The Discerning Gentleman's Guide

The Discerning Gentleman's Guide by Virginia Heath had me hooked from the very first chapter! What a wonderful story of two people from vastly different worlds... finding common ground and true love! Amelia Mansfield is a companion to Lady Worsted the aunt of a Duke. She has a scandalous past, although not of her doing. She finds fulfillment in helping other less fortunate people, volunteering and attending political reform campaigns to make a difference. She loathes aristocrats…. Bennett Montague, sixteenth Duke of Aveley is following in his father’s footsteps. He’s a politician and one of the Regent’s most trusted advisers. He’s even gone so far as to write down all of his father’s advice in a book that was published, The Discerning Gentleman's Guide….. Oh my how did I miss this gem of a book? I absolutely adored Bennett and Amelia from the moment I met them. Bennett is not your typical duke. Yes he’s handsome and rich and a little stodgy… But he’s also a little shy and cringes at his own behavior. I started rooting for Amelia the moment we met her in the carriage reading Bennett’s book! She was such a lovable character who’s been through a lot but survived. The chemistry and dialogue between these two were fabulous along with a fantastic group of secondary characters. This was one of those books I just couldn’t put down! I only wish I had read it sooner. This is definitely a keeper and another 5 star from the pen of Virginia Heath.

It’s a question of perspective Miss Amelia Mansfied was happy to be back in London after a year away; she could see to the poor in the City. Amelia enjoyed her position of companion to Lady Worsted, what was not so pleasant at the moment was the idea of residing for a month in the Duke of Aveley’s Mayfair townhouse for the duration of her stay. Amelia had read the Duke’s book – The Discerning Gentleman’s Guide to Selecting the Perfect Bride, and she could guess what sort of pompous ass he would be. Bennett Montague, the aforementioned pompous ass, has been looking for a bride for a whole year. He was now down to five “Potentials”; he was just too busy in parliament for anything else. But Amelia’s first glimpse of the Duke leaves her almost overwhelmed by his golden godliness, and he is utterly mesmerised by his Aunt Augusta’s companion. But when he opens his mouth, the illusion is shattered: he is a pompous ass. With every book, Virginia Heath has me almost swooning. THE DISCERNING GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE, at first, looks like the most delectable piece of fluff, then gradually becomes an enthralling study of class differences. Ms. Heath’s research and knowledge of the period is astonishing as vivid portraits come alive and we experience the splendour of Mayfair as thoroughly as the squalor of Seven Dials, where the poorest of the poor exist; and the author’s descriptions of the workhouses made my skin crawl. Bennett is a good man, determined to do his best to improve the nation, but by Jove, he is so rigid and proper, it’s a wonder he doesn’t break. Like all aristocrats, in truth he ignores how it really is. Bennett is an extraordinarily complex character; endearing, because he means well, and aggravating because he is just so stuffy. Or rather his father taught him he had to be stuffy. Amelia is a superb heroine whose backstory is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Amelia and Bennett’s romance is so much more than that of a duke and a commoner. In 1816, reform was in the air, and Britain feared a revolution like those that had rocked France and America, and Virginia Heath used these historical facts to make her story shine even more. Politics are so well integrated in the narrative, that they challenge the budding romance, provoke heartfelt and crushing conversations, but establish the foundation for the romance. I knew there was going to be a happy-ever-after, but I had no idea how it would happen. The dialogues are spectacular works of art – intricate and genuine; and the secondary characters are some of the best I have ever seen: Bennett’s butler, Lovett; Bennett’s adorable Uncle George, and his magnificent Aunt Augusta. One particular scene where Bennett reveals the man behind the rigid façade left me teary-eyed. THE DISCERNING GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE is yet another phenomenal story, heart-wrenching, enlightening, poignant, emotional, and ultimately one of the most romantic I have ever read because it all feels so real.