The Countess

The Matchmaker #1

by Lisa Doughty

Lady Cordelia began life abandoned by her father, the Earl of Swanstone, to the Fountain Abbey School for girls after her mother died in childbirth. Cold, detached and heartless, her father never visited his daughter until she became of age, then arranged her marriage, or rather sold her to Lord Harvey Cromwell, Earl of Middleton Park. Cromwell was 30 years her senior, infected with the French disease was practically destitute thanks to the escapades of his former and now deceased wife. To make matters worse, the earl practiced disturbing sexual proclivities which he forced on his young wife. Cordelia, being innocent yet sharp, was forced to endure her circumstance and finds a way to survive. However, the encounters with the earl leave her scarred for life, distrusting of all men and their treatment of her. When the earl finally succumbs to his illness, she becomes the tenth Countess of Middleton Park at the tender age of nineteen and vows never to belong to a man ever again.Left in debt and with a crumbling estate, Cordelia uses the only thing of value left to her by the late earl, her position and her connections. Out of necessity she begins a matchmaking service that caters to nobility, far and near. Clever and shrewd, she joins forces with London’s most sought-after designer Rodrigo, who creates the most exquisite and unique fashions for the debutants in her service. The transformation of her clients is incredible and soon becomes her calling card. That, paired with her uncanny ability to match her clients to the members of the exclusive Ton, soon makes her services a lucrative commodity. For the young, beautiful, and unobtainable Countess this means independence and freedom, and she finally feels as if her life is her own. Until she encounters Lord Rhys Drayson, Marquess of Roth. For the first time, Cordelia is taken aback by his handsome face and undeniable charisma. Lord Roth has a well-publicized reputation of being a rake and a womanizer, so Cordelia quickly decides to rid herself of the arrogant lord, who solicits her services at the insistence of his sister Lady Esme Drayson. Unable to escape the Marquess and the undeniable attraction between them, Cordelia soon starts to buckle under the rake’s attentions. As her defenses fall, so does her resolve to never give her heart to a man. Until the night his past follows him to her doorstep and threatens to shatter her heart into a million pieces, despite the undeniable love building between them.

Genres: Historical, Romance

432 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2019

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cordelia was left to be raised at a convent, the Fountain Abbey School after her mother died in childbirth. Her father, The Earl of Swanstone pays for her board, but is otherwise unattached to Cordelia until she is old enough to be married off for her father's profit. When Cordelia's father does marry her off, it is to the elderly Earl of Middleton Park, Lord Cromwell. Cromwell is suffering from syphilis and threatens to give Cordelia the disease if she does not do as he says. After Cromwell dies, Cordelia is left with the title of Countess and a strong aversion to men, but little else. Through her years of enduring the Earl and getting to know the ton, Cordelia has found a talent for seeing people who they really are and who they would fit best with. Along with her partners, Emelia and Rodrigo, Cordelia turns her past struggles into a profitable matchmaking business for the nobility. After years of matching others, Cordelia still prefers to be alone; however, Lord Rhys Drayson, the brother of one of her clients will challenge Cordelia's views on men, relationships and her sexual desires.

The Countess is an erotic regency romance. This is exactly what I was expecting for this book, so it was a little bit of a shock for me. I did immediately feel a connection to Cordelia's character, she is level headed and tries to find the good in her situation. Cordelia's inner strength constantly shines through. Several time hops happen in the book that made me feel like important moments were missed in Cordelia's growth. For example, the story begins with Cordelia at the Convent and then we jump three years forward to where Cordelia's father marries her to the Earl, another two years to when the Earl dies and then yet another two years till when Cordelia is established in her matchmaking business. Within these time hops there are great characters that are introduced who are never seen again. There is also a lot of growth on Cordelia's end that must be assumed instead of seen. I think there was a real missed opportunity in the last time hop to see Cordelia grow in confidence and character as she struck out on her own and began her own matchmaking business. Once Rhys enters the picture, the heat index rises quickly, if you like regency romance with a lot of steam, the last half of the book will keep you warm and tingly. Cordelia and Rhys' relationship became hot and heavy very quickly with talk of love after two days. I do wish the tones of the relationship weren't forceful on Rhys' part, however I am happy with how everything turned out for Cordelia.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.