The Perfect Waltz

very romantic and quiet.

The Perfect Waltz is not a typical romance novel in some ways, and in many ways it is. The difference in this novel and so many others is that it deals with some difficult subjects. Our wonderful hero Sebastian has two sisters; his sisters were kidnapped before he could protect them properly. You see Sebastian didn¿t start out as a rich man in ton society, he married into it. Due to what happened to his sisters they are a hard pair to deal with, they run off governesses one straps a knife to her thigh the other doesn¿t talk. What is he to do? Find the perfect wife, of course. Ah, yes this is where we find it is a typical romance novel.But fate and Sebastian will find themselves at odds, he wants a sensible, older, do good wife who will be able to handle his sisters. Fate wants him to have a lively, fun, chipper young woman. Sebastian of course rails against this. He won¿t list to his friend who tries to tell him that Miss Hope Merridew is probably the best match he could find because hope has suffered too. Hope suffered under the brutish hand of her grandfather who was abusive. Truly what better woman than that to help care for some battered children?The story is written well, and over all I enjoyed it better than the first one. It still has a few small moments where it drags, but over all I did enjoy it. I liked the subject matter, and I liked that it was not afraid to go into deeper topics. The nice thing about this book as well is that it is a stand a lone there are some references to The Perfect Rake, but not many. You will still be able to know what¿s going on. And enjoy getting to know Hope Merridew. If you¿re looking for a historical romance, I recommend this one.

Funny, secondary Hero/Heroine are my faves. It would be nice to see their story in more detail.

This was lovely. It dealt with a slighly more serious and mature subject matter than most regency romances I've read -- the hero's young sisters had been kidnapped when they were very small and are still coping with it; the oldest carries a knife with her wherever she goes, and the youngest doesn't speak -- but it does so with grace and sensitivity. It still has all the qualities I love about romances (wonderful characters, a lovely romance, and a sense of fun), but it also has an added layer of complexity. I really enjoyed it. It's a moving, touching story about the power of love to heal wounded souls (except it's nowhere near as soppy as I just made it sound). Recommended!

I like Anne Gracie. This book is perhaps not as good as "The Perfect Rake," but it is a charming book nonetheless. Coming to town to find a bride to take care of his gamine-esque sisters, he immediately writes off hope as vacuous and vapid because of her beauty - ignoring the fact that she may have depths that he doesn't imagine. While I like Sebastian as the hero - he's dark and mysterious, a little rough, but with a good heart, I think Hope is a little bit of a dull heroine. She's beautiful, smart, intelligent, loving - she has no faults, really, which makes her a bit unbelievable. There is, of course, the abuse in her past, but that can hardly be said to be a fault. Lady Elinore - Sebastian's first choice of bride - is a far more interesting character, and I particularly enjoyed that subplot. As in all of Gracie's books, however, the writing is good, and the book is an enjoyable read.

I have the impression that this is part of a series, because the heroine's married sisters were mentioned, and because the heroine is a twin, but that was hardly explored at all. I may have to check the previous books out--the writing is excellent. I didn't want to put it down. The hero is guardian for his younger sisters who he's only recently recovered--one wears a knife at all times, the other doesn't speak. Neither of them will trust him, and they can't keep a governess. So he decides he needs a wife who'll know how to deal with his sisters, and Elinore fits the bill--serious, 6 years older than him, spends a lot of time volunteering in orphanages. However, he's drawn to Hope Merridew. He's aided by his best friend, who ends up with a great side benefit to helping his friend.

Better character

I read several of these books by Anne Gracie, and they are all outstanding. The Perfect Waltz was the one that made me cry, so it's the prize in my estimation. The main characters are sympathetic and interesting. both of them over-coming backgrounds which could have stunted their future happiness. The supporting characters from the Merridew sister series add to the mix.