Charlie Jonquil, the youngest of the formidable Jonquil brothers, has only one enemy, Artemis Lancaster. They have butted heads for years, and only just tolerate each other when they are brought together at family gatherings. Then, at one of said gatherings, they are caught in an innocent, but socially compromising position. The only way to save their reputations is to marry. Artemis thinks all her hopes for a happy life are over, and Charlie has to give up his dream of becoming Cambridge Don. Still, they are stuck with each other and it is in their best interest to try to get along. As they try,--and with lots of support from both their families--they begin to see good in each other and gradually, without really realizing it, they start to like, and maybe even love, each other.
This is, I think, the last of the "Lancaster Family" series. In a way it serves as a kind of curtain call. We see all the different couples, joining together to help their youngest siblings. It is also reminiscent of the first in the series, Seeking Persephone, because that one also dealt with two people learning to love in an arranged marriage. The book is very sweet and full of lots of warm fuzzies. Even though Charlie and Artemis are supposed to be mean to each other, they never really are. We see much more of them trying to get along than of them fighting. If you are at all not in mood for hot-chocolate-with-whipped-cream-and-sprinkles-in-print, you might want to wait on this one until you are. (281 p. 2017)
