The Heir

Starred review from October 4, 2010
Burrowes debuts with a luminous and graceful erotic Regency. The earl of Westhaven is determined to avoid his father's marital machinations by remaining in sweltering London while Society departs for the country. Westhaven takes great pleasure in his well-run household until his new housekeeper, Anna Seaton, mistakes his intentions toward a chambermaid and knocks him flat with a fireplace poker. Anna is too educated and polished to have been born to service, but she makes a tender nurse. As their affections grow, Westhaven believes he's found a candidate for marriage who would please him and satisfy his father, but Anna refuses Westhaven's proposal. Her hidden background contains ugly obligations, and she's determined to keep outrunning them even as he tries to change her mind. Burrowes turns familiar tropes into a refreshing and captivating love story that will have readers eagerly awaiting the planned sequels.

Starred review from September 15, 2010
In order to escape the machinations of his father the Duke, Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, is spending the summer in his townhouse in London. His father is desperate for Gayle to get married, going so far as to bribe potential Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable mso-style-name: Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-style-parent: mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom: .0001pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-fareast-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: #0400;fianc'es or threaten them with his lofty connections. The discomfort of the hot sweltering summer is nothing compared to the onslaught of women who do not interest him, a category that, oddly, does not include his new housekeeper. Anna Seaton excels at her position, remembering the earls preferences, and making sure he has a well-kept home. But she does remain remote. The more Gayle sees Anna, the more he realizes that she is no ordinary housekeeper: She is beautiful, well-read, and acts and speaks like a true lady. As the two become intimate, he realizes that she is hiding a secret. And while he plans to make her his wife, she is planning her escape. Burrowes outstanding debut is a witty, sensual, Regency romance featuring complex characters who ring true to the time period, leaving readers saying huzzah!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)