Review: The Arrival of Lily Curtis by Rachel Brimble

The Arrival of Lily Curtis by Rachel Brimble

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

At the mention of an arranged marriage, Elizabeth Caughley feels her life is over at the age of three and twenty…so she hatches an escape plan. She will reinvent herself as a housemaid. Overnight, Elizabeth becomes Lily - on the understanding if her attempt at independence fails, she will return home and marry a man of her parents' choosing.

Viscount Westrop will ensure his legacy is passed to his own son one day. Even though he feels insurmountable pity for the unborn child already, he knows how much pain a broken promise can cause and will do what is right. But with the arrival of his new housemaid, his plans are thrown into disarray. Lily is funny and feisty and the most beautiful creature on earth - Andrew is thunderstruck. But if anyone suspects how much he wants to ravish her and endlessly love her, Andrew's lineage will undoubtedly be in peril.



Clare's Review

Desperate to escape the life her parents have planned for her, Elizabeth is given six months to make her way in the world as her own woman and becomes Lily the housemaid. Andrew's life is also mapped out for him, but is the last thing he wants to do. His new housemaid is unlike any woman he's ever come across, educated and doesn't believe in mincing her words.

Set in the UK this charming historical novel is a delight from one page to the next. The wonderful secondary cast add colour to the story from the easily shocked butler to the best friend who takes his friendship too far. Lily and Andrew's story is hard to put down, with strong characters that lead right from the first page. You can put a lady into a maid, but you can’t make a maid of her. Too used to speaking her mind, Lily says what she wants and often ends up in trouble for it. There were a couple of loose ends I'd like to have seen tied up - one of the characters just vanishes never to be seen again. However, the ending had me laughing out loud. Worth reading!

4 Tea Cups!