Christopher Whitby is highly educated and yearns to learn all he can. A social flop according to his father, Chris' social graces have just never been important to him. He likes women well enough but he loves science. Much to his father's consternation, Chris often forgets what he is supposed to be doing. Never having had a lover, and not really missing that aspect, Chris is dumbfounded when his mother's guest for tea, Countess du Chevalier, kisses him and exposes to Chris a whole new side of life. Agreeing to come to her country estate to redesign her greenhouse, Chris knows what is going to happen. He just doesn't count on falling in love.
Chris and Meri inevitably become lovers. What starts out as a job for Meri quickly becomes more and she finds herself floundering for the first time in years. When Chris inadvertently overhears Meri's reason for befriending him and becoming his lover he is crushed. Refusing Meredith's apology Chris angrily strides out of her life and Meredith is unable to fathom his leaving because the unthinkable has happened. She has fallen in love.
I love the aspect of an innocent young man being tutored by the jaded older woman of experience. And while Meri was certainly jaded, she wasn't the femme fatale that I at first envisioned. She was more like a vulnerable siren that would do anything to protect her heart. She tried - I have to give her that much. She tried not to love Chris but his love of nature and thirst for knowledge won me over and I in turn got to watch it win Meredith over.
Bonnie Dee has penned a delightful and very thoughtful novel with THE COUNTESS TAKES A LOVER. I found it utterly enchanting and quickly became overwhelmed at the emotions it invoked in me. I love historical romances that make me feel and THE COUNTESS TAKES A LOVER was just that type of book. I loved it.
