I didn't finish this book. It just seemed to be slow moving. The heroine seems catty and too self-assured for the time period.

Grade: B+/4.5 stars

A Lady in Need of an Heir sees author Louise Allen skilfully gender-flipping the frequently used trope of a man needing to marry in order to produce an heir. In this story, a successful, independent businesswoman, whose family has been making wine and port in the Douro Valley for generations, is unwilling to cede control of her family legacy to a husband and has to find an alternative means to preserve it.

Nathaniel Graystone, Earl of Leybourne, has finally bowed to the pressure (read: constant nagging) of his godmother to travel to Portugal in order to persuade her niece to return to England, make a good marriage and settle down. Gabrielle Frost is a single lady of aristocratic lineage with no immediate family and should certainly not be living on her own and running a business – it’s just not done. Gray – a former soldier who knows the area well from his time spent with the English army during the Penisular War – quickly realises that the task his godmother has set isn’t going to be as easy as he had initially thought, because Miss Frost is clearly clever, determined and knows her own mind. It’s obvious that she has a very firm grasp of her business and very strong attachment to the Quinta do Falcão, which has been in her family for generations.

Gaby knows full well that her aunt is aiming to wed her to her foppish cousin George, which, Gray has to admit, would be a terrible match. Still, he is dead set against her remaining in Portugal on her own, no matter that he can see how capable and strong-minded she is. But over the next few days, as he begins to fully appreciate what the business means to Gaby and to see how skilfully she runs it, he starts to change his opinions somewhat.

Gaby loves the work she does and is justifiably proud of her accomplishments. Unfortunately however, the death of her younger brother during the recent war has left her with no one to pass Frost’s on to when the time comes; she has no close relatives and the idea of one day selling the business to a stranger is not one she relishes. Equally, the idea of marrying in order to produce an heir is abhorrent and would mean losing all control over the business; the law states that “By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law: that is the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage.” And she is certainly not going to risk putting Frost’s into the hands of a man who could sell it off on a whim or run it into the ground.

After a slightly awkward misunderstanding with a close neighbour, Gaby decides that perhaps a visit to London for a couple of months might be a good idea. She can make it clear to her aunt that she has no intention of marrying George – or anyone – and perhaps it will give her the opportunity to carry out the daring scheme she has concocted. The only way to preserve Frost’s legacy will be to conceive a child without marriage – but it must appear as though she’s been married and widowed when she returns to Portugal, so that the child will not bear the stain of illegitimacy. Of course, the man she chooses must be discreet, and then agree to vanish from her life and have no contact with her or their child ever again.

She recognises from the outset that this will be far from an easy task, but is sure it’s the only way to secure Frost’s for future generations. And her growing feelings for Gray – and his for her – are adding layers of complication to an already difficult situation. Gaby immediately rules out the idea of asking Gray to father her child; using him in that way would be unfair, and the idea of marriage is equally impossible. Even if Gray had not made clear his disinclination to marry again, he has responsibilities that require his continued presence in England, while Gaby’s home and work is in Portugal, making a future together an impossible dream for both of them.

Ms. Allen does an extremely good job with her characterisation of Gaby as an independent woman of good sense with a mind and opinions of her own. Even better, the setting and the links that have existed between England and Portugal since the fourteenth century make Gaby’s situation an extremely plausible one that requires no mental gymnastics on the part of the reader to accept. The scenes in which we witness Gaby’s knowledge of her estate and the business of wine and port production add interest and colour to the story (without bogging it down), and I really appreciated the presence of a strong heroine who doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone, or prove herself by making others look weak. Gaby knows who she is and is comfortable in her own skin.

Gray is an admirable hero with a similar sense of self and aura of competence that are very attractive. His gradually dawning respect for Gaby is well done and I liked that, even when he doesn’t agree with her living alone and working for her living, he can appreciate her skill and understand the reasons behind her reluctance to marry. The attraction between the couple does spring up a little quickly perhaps, but there is plenty of chemistry between them and the author takes the time to develop their relationship before they do more than exchange a few heated kisses. One of the most satisfying things about this romance is the honesty between Gray and Gaby. There is a misunderstanding near the end, which serves to inject a bit of uncertainty into the latter part of the story, but for most of the book, the two communicate well, and don’t shy away from telling each other the truth, even when that truth is difficult to face. The one false note struck is in the backstory of Gray’s unhappy first marriage, which he seems to have been given in order to provide Reasons for his reluctance to remarry; but once he’s fallen for Gaby, he realises he’s crashed through that roadblock, so I had to wonder why the author had chosen to include it in the first place.

That’s the only thing that didn’t really work for me in A Lady in Need of an Heir, which is otherwise a refreshingly different historical romance and one I’m happy to recommend to others.

A Lady in Need of an Heir
by Louise Allen

A enjoyable leisure read. I was really unsure what to expect from this read but am very happy with what it turned out to be. This is an author that is known to me by her works previously. I have always enjoyed her stories and way of writing. So for this one, I had some expectations and was happy to say they were met and exceeded. The only down side on this book was a little too much game between the characters. From one continent to the other the characters are strong and interesting. I thought the story line was a little unique in this one. I found from page one I actually enjoyed it enough to read it in one sitting. So if you want a good book that will hold your attention and just be nice to relax with then you need to buy this one. I was given this arc via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Regards, Anna

When I read the title of Louise Allen’s A Lady In Need Of An Heir, I immediately thought of Cecilia Grant’s incomparable A Lady Awakened. And, of course, reading Allen’s effort, I couldn’t help but compare it to Grant’s. At first, I thought it would be too similar and prepared to be disappointed, harbored a certain peevishness at Allen for copying Grant’s idea. I was happy to discover that Grant’s Lady and Allen’s are two different animals. Allen wrote her own story; I just didn’t like it very much. It was smoothly written, researched, considered, an attempt was made at thematic richness, a feminist message was conveyed without betraying the historical realities. It was rich in stuff. It was a romance that Allen obviously worked carefully and hard on. Still. I was, at least initially, deceived into a false sense of reader-enthusiasm. Allen’s Lady had a promising opening: atmospheric, a compelling premise. In the fall of 1815, former Colonel Nathaniel Graystone, Earl of Leybourne, from hereon referrred to as “Gray,” arrives in Portugal’s Douro Valley at his godmother’s, Lady Orford’s, behest. As his barge moors at the port-producing estate of Quinta do Falcão, Gray is beset by memories of the Peninsular War. I thought, “oh, wounded warrior, this could be good … ” (Alas, this aspect of the novel wasn’t dropped. A romance red herring I do not like.)

Gray sees a beautiful woman on shore, dressed in red, lithe, interesting, mysterious. It’s our heroine, the “lady in need of an heir” and estate proprietor, Gabrielle “Gaby” Frost, her family’s sole survivor. Allen’s opening is evocative; her characters, it is soon evident, are at cross purposes, yet there is attraction there, later, liking, affection, and friendship.

Gray’s mission is to return Gaby to England where, his godmother, her Aunt Henrietta, the aforementioned Lady Orford, will introduce her to society and arrange a good marriage. But Gaby is a wealthy, independent woman, one who does not intend to give up her beloved legacy. Gray is an annoyance who must be borne and quickly sent packing … if not for their attraction and liking. Initially, I liked Gray and sympathized with Gaby. Gray was ruefully droll, polite, kind, and gentlemanly. Gaby was intelligent, committed, and truly conveyed her love of the land, her responsibility towards the people who worked it with her, and exhibited a refreshing for a histrom heroine astute business sense.

As a woman working in a man’s world, Gaby’s dilemma is real. There are neighbouring families who machinate to ensnare her for their sons. There’s Gray, though respectful, who cannot fathom why a woman would choose land and work over marriage and family. Gaby can work with and through all this were it not for the question of what will she do to ensure Quinta do Falcão’s existence beyond her life-time. Hence, her idea that she satisfy godmama and Gray by returning to England where she can pretend marriage, have an appropriate man impregnate her, and return to Portugal with a child she can leave the quinta to.

What’s a gal to do? I understood Gaby’s quandary and, outlandish as her solution was, it made sense given who she was, where, and especially when. What didn’t make sense and why, in the end, the romance didn’t work was in how two intelligent people soon became very very stupid. The novel, especially once Gray and Gaby are in London, meandered in all manner of way, was made up of several narrative threads, past and present, that came together in clunky ways. Moreover, the solution to Gaby’s predicament and Gray’s loneliness and sense of post-war uprootedness would be for two people who care about one another and understand each other’s needs to, duh, marry. When Gray’s and Gaby’s realizations finally came about, I’d already spent the brunt of the reading eye-rolling and yelling at them in my head, “Get married already!”

Past the initial commendable opening, the narrative and the hero and heroine exhibited a peculiar pace: languid and lazy as the Douro, then frenzied and staccato. I think Allen was trying to show us how falling in love, having all these strange, new, unruly feelings can make people behave irrationally. Unfortunately, rather than showing us the characters develop in this way, Allen spent too much time in their heads, having them tell us what they were feeling and thinking. This made for a static narrative and I have to admit, I didn’t like it. It was boring. I never drew close to Gray or Gaby and that’s largely because Allen didn’t allow them to breathe and become three-dimensional. All that head-space and telling … tut tut went the reviewer in me. In the end, I dragged my reader-self to the end with a sigh of relief instead of reader-satiation. I can respect what Allen was trying to do in A Lady In Need Of An Heir, but couldn’t enjoy it. With Miss Austen, we say that Allen’s Lady offers “tolerable comfort,” Mansfield Park.

Louise Allen’s A Lady In Need Of an Heir is published by Harlequin Books. It released today, August 21st, and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Harlequin Books, via Netgalley.

Nathaniel (Gray) Graystone, 28, Earl of Leybourne, is visiting Portugal. He remembers how it was during the war when he fought here as a Colonel.

He has arrived at Quinto de Falcao which is a port wine making estate. There he is greeted by Miss Gabrielle (Gaby) Frost, 25, and her companion, Miss Jane Moseley. Gaby is not happy at Gray’s arrival. She knows he has been sent by her aunt and his godmother, a woman who can be quite abrupt and bossy. Gaby is the last of the Frost family and with her brother lost in the war, has no one to leave the Quinto to. Her aunt wants Gaby to leave the Quinto, go to England for a season, and find a man to marry.

Gray is a widower with 5-year-old twins and is not interested in getting married again.

Gaby would like to have a child to whom she can leave the Quinto but does not want to marry and have to be under her husband’s jurisdiction.

After a few days spent at the Quinto, Gray gains an appreciation for the estate and for the excellent Port that Gaby is producing. As the harvest has just been completed, Gray convinces Gaby and her companion to accompany him to London. There, against her aunt’s wishes, she decides to rent her own house for a couple of months to enjoy the season and the sights of London.

A beautiful woman, Gaby is very popular and as he has promised to chaperone her, Gray is drawn to her despite his vow to never marry again. Will their times together spark into something more and convince them to change their minds about marriage?

The descriptions of the places in Portugal and of the soirees in London are the saving grace of this book for me. I found the cat and mouse games between Gaby and Gray to be a bit overdone and wearisome at times, but I'm sure that readers will enjoy their story.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Lady in Need of an Heir sees author Louise Allen skilfully gender-flipping the frequently used trope of a man needing to marry in order to produce an heir.  In this story, a successful, independent businesswoman, whose family has been making wine and port in the Douro Valley for generations, is unwilling to cede control of her family legacy to a husband and has to find an alternative means to preserve it.

Nathaniel Graystone,  Earl of Leybourne, has finally bowed to the pressure (read: constant nagging) of his godmother to travel to Portugal in order to persuade her niece to return to England, make a good marriage and settle down.  Gabrielle Frost is a single lady of aristocratic lineage with no immediate family and should certainly not be living on her own and running a business – it’s just not done.  Gray – a former soldier who knows the area well from his time spent with the English army during the Penisular War - quickly realises that the task his godmother has set isn’t going to be as easy as he had initially thought, because Miss Frost is clearly clever, determined and knows her own mind.  It’s obvious that she has a very firm grasp of her business and very strong attachment to the Quinta do Falcão, which has been in her family for generations.

Gaby knows full well that her aunt is aiming to wed her to her foppish cousin George, which, Gray has to admit, would be a terrible match. Still, he is dead set against her remaining in Portugal on her own, no matter that he can see how capable and strong-minded she is. But over the next few days, as he begins to fully appreciate what the business means to Gaby and to see how skilfully she runs it, he starts to change his opinions somewhat.

Gaby loves the work she does and is justifiably proud of her accomplishments.  Unfortunately however, the death of her younger brother during the recent war has left her with no one to pass Frost’s on to when the time comes; she has no close relatives and the idea of one day selling the business to a stranger is not one she relishes.  Equally, the idea of marrying in order to produce an heir is abhorrent and would mean losing all control over the business; the law states that “By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law: that is the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage.”  And she is certainly not going to risk putting Frost’s into the hands of a man who could sell it off on a whim or run it into the ground.

After a slightly awkward misunderstanding with a close neighbour, Gaby decides that perhaps a visit to London for a couple of months might be a good idea.  She can make it clear to her aunt that she has no intention of marrying George – or anyone – and perhaps it will give her the opportunity to carry out the daring scheme she has concocted.  The only way to preserve Frost’s legacy will be to conceive a child without marriage - but it must appear as though she’s been married and widowed when she returns to Portugal, so that the child will not bear the stain of illegitimacy.  Of course, the man she chooses must be discreet, and then agree to vanish from her life and have no contact with her or their child ever again.

She recognises from the outset that this will be far from an easy task, but is sure it’s the only way to secure Frost’s for future generations.  And her growing feelings for Gray – and his for her - are adding layers of complication to an already difficult situation. Gaby immediately rules out the idea of asking Gray to father her child; using him in that way would be unfair, and the idea of marriage is equally impossible.  Even if Gray had not made clear his disinclination to marry again, he has responsibilities that require his continued presence in England, while Gaby’s home and work is in Portugal, making a future together an impossible dream for both of them.

Ms. Allen does an extremely good job with her characterisation of Gaby as an independent woman of good sense with a mind and opinions of her own.  Even better, the setting and the links that have existed between England and Portugal since the fourteenth century make Gaby’s situation an extremely plausible one that requires no mental gymnastics on the part of the reader to accept.  The scenes in which we witness Gaby’s knowledge of her estate and the business of wine and port production add interest and colour to the story (without bogging it down), and I really appreciated the presence of a strong heroine who doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone, or prove herself by making others look weak.  Gaby knows who she is and is comfortable in her own skin.

Gray is an admirable hero with a similar sense of self and aura of competence that are very attractive.  His gradually dawning respect for Gaby is well done and I liked that, even when he doesn’t agree with her living alone and working for her living, he can appreciate her skill and understand the reasons behind her reluctance to marry.  The attraction between the couple does spring up a little quickly perhaps, but there is plenty of chemistry between them and the author takes the time to develop their relationship before they do more than exchange a few heated kisses.  One of the most satisfying things about this romance is the honesty between Gray and Gaby.  There is a misunderstanding near the end, which serves to inject a bit of uncertainty into the latter part of the story, but for most of the book, the two communicate well, and don’t shy away from telling each other the truth, even when that truth is difficult to face.  The one false note struck is in the backstory of Gray’s unhappy first marriage, which he seems to have been given in order to provide Reasons for his reluctance to remarry; but once he’s fallen for Gaby, he realises he’s crashed through that roadblock, so I had to wonder why the author had chosen to include it in the first place.

That’s the only thing that didn’t really work for me in A Lady in Need of an Heir, which is otherwise a refreshingly different historical romance and one I’m happy to recommend to others.

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