The Viscount without Virtue by Katherine Grant- Round of Applause

If you like opposing families, experienced (wink) MCs, and asking the important questions, this book of Katherine Grant’s The Prestons series should be your next read.

Miss Ellen Preston is the eldest daughter of the Preston family and a firm believer of her family’s progressive practices. Their estate, Northfield Hall is an estate that creates local handmade goods, giving employees benefits and shares of earnings. They do not use foreign imports, especially those produced from slave and exploited labor.

Viscount Berwick, or Max, goes undercover as a carpenter to discover secrets of Northfield Hall to win favor with his staunchly Tory father. Ellen is clever and quickly discovered why Max is really there. Instead of turning him out, they investigate Northfield Hall together, after he agrees to publish an honest report. She’s confident there is nothing scandalous going on to write about, right?

Of course, there is lots of romance, steam, and working of wood…

My Thoughts

I have only read two stories of The Prestons series and I already find myself being transported to Northfield Hall. It feels so very real and I can imagine every bit of the progressive country estate. However, this book goes beyond escapism and examines real issues about reconciling personal ideals and values with survival in the outside world with people you cannot control. It made me think a lot about my own boycotts and choices in how to live. While having these deep complex thoughts, I adored witnessing the beautiful love story between Ellen and Max. Coming from families on two opposite ends of the political spectrum, I appreciated how they were both open to learning and change in order to find their Happily Ever After. Their romance was raw and oh, so steamy. Maybe it’s unfair, but I love a bit of a love triangle when it is used to make a MMC jealous, rather than adding tension and angst. I also never realized that carpentry could sound so sexy. Woah.