Maybe less of foxglove/digitalis? Reading the author notes made it clear that Burrowes got struck by the disease authors often succumb to -- research is fun, and why not cram all that into the book, surely we all will care? No, we won't, :wry grin:. I'd have been happier with some crafting of scents for the business, but while Burrowes really seems to like mentioning more or less unique scent combinations as something her characters notice in every book, I never got the feeling she actually got absorbed by any research on perfumery. Oh well. I am sure if I got my scents, other readers would be yawning. Though it isn't really all about less foxglove more scents, it's about progress on the business which the Dorning family needs rather badly in a financial sense.

Anyway. A solid if subdued 3 stars. I never wanted to throw the book against the wall!
Profile Image for Christine.
1,889 reviews
June 22, 2020
I’m SO done with all those Dornings......

Hawthorne (Thorne) is a dutiful brother and a diligent steward to his brother’s estate. He also trying to find a way to establish the perfume business that his siblings have agreed will bring prosperity to the family’s failing fortunes. When he visits his neighbor of long acquaintance, Margaret Summerton, to see if she’d be willing to help, he remembers why he’s tried to forget her....she’s even more delightful. But she’s a widow now, and guardian to two young nieces, so surely she wouldn’t be interested in something more...would she?

Indeed she is!!! Margaret remembers Thorne, and while she refuses to help him with setting up the business, she immediately sees a man she could rely on to help with her villainous brother-in-law, as well as a man who would be great in bed. However, even as she and Thorne grow closer, Margaret is reluctant to share the dark truths from her past, certain that Thorne will leave her. Can they find a way forward to a future together?

As noted above...I’m mostly tired of these guys and their problems, which they’ve mostly dumped on Thorne. At least eventually he grows a backbone and pushes back on his oblivious brothers who can’t seem to manage anything themselves.

I’m not a huge fan of Margaret’s. She seems way too invested in what Thorne can do for her, rather than what she can do for him.

But despite the characters, there’s still Burrowes’s great writing. So three stars.
Profile Image for N.W. Moors.
Author 12 books159 followers
June 4, 2019
Hawthorne Dorning runs his brother's estate and must also oversee his younger brothers still at home while also setting up a new business using the botanicals grown on their land. He goes to neighbor Margaret Summerfield who seems to have an excellent grasp on scents and herbals. Both Margaret and Thorne have had a longtime secret crush on the other, but circumstances intervened in their relationship. Now they have a chance to redeem their past.
Having read all of Ms. Burrowes works, I appreciate her understated style. Her villains are unlikeable but not caricatures. Her heroes and heroines are people who are dealing with everyday problems and finding their way forward as best they can. No one swoops in to save them; they must solve their own issues and they do in a practical manner while never losing the romance. Thorne and Margaret are wonderful here, and the reader roots for them all the way through the book. They exemplify the best of Ms. Burrowes protagonists.
I really enjoyed the book. The Dorning family have provided rich stories and I look forward to the tales of the rest of the family.
Profile Image for Erin.
985 reviews18 followers
September 10, 2019
Another sweet entry in Grace Burrowes's True Gentlemen series. This book focuses on middle brother Hawthorne Dorning, who has been charged by eldest Grey to make a successful commercial venture out of the family estate's vast botanical reserves. He attempts to enlist his widowed neighbor, Margaret Summerfield, into helping him develop recipes for perfumes, soaps, etc., to sell in London. Margaret is busy raising her orphaned nieces, fending off an interfering in-law, and definitely not noticing how handsome and appealing Thorne is. She also guards secrets that make her reluctant to help.

The characters in a Burrowes novel usually fall in love without too much angst, and this is no exception. The drama is not in will-they-or-won't-they, but in external adversity that they must face together. Love in Burrowesland is genteel and warm and comforting, usually surrounded by a boisterous and loyal family.

I found the fledgling botanical business portions of the book a bit slow and distracting. But otherwise this was a charming read, and I look forward to seeing the other brothers get their happy endings, too.
Profile Image for Michelle.
28 reviews
February 21, 2020
This is the first story of GB's in which I felt like the side-happenings (the snippets in which we check in with the secondary characters and get glimpses into the plot outside and interwoven into that of our main Hero and Heroine) seemed to detract or maybe distract me from the romance. I loved Thorne and Margaret- I loved how it was a story of loved from afar, turned into marriage of convenience and also just a plain old OMG they love each other YAY! I always enjoy GB's way of giving hints and interconnecting all of the plot points, and characters in a way that makes sense. But with this one it was off putting. Maybe it was where the cuts were made, or the length of the cuts...I don't know.
I do know that I found myself eager to read about Valerian and Emily (which I saw coming a mile away and didn't care AT ALL) and am, yeah, just gonna go BUY THAT BOOK RN.

Anyway, this was lovely. As a fan of GB I adored it. As a big ol' fan of the Dorning boys and girls I'm happy. just felt a bit more disconnected than I had in previous books.
Profile Image for Jan.
557 reviews8 followers
May 28, 2019
Here are some of the reasons I am Grace Burrowes’ Number One Fan:

*She respects me as a reader—-there are no typos or missing words or misplaced ‘to’ or ‘and’ which means she uses an EDITOR. I wish other authors would avail themselves of one.

*She knows where her characters are and what they’re doing—-no one is suddenly in another room, or standing or sitting somewhere else without an explanation.

*Her characters are believable and yet the stories are set 200 years ago....some folks can’t get that right with books set in 2019.

*Grace Burrowes creates characters that ALLOW you to like them even if they’re not exactly Ms. or Mr. Wonderful. In fact, some of her best books are about prickly, arrogant, sad or rather unlikeable men and women.

*Grace Burrowes is at the top of her game, swinging for the fences, lighting up the scoreboard and whatever other sports analogies you’d like to use.

If you like historical romance, and you haven’t read GB, please try one!
Profile Image for Cherie.
1,153 reviews21 followers
March 22, 2020
I have to give five stars since I couldn't stop reading. Could be I just didn't want to tackle my to-do list but that is not true if I'm not enjoying a story.

Here are some highlights that spurred me to highlight:

"Children, to the parapets! We have lessons to learn and battles to wage with the forces of ignorance!"

Margaret had a spark about her not of wildness but of wilderness.

I hope my kisses are flavored with joy.

...probably underestimates you, but that doesn't mean you have to underestimate yourself.

...so much of what we call commerce is in truth deception wrapped up in pretty advertisements.

**********

My other love of Grace Burrowes books is the influx to my vocabulary: parturition = the action of giving birth.

There you have it, another five star book from Grace Burrowes.

March 2020: Forgot how much I enjoyed this story.
14 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2019
Poignant and Extremely Satisfying

Grace Burrowes has done it again -written a book that tugs at your heartstrings.

I got so caught up reading this novel that I would frequently forget I was reading fiction.
The plot, characters were so real you will feel as if you were eavesdropping.

The hero is so deliciously alpha without being obnoxious. Being obnoxious is reserved for the villain.
And the heroine is no simperring female that needs a man to save her and solve all her problems.

The villain is a bully but like all bullies will cave in and karma will strike again.

Even though the children aren't perfectly behaved at times, they are perfectly charming.

In conclusion, don't start reading this book before you go to bed, you will be up too late.



356 reviews
June 28, 2019
I really liked these characters, the hero and heroine, Throne and Margaret, were very sweet. However, they didn't always think things through, like rushing into marriage without even discussing where they were going to live. The story meandered a bit in the middle, and we never did get to see them set up the herbal business, which is a shame, because it would have been interesting to see them working together to create a business. One thing that was nice was how comfortable they both were with sex, the sex scenes were vague and not super descriptive, but it was nice seeing two adults enjoy each other and not have any hang ups about sex, which can be common in other romances. Overall, a pleasant read, if a bit unfocused at times.
442 reviews
July 11, 2019

Hawthorne Dorning either finds a way to turn his family’s vast botanical resources into a successful commercial venture, or the estate the Dornings have called home for centuries could be broken up. He loves the land and he’s never shied away from hard work, but he knows nothing about creating perfumes or fragrances.


Margaret Summerfield has put aside her passion for scent-making to tend to the serious business of raising her little nieces. She’s no longer the girl who wandered the countryside by the hour, lost in the pleasures of nature, nor does she want to be. Hawthorne needs her help, but what does he have that could possibly tempt to Margaret to entangle herself with his dreams?
**

301 reviews20 followers
December 3, 2019
Another great entry in the series. Enjoyed watching these two characters come together and make a success of both their lives and their business enterprises. Hawthorne Dorning is charged with making their estate prosperous by using their botanical bounty, he is the one everyone else in the family relies on to be steady. However, he knows nothing about making their product different enough that the 'ton' will buy it. Margaret Summerfield is a widow, in charge of her two nieces and their inheritances, and trying very hard to keep both the girls and their money from an obnoxious brother-in-law. Thorne and Margaret have a history, being neighbors for many years, and also have hidden desires for each other. They strike a deal to work together and in the process, a happily-ever-after for all.
Profile Image for Karen A. Wyle.
Author 26 books232 followers
January 29, 2021
As usual, I enjoyed this Grace Burrowes romance. I particularly liked the book's exploration of the gradual, and not always trouble-free, process by which two people get to know each other, before and after marriage. There's a particularly detestable antagonist, as to which I had mixed feelings -- one loves to hate him (though his schemes generated a little more suspense than I, a suspense wimp, found comfortable), but ideally there would be a little more complexity in his makeup. Burrowes does, at least, drop some hints as to the drawbacks of his upbringing, though it's hard to tell if his recollections are anything close to reliable.

I was also pleased that the family dynamics in the Dorning clan are complicated, and not unduly static.
Profile Image for TLynn.
1,467 reviews17 followers
May 14, 2019

This is the seventh book in the True Gentlemen series, but can be read as a standalone book. It was the first book I have read in the series and was just as wonderful as all of Grace Burrowes’s books! It was so well written and easy to read. Once I started to read the book, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were so sweet and enjoyable to read about. There were several obstacles (guardianship of children, family projects, etc) they had to overcome to have their HEA and in the end it worked out so well. I would highly recommend this book.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Profile Image for Angela.
128 reviews1 follower
July 27, 2019
As can be expected from Grace Burrowes, another well-written book. There's something about the dialogue she writes that so perfectly captures the characters' personalities. Hawthorne is incredibly likable, he's kind, hard-working and gentlemanly. The other Dorning brothers make for really strong secondary characters, and it's sweet to see the siblings interact. Margaret was a leading lady that I was surprisingly neutral towards. She's clearly intelligent and good, but I didn't feel strong empathy for her. I can't pinpoint exactly why, though! Overall, despite my neutrality to Margaret, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Profile Image for Marianne.
2,730 reviews
May 26, 2019
My rating is probably 3.5 stars, and I've decided, after some debate, to round up. I liked Margaret and Thorne, I liked that they kind of had a past, and that things were not easily resolved as soon as they were married. I also really liked seeing Casriel and his actions from the other side, so to speak. Finally, Miss Pepper was lovely (I'm glad things worked out the way they did) and I very much enjoyed the confrontation with the villain. I believe Ash's story is in the works, but I wouldn't say no to reading about Oak or Valerian next.
Profile Image for Pj Wright.
117 reviews1 follower
August 19, 2019
I have great enjoyment reading Grace Burrowes novels. There is always a richness of scene as well as depth of devotion in each well written character. I look for the continuation of the family members introduced in each new book. Each book stands alone. but I have a fondness for the families she creates and I want to read more. I highly recommend historical romance, it never fails to please. Rereading Grace Burrowes novels keeps me happy. The fact that she has a steady supply of new work is also very appealing. I highly recommend.
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