The Secret Daughter
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4.2 • 23 Ratings
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
When two strangers meet under false pretenses during an idyllic week in the French countryside, they’ll each need to face the truth to find one other again, in a dazzling new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Heiress’s Daughter.
Orphaned Zoë Benoît has spent the last three years in Paris learning how to be a lady. But Zoë is torn—as an independent spirit and a talented artist, she cannot help but want more than the tightly controlled life of a society lady.
On an impulsive visit to the château where her mother lived, Zoë, disguised as a maidservant named Vita, meets a handsome wandering artist, known simply as Reynard. One blissful week with the charming Reynard convinces Zoë that this is the man and the life for her—until she discovers what he’s been hiding from her, and she flees, heartbroken.
Longing for the chance to redeem himself, Reynard searches far and wide for the woman he knows as Vita, to no avail. Disheartened, he returns to England to reluctantly resume his role as Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton. However, when he sees one of Zoë’s paintings, he realizes she’s in London, and becomes desperate to find her before it’s too late. But even if they reunite, can he convince Zoë he’s worthy of her trust and prove to her that, with him, she can be a free-spirited artist and a countess?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gracie closes out her Brides of Bellaire Gardens series (after The Heiress's Daughter) with this bumpy Regency. Artist Zoë Benoît, "an illegitimate, half-French orphan," has just finished a three-year stint in Paris learning how to be a lady so she can make her half sisters proud upon returning to London for her society debut. On her way home, she decides to visit the country estate where her mother was born—only to find the chateau in ruins. Luckily, a roaming painter-for-hire who introduces himself as Reynard offers Zoë—who tells him she's a maid named Vita—a place to stay. They spend a picturesque week together, painting and rescuing a scruffy dog. But when Zoë comes to suspect that Reynard is stealing art from the villagers, her dreams of a future together are dashed. She's shocked when, months later, they meet again in London and she learns that Reynard is really Julian Fox, the Earl of Foxton—and that he's been desperate to find her and profess his love. The characters' backstories are filled in through repetitive exposition, and all the lies and misunderstandings often feel unnecessary. As a result, Zoë comes across as shockingly naive while Julian seems unnecessarily difficult. Gracie neatly ties up other subplots from previous installments, which will please returning fans, but it's hard to get on board with this central couple. It's a disappointing finale.
