t’s never too late to fall in love in this enchanting new story, a novella in the Westcott series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.

Matilda Westcott has spent her life tending to the needs of her mother, the Dowager Countess of Riverdale, never questioning the web of solitude she has spun herself. To Matilda, who considers herself an aging spinster daughter, marriage is laughable—love is a game for the young, after all. But her quiet, ordered life unravels when a dashing gentleman from her past reappears, threatening to charm his way into her heart yet again.

Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson, does not expect to face Matilda Westcott thirty-six years after their failed romance. Moreover, he does not expect decades-old feelings to emerge at the very sight of her. When encountering Matilda at a dinner hosted by the Earl of Riverdale, he finds himself as fascinated by her as he was the first day they met, and wonders whether, after all these years, they have a chance at happiness together. Charles is determined to crack the hard exterior Matilda has built up for more than three decades, or he will risk losing her once again….

OUT NOW!!!

As you all know I love this series and this family so I was very excited to get my hands on this next book. This short and sweet, Westcott Series novella is our chance to get to know Matilda’s story. While I love that we get to know Matilda and Charles better I feel like this story should have been a full length novel of its own. I feel like by making this a novella the story was rushed and when it ended I was left wanting more. Don’t get me wrong just like the rest of the Westcott Series this book was well written and the characters have the depth I have come to expect from this author. It’s the story that I didn’t get enough of. I would have loved to have learned more about Matilda and Charles’ early romance considering the amount of devastation experienced by them both in its ending. This was a love that caused Matilda to never marry and devote her life to overprotecting her mother while leading Charles’ into living the life of a rogue, and siring a bastard before eventually marrying another. The few references to that time in their story suggest the kind of love that make me love reading romance. I think giving us that story as well as how their story ends would have given this book a true value as part of the series.

I did enjoy this book, I just wish there would have been more.

Danielle