Cassandra lives in a cottage with her sisters and little brother. The siblings used to live a decent life with a politician father, until an accident took him away from them. All they were left with was depts and a mother that followed him a couple of years later. The poor siblings led a difficult life in the village, struggling to stay alive and keep paying their taxes to Baron Scudder, who would threaten them with eviction unless Belle, Cassie’s sister agreed to marry him. Belle is a true beauty, but she cannot succumb to his wishes and barry in sorrow. Gladly, Cassandra inherits a title and estate and they are free of his threats and ugly ways. But he will not give up!
As Cassandra moves to the inherited castle and tries to settle the life of hers and her siblings, people of the ton come for a visit as everyone is eager to meet the countess. She is now a promising bride, with all that fortune and a medieval castle in her estate. The Dowager Duchess of Taunton immediately sees her as a worthy match for her son Max, who is a known rogue and rakehell, even though being a duke. Max does not fully comply with the idea of settling down and marrying a woman, but as the story evolves, his feelings for Cassie start to warm.
The story is simple and clear. Two young independant women, trying to keep themselves and their siblings alive. They fall in love and they try not be deceived by people used in scheming. Noble men come forward her and there, trying to win their hearts or have them at any cost.
It is a love story with some steamy hot love scenes that are not appropriate for readers under eighteen years old. The love story is pretty nice and easy going as the whole story.
However, a little re-search would do no harm to the author. You cannot have Jane Austen, doctors being referred to as Physickers and women parades for independance all in the same period of time…