{Review} That Perfect Someone (Malory Family #10) by Johanna Lindsey

That Perfect Someone (Malory Family #10) by Johanna Lindsey

Published Date: Apr 19, 2011

Publisher: Pocket Books 

 

My Rating:

Synopsis: Nine years ago, Richard Allen fled England and his controlling father. Determined to live his own life, he took to the sea and settled in the Caribbean, joining a band of treasure-hunting pirates and adopting the persona of a carefree, seductive Frenchman named Jean Paul to guard the secrets of his past. When he slips back into England to carry out an urgent task, Richard becomes infatuated with a married woman, Georgina Malory. But his reckless attempt to woo Georgina at a masked ball turns out to be the worst mistake of his life because it brings him face to face with another beautiful woman.

Thrilled that her solicitors have finally come up with a way to free her from her betrothal contract to the Earl of Manford’s son who abandoned her years ago, heiress Julia Miller is ready for the marriage mart and hopes to find that perfect someone at her friend Georgina’s ball. Charmed by a masked Frenchman who gives her her first kiss, she can’t help but pursue this mysterious man—until she makes a shocking discovery. Now, to avoid falling into a ruthless nobleman’s trap, Julia must enter a risky, intimate charade with a man she never believed she could love. (Source)

That Perfect Someone was a fun read for me. Mostly because I love a good "betrothed since they were kids but they hate one another" story. Johanna Lindsey nailed this one right on the head.  The humor she always throws in, the sarcasm of the Malory family and the swoony bits were all there.

I'll just be honest, it's been a few weeks since I read this book but not a lot of it stuck in my mind. In fact, I had to really think about how the Malory's fit into the whole thing.

Georgina Malory's brother, Drew is married to Gabrielle. The couple travel on their own ship and Richard (using an alias) is on their crew. Gaby and Richard and good friends and she and Drew are going to visit family in England, therefore Richard is going too. Nobody knew why Richard dreaded going back there or that he was in fact, English.

Julia's memories of Richard are iffy. He was unkind to her, treated her horribly when all she wanted was to be his friend. With their age difference there were quite a few misunderstandings and Richard was often punished for them. He pretty much hated her for that. The way the book is written the reader gets both of their perspectives on what happened year after year of them seeing one another. I couldn't help but feel bad for both of them. Julia because she only wanted some attention and Richard because he had a tyrant of a father. Because of him, he runs away from home in his early teens.

Her family is wealthy through trade but not titled and Julia's father tries to get out of the marriage deal with Richard's, who did have a title and just wanted the Miller's wealth. When she absolutely refuses to marry Richard and even goes as far as drawing up papers to have Richard declared dead (since he hasn't been seen in years), the Earl goes ballistic.

The whole time I was reading I just couldn't figure out why Julia's father didn't just tell Richard's to go to hell and let her marry someone else. Of course, they did have a signed contract but I doubt it would be the first time one of them was broken during that time period.

Julia and Richard kept running into one another and not realizing who the other really was at first. That part, I found to be amusing. She was attracted to him and the feeling was mutual on his end. Our heroine tracks him down and they spend some funny and tense filled times together. And then they figure out who each other really are. After that, Richard does his best to hide that he's back in town but when his father figures it out (dun dun dun) he confronts him. How he thought he could actually force a grown man to marry someone he didn't want to, well I don't get that. Richard takes off and later, a group of burly men his father hired find and snare him.

Richard is taken to a slave ship, his father planning to have him learn his lesson by being sent off for a while. To his rescue, the Malory's come. Along with Julia they help to get him back home where he belongs.

There were many things in the book I enjoyed but of course, other parts I felt fell flat. I didn't love this one as much as I enjoyed the early books, probably just because those were solely about the Malory's. That entire family is so full of life and amazing, quirky characters that you can't help but love them. It's fun that they are featured in the later books but it's just never enough.

I was hard pressed to give it a three but felt like a two and a half was too low.  So there we go.