2019 Book 170: DAISIES AND DEVOTION by Josi S. Kilpack

Daisies and Devotion, Mayfield Family#2, by Josi S. Kilpack
ISBN: 9781629725529 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781629737454 (ebook)
ISBN: 9781982652326 (audiobook)
ASIN: B07QHYKXC2 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Release Date: May 14, 2019

Timothy Mayfield is ready to marry for love, but, since his personal finances are thinner than he’d like, he knows he’ll also need to find a wife with wealth. After receiving an unexpected inheritance, Timothy’s circumstances change, and he is free to pursue his “perfect woman”—one with blonde hair, blue eyes, a light laugh, arched eyebrows, elegant fingers, and a dazzling smile, among nearly twenty other characteristics.

Maryann Morrington doesn’t match anything on Timothy’s list—except for wealth. An heiress in her own right, she is tired of men pursuing her only for her money. But at nearly twenty-two years old, and not a particularly stunning beauty, she can’t be as picky as her friend Timothy is.

The two friends end up playing matchmaker for each other. Timothy will find a decent gentleman for Maryann, and Maryann will prove to Timothy that his “perfect woman” doesn’t exist.

Until Miss Shaw comes to London.

Now, with Timothy’s heart captivated by the blonde, blue-eyed beauty, Maryann must decide if she should risk her heart and reveal her true feelings for her friend, or if she should settle for someone else. It’s an up-and-down game of “he loves me, he loves me not” with both hearts and friendship on the line.

Maryann Morrington knows that she isn’t the ideal woman for marriage. She’s a little too old at twenty-two for most men looking for a bride. The one thing she has in abundance is the one thing she doesn’t want anyone to know about, wealth. Maryann is an heiress and does not want a man that only wants her for her monies. She’d prefer someone that wants her for her mind, her wit, her humor, and her sensibilities. She knows that is a bit of a longshot, but it’s what she desires even if it is unattainable. The one male acquaintance that she’s made during this London season that she likes, is Timothy Mayfield. Timothy is looking for a bride and knows that due to his lack of finances he’ll most likely need to find a bride that is an heiress, but he also wants to find a woman that he loves or at least can come to love. Timothy’s list of attributes is long and seemingly superficial and, needless to say, Maryann doesn’t fit any of the qualities Timothy is seeking in his perfect mate. Knowing that she’ll never fulfill Timothy’s desire for his “perfect women,” Maryann does the only thing a true friend can do, she sets out to help him find her. Luckily, Maryann does find a woman that seems to meet all of the items on Timothy’s list, Miss Rachel Shaw, and she goes out of her way to introduce Timothy to this paragon of virtue and beauty. Timothy feels he must reciprocate Maryann’s matchmaking abilities and introduces her to one Colonel Charles Berkins. Superficially, Colonel Berkins and Miss Shaw are the perfect matches for Maryann and Timothy, but appearances can be deceiving. Can a relationship be built on superficialities? Will Maryann and Timothy recognize the folly of their efforts before it is too late?

I found Daisies and Devotion to be a fast-paced and engaging read and one that I started (okay, started anew—weather-related migraine headaches forced me to set the book aside so I began reading from the very beginning when I restarted the book) and finished in just a few hours. For those of you that have been following my blog for awhile now, you know that I enjoy reading romance just as much as I enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers. Daisies and Devotion is the first romance that I’ve read by Ms. Kilpack, but it won’t be my last. I enjoyed this regency romance and all of the historical and social amusements. I loved the exchanges between Timothy and Maryann, as well as Maryann’s relationships and exchanges with her sister, her brother-in-law, her maid, and the Callifours. Yes, this is a romance and yes, it has a happy-ever-after, but it is also a story of self-discovery, acceptance of self in a time when conformity is praised, friendship and love. If I had to classify Daisies and Devotion it would be as a wholesome, historical romance and one I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers of romance and/or historical romances. Ms. Kilpack was able to craft characters and scenarios that I found wholly believable and kept my attention from the first page to the very last. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read Daisies and Devotion and can’t wait to read more of Ms. Kilpack’s books in the future.

Disclaimer: I received a free print review copy of this book from the publisher. I was not paid, required, or otherwise obligated to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Meet the author

Josi S. Kilpack is the author of twenty-five novels, one cookbook, and a participant in several coauthored projects and anthologies. She is a four-time Whiney Award Winner—Sheep’s Clothing (2007), Wedding Cake (2014), and Lord Fenton’s Folly (2015) for Best Romance and Best Novel of the Year—and the Utah Best in State winner for fiction in 2012. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children.

Connect with the author via her website, Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.

Author: thebookdivasreads

I'm a reader, an avid reader, or perhaps a rabid reader (at least according to my family). I enjoy reading from a variety of different genres but particularly enjoy fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, ChickLit, romance and classics. I also enjoy reading about numerous non-fiction subjects including aromatherapy, comparative religions, herbalism, naturopathic medicine, and tea. View all posts by thebookdivasreads