A Rival Heir

Both kellytwo and tregatt have done a good job summarizing the plot and the characters, so I will confine myself to a summary of what I liked and did not like in this book.I loved the fact that the heroine was not feisty (even though I would have liked her to have started asking questions earlier!). Nell Armstrong is actually far more typical of a Regency woman than the majority of Regency heroines. She has made a promise to a maternal grandfather who never acknowledged her as his legitimate granddaughter and who never bothered to confirm her legitimacy. She intends to keep that promise even though it might cost her marriage and also fortune. The gem in this show is certainly Nell's aunt Rosemarie Longstreet, a woman who detests babies and liked her godson only when he was a little boy. Aunt Rosemarie is plotting something through the book, but what it is is not discovered until close to the denouement. [And yes, I was a little taken back when the secret was revealed]. Rosemarie is capable of turfing an earl out from her house, and also of browbeating inferiors. Although she is parsimonious with her niece, she is not actively cruel to her. That is what keeps her interesting.The hero is not perfect of course. Sir Hugh Nowlin has taken his inheritance for granted and is alarmed at the prospect of a rival heir (hence the title). Yet, his desire to keep his inheritance does not interfere with his sense of justice. He finds himself attracted to Nell, despite her old-fashioned clothing, and her aunt's refusal to go into society except on her own terms.The secondary characters are all attractive and come alive - from Sir Hugh Nowlin's interfering do-gooder but well-meaning sister Emily, her husband John Holmsley, the library Richard Bentley, and so many others. What I did not like is the fact that the ending was a little too pat. The earl's desire to make amends was understandable, but the form it took seemed a trifle excessive, as did the apparent willingness of Aunt Longstreet by the end to consider his proposals. On the other hand, I had no problems with Nell's brilliant solution to her problem - how to keep her word, and yet get married to the man she loves. There was also occasionally a little too much attention paid to secondary characters (I kept wondering about the librarian, and about John Holmsley's financial situation) which might detract a bit from the emphasis on the main story.This book is a slow, but not too slow, read. If you like traditional Regencies which are "kisses" only, this is perfect.I am a fan of Laura Matthews and have read much of her backlist. A Rival Heir is far superior to some of her more recent books. While it does not match up to the best of her backlist (A Very Proper Widow, The Seventh Suitor, and some others), this is still a great book and one of the best new Regencies I have read this year. Those who love books set in Bath might also want to read Matthews's A Holiday in Bath (another story about

There are so many contests for books and authors every year, in every genre, I think. If there were a contest for a favorite character in fiction, an early nomination for me would be that of Aunt Rosemarie Longstreet in this delightful and delightfully different book.This woman defines the word 'contrary' far better than any dictionary I've ever seen. She is like quicksilver in her changeability, providing chuckles and guffaws galore, frequently both within the same paragraph. Absolutely entrancing. Aunt Rosemarie (now in her 60s or thereabouts) in unmarried, and has been a dutiful daughter to her now-deceased father, and a grudgingly dutiful aunt to the daughter of her only sister, Helen 'Nell' Armstrong. A roof over her head, food and clothing--these have been provided for Nell, but nothing else that might come from the normal loving family relationship. In turn, Nell has made a death-bed promise to her grandfather that she will always stay with her aunt, and care for her. After ten years of staying entirely put at their country home, Longstreet Manor, Aunt has suddenly decided to venture to Bath, supposedly to take the waters for her gout. The gout is real, but little else appears to be. Their very first appearance proves enlightening for Nell, when Aunt's godson, Sir Hugh Nowlin, makes himself known to the ladies at the circulating library. This name was a familiar one to Nell, as Sir Hugh was Aunt's heir, but until now she'd never seen the young man. From this point onward, the stay in Bath takes on new dimensions, as Nell meets an assortment of people; some previously known to her aunt, and some not. Through it all, Nell maintains her composure, never aspiring to more than she thinks eligible for her position. She is a most delightful heroine, and Hugh is every bit her equal. Together, they're formidable in searching out the deeply-buried secrets of Aunt Longstreet. This book is a bit out of the traditional mold, which endeared it to me, as I cherish plot and good writing more than the romantic elements. A reader with different expectations may quibble, but it's still one very delightful book!

This must be the month for unassuming heroines who don't expect too much from life! Unlike the heroine of "Lord Darlington's Darling" (Abigail Fairchilde) the heroine of "A Rival Heir" (Nell Armstrong) is not very shy or demure, but like Abigail, Nell doesn't expect to have high drama or a grand passion in life -- in fact Nell has quietly reigned herself to spending the rest of her life as a spinster, looking after her crotchety aunt, Rosemarie Longstreet (Nell's mother's elder sister).Both Nell's parents have passed away by the time she was fifteen. And in spite of the fact that her maternal grandfather had been estranged from his daughter because of her runaway marriage, he nonetheless takes his granddaughter (Nell) in and provides a home for her. On his deathbed however he extracts a promise from Nell that she would stay with her Aunt Rosemarie until her death, and never desert her. An obedient young woman, Nell gives her word freely -- with no money to her name whatsoever it is unlikely that she will ever marry anyway -- and she does have an affection for her difficult aunt. Now Miss Longstreet however, has decided to shed her reclusive ways and make for Bath to drink the waters. Or so she says. Nell however suspects that her aunt is UP TO SOMETHING, but she's not sure what. And she has no inkling how this trip to Bath will change her life forever.Sir Hugh Nowlin (Rosemarie's godson and heir) is surprised to see his godmother in Bath, and he suspects that she is there for a purpose. However, even more pressing than his curiosity as to why she is in Bath, is his fear that he is about to be replaced as his godmother's heir, by Nell. And much as he is taken by Nell's good looks and dignified air, he's not about to allow her to do him out of his inheritance. But the more time he spends with unassuming Nell, the more he begins to appreciate and care for her, and the more her unhappy situation grates. What should he do? Should he give his claim to Rosemarie's estate? Neither Nell's dead grandfather nor Rosemarie herself seem to have been too concerned about Nell's welfare or future. And then there is Nell herself, who is very skittish and reluctant to pursue any kind of relationship with him. And what is the real reason behind Rosemarie's visit to Bath?Nell Armstrong may not be to everyone's taste -- she's not one of those terribly witty or feisty heroines -- but I did find myself taking to her enormously. The situation she finds herself in was a rather common one for young women without money, and I thought that Laura Matthews did a rather good job of portraying her plight. I also liked that Sir Hugh was not an outright paragon, and that he really had to battle with himself whether or not to relinquish all claim to his hoped for inheritance. And while I found the subplot involving Rosemarie Longstreet to be an intriguing and interesting one, I didn't really care for the hinted at resolution. It was just too pat. "A Rival Heir" was quite the fun re