Hello Sunshines, I hope you are all safe and well?! I am super excited to be sharing my review of this amazing book; The Mysterious Miss Fairchild by Sarah Mallory, as always grab that cuppa and enjoy!

An accomplished beauty…

But a most unsuitable match!

Natalya Fairchild can’t help but be drawn to Tristan Quintrell, Lord Dalmorren, with his effortless charisma, even if he’s not her intended bridegroom. Tristan is an eligible society catch…whereas Natalya’s unknown heritage could label her ruined! As he helps Natalya investigate her mysterious past, she starts to hope the truth of her conception won’t destroy her prospects…of a life with Tristan!

Review

My, Oh my, Oh my!!! Well, this is just fabulous! I have read quite a few of Sarah Mallory’s books – and loved each one – but this one is easily the very best yet! Full of intrigue, romance, secrets, whispers of scandal, a superb plot and fantastic characters. There is nothing I didn’t love about this, everything from the brilliant plot with the addition of a great mystery to the utterly gorgeous and striking cover – I mean, look at it, isn’t it beautiful? (Yes, I know I may be a little biased seeing as I do have a penchant for dark purple)

Is it possible for me to read a Sarah Mallory book and not fall head over heels for the hero?

The answer to that is huge; No!

Ah, Tristen….deep swooning sigh, followed by a dreamy look into the distance…..I really was doomed from the first page, talk about being a charmer 😉

Phew, this man has got the gift of the gab for sure, yet he isn’t boorish or arrogant he is a smooth talker, a man who knows exactly what he is doing, he is cool and controlled in any situation, he knows the game and he knows how to play his hand; he is smooth and effortlessly suave – well, he is until a certain dark-haired pocket rocket challenges and rebukes him – if I didn’t like Natalya so much, I would probably hate her – Poor Tristen, he really didn’t stand a chance!

The story opens with our gorgeous Tristen Quintrell; Lord Dalmorren and his hot-headed nephew who has turned up declaring his love for the mysterious Natalya Fairchild, a young woman with no past and who young Freddie has decided he wants to marry. Oh, dear! Tristen takes it upon himself to go to Bath and meet the young woman who has stolen his nephew’s little heart and whom Tristen believe may only want Freddie because of who he is. By the way, I thought Freddie was a hoot, a typical young buck, a proper rake, I loved him!

Natayla has no past, no memories, and no knowledge of who she is at all and in certain respect, especially with living in the Regency era, she may not have a very solid future, depending on whom she is. She has been raised by her aunt and uncle – well I say raised, what I actually mean is they have kept her hidden away, never to associate with anyone they deem unworthy, never to have fun flirtations with young bucks. She has never had a season and is hardly ever allowed to balls, yet they push her to be accepted within society, they have regimented every aspect of her life with lessons in every subject known to man. All she wants is to know who her parents were and to be able to have a little fun.

Natalya wants a little freedom, but more than that she wants to know who she is. Her aunt and uncle have promised to tell her everything when she turns twenty-one until then she must bide her time, at least for a few more weeks until all will be revealed to her.

I sympathise with Natalya, she is a pent-up ball of frustration, all she has ever wanted in life is to know who she is. Which is completely understandable! There is a lot of anger and confusion bubbling within her especially aimed at her guardians for how they keep her tucked away, how they demand so much of her but give very little in answer to her questions in return. She is also anxious about what the truth will be, what her future holds and what her parentage actually is; what if she is a result of a scandalous match? Or born on the wrong side of the blanket?

To say that Tristen is curious about Natalya is an understatement, he goes to Bath to see what it is about this mysterious young woman that has captivated Freddie so much. Then he sets eyes on her and true he doesn’t think she is all that different from all the other young debutantes out there, but there is a pull towards her, it’s like there is an invisible line pulling him towards her. It’s when they start talking when he sees past the colder exterior that she puts in place for her aunt and uncle’s sake, that he sees what a brilliant, passionate, intelligent and enchanting young woman she is. Then before he knows it, he is no longer trying to spend time with her for Freddie, but he is charmed, his blood bubbles with want whenever she is near.

There is a real connection between Natalya and Tristen, they click even though they do squabble a fair bit and he does assume certain things about her that he really shouldn’t, but there is an undeniable sparkle between them, the moments when they are dancing together, the air crackles between them. I love the banter between them, this is what Sarah Mallory is a master at; witty, sexy and at times hostile banter between the hero and heroine.

I have to mention that ending, my goodness, what a surprising twist that was. I didn’t expect the ‘mystery’ to be what it was, I was thinking something else completely and then; boom Sarah throws a spanner into the works and pulls out this golden egg of an ending. It’s perfect for them both, especially Natalya, she really deserved happiness and goodness after being as cloistered as she was and it really showed Tristen at his most romantic, his most heroic and his most seductive…did I mention how much I adore this guy?

The Mysterious Miss Fairchild is in no other words, but charming! It’s an elegantly written mystery romance, it’s full of joy and fun, with a great twist at the end. This is one of those books that just makes you smile, this is a Sarah Mallory at her very best and yet again she shows just how a perfect Historical Romance is written.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book!

This was an Arc via the author, which I voluntarily reviewed, thank you, Sarah. xx