Moments of truth

Mr. Clarke's Deepest Desire (Enterprising Scoundrels #2) by  Sophie Barnes  

⭐️⭐️💫

Mathew Parker is a modern Victorian man, a man devoted to locomotive engines. He’s also a man with a grudge. Lady Rosamund Parker is a thoroughly modern woman with an independent spirit whose interest in engines matches that of Matthews. 

Her father, the Earl of Stoneburrow has died and his joint wills have placed constraints on her. Rosamund’s only way out is to marry or invest. Rosamund chooses the latter. Unfortunately the works of her choice, A&C Locomotives, or rather Matthew, have refused her approaches regarding investment.

That’s how she finds herself at Earl of Westhaven’s country house party with men of like mind. It seems Rosamund’s scientific views on engines are quite insightful. 

Matthew is there too. He confronts her with her father’s wrong doing towards his mother—the upstairs maid in her home years ago. A maid her father had dallied with and thrown out when things became difficult, when his mother became pregnant. Rosamund is unbelieving and indignant.

Despite his prejudices Matthew is annoyed by the attentions shown to Rosamund by the Earl.

I agree with people who ask the question, why didn't this seemingly intelligent woman not investigate the truth of Matthews claim?

The enemies to lover trope all devolves into lovers quite quickly. I found the characters flat and had little sympathy with them.

A rather confusing tale that’s not at all as well developed as most of Sophie Barnes works.

An Independently Published ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.