As a lonely young man, Christian gave his heart to a woman that he had never talked to. But watching her from afar, told him that she was the one for him. In the years since, no one has tempted him like Raine did. When he is finally reunited with her and he gets to know the woman that he admired from afar, he learns that she still has his heart.

Raine has run from a horrible employer and has just settled into her new employment. When she is asked to help the famous watch maker with some translations, she gladly accepts. But she didn't count on the attraction she would feel for him.

Can this upstairs/downstairs romance work?

I really enjoyed Christian and Raine's story. I love the whole aspect of Christian falling for Raine without every having met her and then when he finally does get to spend time with her and learn who she truly is, he wasn't disappointed (which is usually what happens...). This was a great addition to the House of Devon series and I definitely want to pick up the other books in the series!

A quick read - the book was over before I realized it! It is also part of a series - #3 - I wish I had known that before I started this one.

Christian Bainbridge saw her from above in his teens and wanted to know who she was. He left shortly after he saw her and moved away.
Raine is a domestic in the manor and fled to escape the dispicable Earl.
Eight years later, their paths cross - he sparks something in her - he's been carrying a torch for her over these years. What will happen - will they get what they both want or will she hold back due to her station in life.

Christian and Raine's story is perfect as a novella. I'm not sure I agree with the title's description of Christian as a scoundrel - yes, he has had mistresses and he didn't necessarily handle the end of those relationships well, but that hardly makes him a scoundrel. I also loved his realization that he was like so many other men in that he was initially drawn to Raine because of her looks and that he needed to prove to her that he saw her as more than just a pretty face. And there was something sweet about how excited he was to be reunited with her after a decade. I would have liked one more chapter from Raine's point of view to explain why she fell in love with Christian - his reasons are well laid out, but hers not so much. Overall, this is a sweet little romance.

Devotion, desire, and determination all played a role in aiding watchmaker Christian Bainbridge to present his case of enduring love for housemaid Raine Mowbray. He had to convince her of his sincerity and that they were meant for one another even though she felt there class station was too far apart.

In order to get her onboard one needs to read the book to discover the connection between the two individuals and find out what plays a role in creating their becoming soulmates!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Will she see past her own misconceived ideas ...

What a lovely tale of wooing the person fated for oneself but determined to Thomson the opposite.
There is no villain in this story, the characters’ personality are their sole enemy as their temper rises like a straw fire with the snap of a finger.

In this short narrative, what was awakened some years ago comes to full completion now, if Raine and Kit arrive to match their feelings on the right level at the same time.
Kit has lived with a dream for ten years, now he has the possibility to change it as a reality if he can keep his mood in check. Raine can’t believe a man so wealthy and renowned would want a lowly housemaid. Why she is ready to let pass her chance.
A sweet and steamy courtship of two persons linked by their love for knowledge.
5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the author through Netgalley, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I sweet story about love at 1st sight. At least it was for Kit, watchmaker extraordinaire. As a youth he spots a lovely maiden, engrossed in her book. Raine never notices Kit and Kit is to shy to approach Raine. Years later Kit makes a house call to repair watches and clocks at the Duke of Devon home. In need of a German translator, the Duke provides his newest maid with a gift for languages. In walks Raine, more beautiful than memories served. Will Kit finally get his 2nd chance? In all the years he never forgot his 1st love.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story

A total delight to read. A sweet love story of a prominent watchmaker who fell in love at first sight with a house maid when he was fifteen. When he sees her ten years later, he wants nothing but her for his wife. Still a maid, she is hesitant when he pursues her, until he gives her his heart without hesitation. I read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I gravitated towards this book because of the gorgeous cover ,
This was a bit of a disappointment for me. I didn’t really feel the romance or care much about either character .

2.5 ⭐️

I have read this author before and have enjoyed her writing. This book had a bit of an unusual situation but that made it interesting. I liked the characters and the setting. It was a quick read, but sometimes that’s just what I need!

Christian Bainbridge is the most sought after watchmaker in England. He believes everything has its place and order is paramount. Love is messy and disordered and he wants no part of it since he lost his heart at 15 to a maid who worked in his cousin's house. When he travels to Devon house to repair the duke's timepiece, he's astounded to find that young maid that held his heart hostage for years was working at Devon House. Raine is happy to have secured a position in Devon house and is not willing to do anything to jeopardize that, not even for the handsome watchmaker who professes his love for her.

This is a sweet little story that has no conflict except for Raine's reluctance to become involved with Christian. I'm not usually a fan of the insta-love trope, but this novella had a little twist with Christian pining for Raine for 10 years. However, everything happens way too quickly. One moment Raine is refusing Christian and the next day she is declaring she is in love with him. While the writing is well done, it is over much too soon. I wished the author had made the book longer so we could get to know Raine better.

This was a quite unique romance. I was intrigued from the first chapter. I couldn't put this book down. The hero sees the heroine on the veranda of his cousin's house. A cousin who is cruel, but he has no where else to go. The hero was able to find a watchmaker who he could apprentice with and so, he doesn't do what he wants: he doesn't introduce himself. He just watches her and wishes to meet her until he has to leave with in a few days.
Ten years later, the hero is a rich, successful watch maker. He is the watchmaker for the royals and is in demand. He has been able to amass a fortune and doesn't need wealth. He is young, 25, and dabbles with the widows. But he has never forgotten the girl he saw when he was 15 years old.
He is commissioned to fix a few watches for a duke, and needs a German translator for some letters and schematics he received from a German watchmaker. The duke happens to have a maid who is good with languages that can help. And when he sees her, even with her hair completely covered, he knows it is her. But she has never met him. Can he explain his feelings without sounding like a freak? Can love happen as a teenager and carry into adulthood? This is the book to read, no more spoilers. I enjoyed this book. It kept me immersed from beginning to end. I had to cook supper and we ate very late. The spelling and grammar were acceptable, very few errors. I heartily recommend this book with 5 stars.

This is my first Tracy Sumner book, but not my last. Amazon has her books on sale often and I've purchased several for free but haven't read them. Oh, what a fool I've been.

I love reading, but the books must be good and this book was great. It had excellently written characters, in depth and beautiful plot, and was able to grab my emotions and tug them in multiple directions.

I will definitely be reading her other books and am thankful to net Galley for being able to read this book (in ARC form) and give my honest review.

The premise is intriguing and the writing is good, but I don't think that's enough to make me give this book a rating higher than two stars. I really am not sold to the romance between Christian and Raine. I don't really mind insta-love between the characters in most books, but theirs are too unrealistic and cringe-y for me, I just can't get past that and how their relationship blossom so fast. The characters are also lacking in depth, at least for me. There are mentions of their past and the likes, but those didn't make me feel connected to the characters at all. I also cringe every time it's the hero's point of view I'm reading. His thoughts are so different than most of the books I've read and loved with a guy's POV, and not necessarily in a good way. I don't know why, but I can't take him seriously. If only this book was longer and the author is able to give more depth to the characters and build their relationship slowly, then I would probably like this book more.

Overall, I can see the appeal of this is book to other readers, it's just not for me. I'm the type of reader that if I didn't connect to the main characters and care for their motivations and the likes, I'll probably not connect to the overall story as well.

This felt underdeveloped. I know, it’s only a novella but I didn’t feel the characters had enough of a romance that wasn’t a bit superficial. A positive for me though is that their story is wrapped up nicely at the end, no unnecessary drama, no cliffhanger.

I did truly like the idea of expertise in watchmaking and there was some fun information about that.