This third installment in the Lords in Love series by Darcy Burke (and Erica Ridley) is a charming friends to lovers story, full of heart and pining with a touch of deception. Darcy Burke's writing quickly draws the reader into the story, her tone is comforting and casual which gives an easy accessibility to this historical romance. I always find Burke's characters to be interesting and well developed. This novel is built around a friendship that is full of love, and it has some fun plot moments which lead to some jealousy on the heroine part, as she is learning what she is willing to do in order to get the man she loves. This quick paced story is perfect for an evening read. I really adore this series, because each novel can be read as a standalone, the interconnection of the novels if found in the setting and the matchmaking festival, and while some past characters do appear in this novel you would not be missing anything if you read them out of order. I think that Darcy Burke and Erica Ridley's writing really work well together and complement each other in this series, and if you have not had a change to read either author this is a lovely series to try out!

Phineas inherited his estates when his father died and they are on the verge of bankruptcy. He has kept this a secret and hopes no one will find out. He knows that his only option is to marry a wealthy heiress. Leah left the small town of Marrywell to be a companion and she has returned for the Matchmaking Festival with her current employer. She has bad memories of the town but enjoys seeing her childhood friend Phineas again.

I loved this childhood friend-to-lovers story. Whilst the plot did take a predictable turn I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I am really enjoying this whole series and I can't wait for the next books.

What a sweet story and great character growth from Leah. The main characters were a good couple match and likable, even though I wanted to shake Phin when he continuously re-routed his path to another.

I have read previous books from the author and have enjoyed her style of writing and the ease in which the story flows. This book was no exception. I did notice that it was shorter than the norm, but the shortness did not make the story feel rushed or lacking.

I just reviewed Romancing the Heiress by Darcy Burke. #RomancingtheHeiress #NetGalley

Leah has not had a easy life. Her mother was cruel and her father did not protect her. She escaped Marrywell to be a paid companion, but has now brought back her employer to attend the Marrywell marriage festival. Where she gets reacquainted with man that she has loved since she was 9 yrs old.

Phin has a problem. He is charged with the upkeep of the famous Marrywell botanical gardens but this has gotten increasingly hard since his father gambled away money set to be used for the maintenance of the gardens. He must use this marriage festival to marry well and secure a dowry to invest into the gardens. However, seeing Leah again has him questioning everything about his future.

Will Leah ever be able to admit her feelings to Phin? What will Phin think of these feelings? Will he find the heiress he is looking for?

This was another wonderful romp in Marrywell. It was great to see Sadie and Law from Darcy Burke's previous novel cameo in this story. The spicy scene in the greenhouse was amazing! Darcy continues to write excellent regency romance novels. I can't wait to see who is next for Marrywell and the marriage festival!

It is a sweet friends-to-lovers romance that will tug at your heartstrings in more ways than one.

Leah Webster left her home in Marrywell five years ago to get away from her abusive mother. After her first employer passed away, she moved on to become the companion to Lady Norcott’s great-niece, Genevieve. Genevieve’s mother, Mrs. Selkirk, treated Leah with an offhanded deference and made it clear that her services would be terminated after Genevieve got married. Leah convinced the Selkirks to accompany her to Marrywell under the guise of finding a suitable match for Genevieve. She was most excited to see her childhood friend, Phin. Phin was struggling to keep his family’s botanical gardens in tip-top shape and decided to court Genevieve, since she came with a large dowry.

It was very clear right from the start that Phin and Leah used to be great friends and both were devastated in their own way when Leah left. Leah had always carried a torch for Phin and even though she had no expectations in that direction from him, there was a part of her that kept hoping they might end up together. Phin was a bit slower on the uptake and he spent a lot of time and effort to woo Genevieve. His adult feelings for Leah were very different from when they were childhood friends, and kept intruding on his courtship of Genevieve. When he realized that Genevieve wouldn’t suit him at all, he directed all his attention to Leah. The transition from friendship to love was so natural.

Mrs. Selkirk wasn’t an obvious villain. Her digs at Leah seemed more small-minded than particularly nefarious. It was easy to see her as a bitter woman, but also as a mother who wanted the best for her child, even if she went about it a bit ham-fisted. I liked Leah and Phin and they fit together perfectly.

Romancing the Heiress is part of a series collaboration between Darcy Burke and Erica Ridley. I can recommend this book and the rest of the series if you like historical romance.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was very fortunate to receive an ARC of Romancing the Heiress from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Darcy Burke writes so her readers are transported into her stories. This is the third book in the series. Phineas Radford needs an heiress to save his family's botanical gardens. Leah Webster revisits her hometown after seven years where she left behind her best friend, Phin. She lived in an abusive home and left when she got a job as a companion. Her return now means her charge, an heiress, may be the perfect possible spouse to Phin....except that Leah has loved Phin since a very young age and the sight of her charge and Phin together riles her up. It is when Phin finally realizes his feelings for Leah that he must choose between live and duty.

Seven years ago Leah Webster took her leave from Marrywell. The only fond memories she took with her were those made with her best friends Sadie and Phin. Oh Phin, she’s loved him since she was nine…
The Lady she was a companion to showed her the sights and beauties of England. Leah was more of a daughter to her than she ever was to her own parents. But sadly the Lady died and left Leah with five books, some money and a position as companion to her grandniece.

Phineas Radford is struggling to keep his grandfather’s legacy blooming after his father squandered the family money away and died. The Botanical Gardens are his pride and the visitors they attract the town’s main source of income. But he’s running out of options and marrying an heiress couldn’t be all that bad. Could it?
When his best and oldest friend Leah shows up with her employer a London Society heiress, the need to save his gardens quickly overrules the guilt of letting their friendship fade away. But once again being so close to her troubles his mind and his feelings.

📚 This is a story of unrequited childhood love, overcoming pride, determination, envy and jealousy, opportunity, second chances and forgiveness, all set against the backdrop of a matchmaking festival in what was once a beautiful botanical garden 🌹💕🍀🏰
📚 The story unfolds slowly and unknowingly carries you along. The characters grow, develop and become clearer. A steamy scene in the conservatory and a confrontational turning point and before you know it, you have read the whole book!
📚 slow burn, childhood friends to lovers, open door, protective hero, evil (step)mother

The friends to lovers trope is very well portrayed and the characters are endearing, except for wicked stepmother and the calculating employer.

Phin is the key to the Merrywell match making mart. He finds himself in a bit of bother with the upkeep of the renowned gardens. He needs an heiress to save the day. Leah has been absent from Merrywell for seven years. Phin and Leah have been good friends since childhood and nothing has changed. She still harbours feelings for Phin and thinks it is one way, but she is in for a surprise. He is just as enamoured with her. Their reunion is genuine, but they keep it on the friendly terms that they used to share. Her employer is very mean to her and is after a title for her daughter. Phin's situation is so dire that he resorts in contemplating asking her hands in marriage to save the day. There is no love there, but that's the way of things as their standing is more important than love.

Leah isn't happy about the development until they take a trip down memory lane to reenact their first kiss and the way they used to be. Mrs Selkirk is keeping Leah on for her own gain until Leah discovers her duplicity. Phin and Leah rekindle what they had before and expose Mrs Selkirk for who she really is. She has the support of her best friends and everything works out in the end. Phin and Leah have their dream happy ending and her step mother disappears from their lives.

It is well portrayed and the characters fit their roles. The best part is when Leah finds out about her inheritance. I enjoyed the whole story and was sorry to see it end. Beautiful end all round and I absolutely loved it.

I am writing this review for Net Galley.

This is the 3rd book in the series Lords in love. I have not read any other books in this series. When I chose this book to read for Net Galley I did not realize it was part of a series. However, it is very easy to follow and I was able to read the whole thing. I do not feel as though you need to read the books in order if you do not want to. After reading this I am interested in checking out the rest of the books in the series.

In this story we follow Leah and Phin whom have known each other for a very long time. Leah came back to Marywell and was helping her sister Genevieve find a suitor for her. It was very hard for Leah to come back to Marywell as she did not get along with the person who raised her well at all. While helping her sister, Phin came back into her life as well. What no one knew was Phin was broke and trying to find himself an heiress to help him find a way out of his situation. Will Phin be able to find the right person for him?

It was hard for me to rate this because I have not read book one or two. The story was very entertaining and had me not wanting to put the book down until I was done. I enjoyed reading about the character Leah. She was my favorite in this story. Now I am intrigued to look into the rest of the series.

Another wonderful read from Darcy!

I found the storyline a little slow to start with but once you get into it I understand why it took a little while to warm up. With wonderful characters, some witty and some steam towards the end with a HEA this is sure to please any fan of Ms Burke’s historical romances.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Darcy Burke takes us back to Marrywell, England to the Marrywell May Day Matchmaking Festival. Leah Webster returns after 7 years away as companion to Lady Norcott, who had rescued her from a horrible home life and provided her a very exciting life instead. She had even mentioned to Leah that she would be provided for, but when she died suddenly. all that was given to Leah was 2 months pay, several books, a good recommendation and the opportunity for her to become a companion to her great niece. Leah had suggested to her current employer that the festival was a great place to find a match. She also wanted to see her two friends, Sadie, now a duchess (book 1) and Phil (Phineas Redford), whom she has secretly loved. Both of her friends are overjoyed to see her, but Phin is having financial issues with the botanical gardens, because of debts that his father had incurred. The only solution is to marry an heiress. Too bad that Leah isn't want (as far as she knows). There are wonderful characters, missed opportunities, a villainess, witty banter and of course the HEA.

I read an ARC provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.com. this I say unbiased and voluntary review.

I've enjoyed quite a few of Darcy Burke's books, most recently her Phoenix Club series. so I was looking forward to trying one of her stories from a different series. Sadly, I didn't end up enjoying this at all. My biggest issue is that I didn't feel the chemistry between Phin and Leah, and I found that there was too much "telling" and not nearly enough "showing", which left the characters and romance feeling shallow. That said, I know I'm very much in the minority with my feelings if the other reviews and ratings are anything to go by, so I have no doubt that others could end up loving this more than I did!

CW: child abuse (emotional, verbal, and physical), on-page sex, gaslighting, gambling debts

I was intrigued by both Leah and Phin's characters as they're both good people who want to do right by others. For Leah, that means putting up with a passive-aggressive employer until her charge becomes betrothed and for Phin, that means keeping the bleak reality of the state of the botanical gardens hidden from everyone in the village. Leah wasn't a difficult FMC to root for. After suffering horrible abuses by her mother at home, she left to become a companion to an elderly woman who was more like a mother to her than the one she grew up with. She's sharp and has an admirable ability to put up with ridiculous peoples' nonsense and keep her sanity. She has always harboured feelings for Phin, her childhood best friend, and even all these years later she still feels the same and hopes maybe, since he's unmarried, something can happen between them. I wanted her to have a bit more pride when it came to Phin! Phin is a horticulturist who finds it easier to manage plants than to manage his family estate, particularly the botanical gardens, which has steadily fallen into disrepair since his father died and emptied the coffers with his debts several years ago. I admired Phin's attempts to keep his grandfather's dreams alive but sadly, I didn't connect with him at all. Both characters came across as fairly young (even though they were in their mid-20s), and his indecisiveness and desire to "have his cake and eat it too" was irritating. I didn't believe that he suddenly "rediscovered" feelings for Leah after remembering that they shared a kiss 20 years ago(!), and while I get his desperation to marry for money to save the garden, the suddenness with which he goes from preparing to propose to one woman to then professing love and asking for Leah's hand in marriage the next was a bit too unrealistic for me to suspend my disbelief. There is one on-page sex scene later on in the book and to be honest, I found it awkward and thought it read like a short sex ed scene instead of something that was sexy.

Ultimately, there's a lot that happens on these pages and I felt maybe it was a case of too much all at once that made everything feel a little too shallow. This goes beyond the romance and can be said for the "conflict" between Leah and her employer and her mother as well. I guessed what the issue would be from the beginning but the total lack of tension didn't do anything to help either because when everything was revealed it just felt a little anticlimactic. Overall, I'm sad that this wasn't the book for me but I do think that others who enjoy a light, historical romance with earnest characters and a bit of steam may enjoy it more!

Leah Webster returns to Marrywells by way of convincing her employer, Mrs. Selkirk, the annual May Day Matchmaking Festival is an opportunity to find a husband for her daughter. That's not her true reason. It's Phineas Radford. It's been 6 years, 8 months and 23 days since she left Marrywells. He's the love of her life, but he sees her as a friend. An heiress will save the gardens on his property so much a part of the festival. Leah's charge, Genevieve Selkirk is the perfect young lady to marry. A heartbreaking love story that carries the hope of a second chance. Once again Burke and Ridley create a magical place to find love. A little descriptive heat.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I have to finally admit to myself that this series is not working for me. I wanted to give it one more try but I shouldn’t have, and that’s on me. This one had flat MCs and a practically nonexistent romance. Unfortunately I lost interest and didn’t finish it. I want to swoon, regardless of the length of the story so I’ll just have to find it elsewhere.

Thank you for the advance reader copy via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

"After five years away, Leah Webster returns home as the companion to a wealthy young Society lady who is in search of a husband. Her employer quickly captures the attention of Leah's oldest friend...and longtime secret tendre. Leah is determined to prevent the terrible mismatch between the provincial Phin and the High Society jewel until she discovers Phin’s noble reasons for the courtship. Though her own heart will surely break, Leah hatches an imprudent plan to save her town and the man she still loves."
Phin and Leah are meant to be together. She didn't know that she was an heiress. The old woman that she had been a companion to had left her money and other things.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This was a middle of the road historical romance for me. Nothing really stuck out to me with this book. I'm not a fan of the trope where the woman falls first, just because I read romance books for that little fantastical moment of the opposite being true most of the time. I was hooked, because I was curious about how Leah and Phin would end up together, but I did feel bad for Genevieve (I was hoping that she may end up getting her own book later instead of ending up with who she does).

I only just started reading this series and I enjoyed this one. I wish there had been more time building up chemistry between the two old friends, but I liked this book

This is a charming return to Marrywell with a friends to lovers tale. I liked Leah immediately although Phin took a while to grow on me. I also love that we get a catchup with Law and Sadie from the first book. This is the third book but probably would also work as a standalone. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Romancing the Heiress. I liked reading this book. It was put together very well by the writer. I thought that the writer did a great job with creating the guilty parties to the storyline plot. I enjoyed the background story.
I thought that it was a good motivational issue for Leah and Phin to work together towards the end of the book. The plot was logical and clear to the readers. The characters and the actions of the characters was age appropriate for the level of romance and problem solving. I believe it’s the romance that actually steals the show of this book. Two people who were very good friends in their younger years meet again years later.
Neither two are the same, but only it’s the feelings that they have for each other that hasn’t changed. My favorite character was Mrs. Parker. She made the sweets that everyone enjoyed. The hook to the story was very catching. The stepmother, I believe was the driving force of the plot finding a solution.
Her character was exceptionally written. I could picture myself in that hallway with Leah and Harriett. It truly felt real, while I read this scene. The emotions for the characters were a little high, but for what Leah experienced in her youth that is to be expected. As I said the romance was the highlight to the story.
Leah and Phin were wonderful in this story. I give this story two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers… read on!I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Loved reading the engaging and enthralling romance story. While working as a companion to a young woman, Genevieve, Leah returns home; Leah still has feelings for Phin, but Phin just wants to be friends; and Phin starts dating Genevieve. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story. Can't wait to read the next story in the series by the fabulous and fantastic author, Darcy Burke.