A chance meeting a cheese shop brings about the perfect opportunity for both Hannah Ballard and Martin Latimer. Hannah’s scouting for the perfect location for a historical movie which while Martin happens to the Marquess of Milverston and is looking to promote local tourism. Plus he’s more than a little enchanted with Hannah. Which means when things go slightly pear shaped with her job, Martin offers Hannah a place to stay before she flies back to the states. Despite the sparks between them, Hannah’s not sold that this could be anything more than a fling, especially when she realizes that Martin attracts paparazzi attention. But a change of location can also cause a change of perspective, and Martin’s not ready to give up on her yet.
This was a sweet little romance with a lot to like about it. Hannah is a great protagonist, and her romance with Martin is charming. Martin himself was flawed enough to be perfect, but his flaws weren’t the type that turns you off a love interested. The pair of them bonding over their love of both horses and dogs was lovely. The supporting cast is also great, and add a lot to the story. The details about film production were fascinating, and it made for some interesting situations.
My one complaint is that we never really get a real feel about why Hannah was so worried about media attention. While she does explain that’s why she’s distanced herself from Martin, it feels kind of contrived, and it didn’t really feel like it added as much. Hannah’s habit of making assumptions about what’s going on with Martin and his relationships seem like the more serious issue, but that’s not really as addressed. Still, over all it’s a satisfying read and a quick one that would be perfect to read while traveling. Three out of five stars.
CBR 16 Bingo – Horses: Horses are one of the things that Hannah and Martin bond over.