Such a fun historical romance book! This has one of my favorite tropes in it, including the secret heir/ someone comes into money they didn’t know they were going to (kind of like the inheritance games) but these books are wildly different.

Phil and Mere's story in The Unexpected Heiress by Kaitlin O'Riley definitely spoke to me. I enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author.

this was honestly not it for me, it was really uncomfortable and so repetitive that i honestly felt like no new information was given. i’ve previously stated that for me characters sometimes make or break a book for me because if i don’t like a character it takes away from the enjoyment. i’ve always been character driven and while there has been instances where i could ignore/be okay the male character in this novel was overwhelmingly stale. this may come off as harsh but i can’t support or even come to like someone who seems so childish in everything they do, and honestly at times he seems like a pushover. while i have no problems with Rakes and i have an understanding of why the author chose to write him the way she did because essentially he is a rake and let’s be honest not all of them can be devilishly handsome and charming or even charismatic. in plain terms i disliked him so much i didn’t want to read about him, and therefore was super disinterested in this story. that ultimately made me not be able to enjoy their love story and i felt very underwhelmed. but i still feel like this story is worth the read.


thank you netgalley & publisher for the opportunity to read this.

Enjoyed this one throughout, even though it was pretty much more about the entire family (5 aunts and their husbands and kids and their spouses!) minus the kitchen sink being thrown in at some point. Still, I didn't feel lost in the many names and characters, but some more page time for the protagonists would've been nicer. Liked the wit and banter between the two. The ending felt a bit rushed and didn't really make sense to me, but they got their happy ending and I suppose we should be happy with that

This took a long time to plough through because it just didn’t really hold my attention. Meredith and Phillip just didn’t come alive for me.

Phillip seemed a spoilt, over indulged man, and Meredith just came over as a little dull and easily duped.

Phillip just can’t be bothered to work to meet his family’s expectations, which are not very challenging, he doesn’t seem to know his own mind, as he only considers perhaps marrying his mistress when someone puts the idea into his head. He is a dilettante, can't be bothered to behave well even when his family are at their wits end. He also blows hot and cold with Meredith, flaunts his mistress in front of her, and believes other people who have vested interests over Meredith herself. He can't even face up to his mistakes and work out what he wants, he need his brother to tell him.

Overall not a hero to admire or root for, and I didn't believe the love story because I had no idea what there was to love about Phillip.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

I didn't finish the book. I wanted too like it but I was bird. It was repetitive which I hate. The romance was not believable. The writing was uneven.

The Unexpected Heiress by Kaitlin O’Riley

Meredith Remington who is beautiful, intelligent and has a passion for writing but she has a terrible secret. Whilst visiting Hamilton’s Book Shop Philip Sinclair, Earl of Waverley, tries even though he is extremely handsome she finds him very forward and pompous.

Beatifully written book and has many twists and turns whilst things don’t always turn out the way you think. Very enjoyable read.

I liked this book. I loved that Meredith was a writer. The author included snippets of Merediths book that she was working on in the story. This made me think of Meredith as more than just a character. It gave her dimensions that I normally don't see in other historical romances.

‘The Unexpected Heiress‘ is the third title in the ‘Hamilton Cousins‘ series (a spin-off from the ‘Hamilton Sisters‘ series). I’ll be frank upfront and say that I’m deeply torn on Phillip and Meredith’s story. It’s not often that the hero is so unlikable to me that I cannot find some growth, some redemption before the ending of the story. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me with Phillip. I didn’t like him. He had his moments then he’d go and do or say something totally arrogant being a jackass once again and he’d lose those points he’d just gained. He kept his mistress throughout most of this story, even going so far as to kiss her shortly after having kissed Merry. No. Just no. I really wish I could have found something good to see in Phillip, if only for Meredith’s or his parents’ sake but he was a spoiled brat from beginning to ending for me.

Meredith wasn’t totally without her faults, yet the lie about her wealth was started and for the benefit of her aunt – so she went along and tried to go do what she loved most which was to continue her writing, working towards a published novel. I don’t think she had any real idea of just how badly that lie would turn out for them each. Women of the time didn’t have a lot of options, but Meredith wanted to forge her own way. Again, unfortunately, that wasn’t a viable option. She had found a sanctuary of sorts in the Hamilton Book Shoppe, and it was there that friendships were formed… and she came in contact with Phillip.

‘The Unexpected Heiress‘ is one of those stories where I loved and enjoyed parts of it, and disliked others. Again being frank, I think this is a story that will truly change depending on each individual reader. What was hard ‘no’ for me might not have affected you in the least. One thing that I did greatly enjoy was the inclusion of an LGBT couple that was realistically portrayed for the times. That’s not something I often see in Historical Romance, and it was a delight to meet them and follow the second romance in this story. In all, it’s a good book just not one that I loved from start to finish – and I’m going to leave it at that.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

The Unexpected Heiress by Kaitlyn O Riley was a quick read but unfortunately not my favorite read. While I thought the premise interesting and the main character, Meredith, very independent and great to read, the book was brought down by certain other elements that just made this an average read for me.

I personally did not like reading about Philip, I felt he was quite immature and reckless (not in an attractive rake kind of way but more in a man-child way). I understand the author was trying to paint him as the wild rake kind of character who doesn't want to take his upcoming responsibilities but I felt it was way overdone. A great example of a reckless rake who doesn't want to deal with his responsibilities is Chase from The Governess Game by Tessa Dare.

I did not really find Meredith and Philip's relationship real or genuine. It was very subtle then got serious out of nowhere. I was missing the genuine development and progression from casual to serious. He was involved with other women for too long and it just didn't seem like he was truly falling in love with her.

This was a light and quick read but a pretty average one.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free copy of the ARC for my honest opinion in exchange.

- 2.5 stars - (rounded up to three)

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately, I had a hard time with it. I found the story repetitive.

Such a cute read! I really enjoyed this unique era.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Unexpected Heiress by Kaitlin O'Riley is book Three in the Hamilton Cousins Series. This is the story of Phillip Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly and Meredith Rose Remington. I have read the previous books in this series, but I do feel this can be a standalone book if you wish to do so. Meredith and her aunt learn that the oil company the family had is bankrupt. So working to start fresh they head to London from America where Meredith's Aunt talks her into pretending to be a oil heiress to catch a husband. But Meredith has no desire to become married and instead would like to pursue a her writing. Of course she then meets Phillip and sparks fly. Enjoyed their story.

I will preface this review by saying two things: one, I have not read any of the earlier books in this trilogy, nor the Hamilton sisters series, and two, Lady Vickers should be the protagonist of her own novel because she was the MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER AND DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE A HALF-BAKED ANTAGONIST.

So I didn't mind the plot of this book so much as I did the immature writing style and the characters. I felt that way too much time was spent with previous protagonists (which, I understand might be charming to those who read their books and enjoyed them) when our main character and love interest's development suffered.

One very particular thing that bothers me is that the love interest hears her name before being introduced to her properly, but only hears her nickname "Merry." How ON EARTH did he correctly assume that she was called "Merry" and not just plain "Mary"?????

The scene where they sneak away to kiss at a ball was definitely my favorite, very spicy and sweet simultaneously. I love some "they could catch us at any moment" action.

The real antagonist (not my absolute icon, Katherine, who was the saving grace of this novel and didn't deserve a bit of the slander she received for BETTERING HER LIFE AND TRYING TO BE HAPPY) came as a twist to me but... in a bad way, because I actually liked his character prior? And he made these big threats but only "ruined" Merry's reputation because... he found out dirt about her on accident? Interesting.

Might satisfy the average romance reader who just wants some drama but I have some pretty specific standards for my romance novels and this one sadly didn't' hit the mark for me.

DNF

Ego, vanity, and exclamation points galore!

See, I’ve got the exclamation point bug. This is my first O’Riley and most likely my last. The book started out with a positive note, an American heiress. Meredith Remington’s just lost her father and uncle in an accident. Oh, btw they have also lost their fortune. But sweet Aunt Delilah has the solution: to run for England, omit the fact the money is gone, and find rich husbands. It’s supposed to a fun twist on the ‘hero in need of a rich wife trope’.

Except… it fell flat. Besides the fact the heroine and her aunts love to use exclamation points all over the place in conversation. These people, demur, upper class, rich love to shout— not in my experience. Add in conversations that resolve solely around a horrible meet cute involving flirting with eyes that went on for three pages and I was frustrated.

Both hero and heroine bounce back and forth around their feelings, what they want, and what they think not like folks in their twenties, but more like teenagers. There’s a decided air of forced dialogue, constant re-hashing of the same problems and topics, which smacked of a lack of plot. At least a plot with no purpose. Thirty percent of the way through and both the main characters have shared three scenes together.

Bottom line, fans of this author may already be invested in these characters from previous books, but for me this was a disjointed mess that I couldn’t sink into without constantly wondering what was the point.

~ Landra

Meredith Remington wants to write books but after the tragic death of her father, she is left with nothing and has to resort to finding a husband to take care of her. She was supposed to inherit her father's billion-dollar oil business but it wasn't as lucrative as they'd hoped. Meredith, her Aunt and cousins move from America to England to live with family and hunt for rich husbands. Meredith's Aunt thinks it would be best to pretend she is still an heiress to lure in rich men's proposals.

In the meantime she runs into Phillip who is a troubled young man with no desire to find a wife... you can probably figure out what happens so I don't need to go on.

This was the first time I've read anything from Kaitlin O'Riley and I think I'll check out the previous books in this series. I enjoyed this one, although Phillip's character was a bit of a douche, he was hot and cold with her and it was a little frustrating.

Overall it was a good book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book.

Review: Merry is a great heroine. She's smart, intuitive, and empathetic. Her aunt is using her, basically, as bait to help them each catch a wealthy husband. The aunt is a pill. Phillip spends his time drinking and sowing wild oats. He also loves to be contrary to whatever his family thinks is good for him, so he resists the wholesome Merry on purpose. That's ok, because she intially thinks he's pompous. Rightly so. But they really do fall for each other from the get go, they just don't realize it. Philip can be a hothead, at times. But he falls hard and gets hurt in the process. It's your typical misunderstanding here. He doesn't care that she's peniless, just that she lied to him. I loved the Hamilton Bookshop scenes and love how he encourages her writing. Also enjoyed the side story of his brother Simon.
Series: Hamilton Cousins #3
Type: Victorian
Heat: 7/10
Tropes: Appearance vs Reality (Merry was an oil heiress, but has lost everything - she's just not letting that get out yet), Love at First Sight.
Premise: Meredith "Merry" Remington, an oil heiress is now destitute and an orphan now that her father has died. Her aunt makes them travel from NYC to London to live with her sister and makes Merry keep the secret of being peniless while they both hunt for wealthy husbands. Only Merry isn't too thrilled with lying. But she must, to help her aunt and young cousins. She bumps into Philip Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly in a bookshop. Sparks fly but she thinks he's pompous and he likes teasing/flirting with her. Her not being receptive to his drop dead gorgeous looks and charm, entices him.
The Good: It was a really enjoyable read. Philip is a rake with a good heart. Merry is a budding writer. Philip's family is wonderful and Merry falls in love with them, and they love her too.
The Bad: The beginning of the book has Phillip gaga over another woman. I'm not used to that. Also, not "bad" per se, just different but I'm also not used to getting third person insight into characters heads other than the hero and heroine. But here we had a few others, too. Another oddity, there were 2 instances that seemed out of order in the novel.

**Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in order to write this unbiased review.**

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Unexpected Heiress by Kaitlyn O’Riley is the third book in her Hamilton Cousins series. It can be read as a standalone, but I enjoyed not only the first two books in this series but also the previous series, the Hamilton Sisters, about the parents of the protagonists in this series. After the deaths of her father and uncle leave them almost penniless Meredith Rose Remington and her aunt travel to London in hopes that they can find husbands before word gets out that they are no longer oil heiresses. Merry is uncomfortable with the pretence, but her aunt insists it’s the only way. Philip Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly, has his parents concerned he’s become a useless fribble, drinking, gambling and enjoying the company of wanton widows. Meeting Merry is a wakeup call for him as she makes it plain that he needs to grow up and take responsibility for his life, and he finds he wants to be a better person for her. This is an appealing friends to lovers story, and I enjoyed reading it. Medium Steam. Publishing Date: July 28, 2020. #TheUnexpectedHeiress #KaitlynORiley #HistoricalRomance #VictorianRomance #bookstagram #FriendsToLovers #ZebraRomance #KensingtonBooks #NetGalley

Meredith Rose Remington, 20, wants to be an author. Living in NY with her Aunt Delilah and children she has her life ahead of her, until the day her father and uncle were killed in the oil rigs of TX. This left Meredith and Delilah with nothing. They move to London where Delilah's sister lives. Meredith is thrilled to find Hamilton's Book Shoppe as a place she could read and write her own book.

Phillip Sinclair, Earl of Waverly, is enjoying life partying a little more than his parents would like. His father, Lucian, Marquis of Stancliff, would like. Phillip is not ready to settle down, but something about Meredith interests him.

I do not like to spoil anything, but I have read all the Hamilton books and they are wonderful! I will be honest and say this author does not write as quickly as others do but I love her books. I have a

New York City - 1895

Meredith Rose Remington, 20, lives with her widowed aunt Delilah and the woman’s two children. Meredith loves to write and has even had a short story published. She wants nothing more than to write books, but her aunt tells her it is a waste of time and she must find a husband. When her mother passed away 10 years ago, it was Delilah who promised to raise her. Her father and Lavinia’s husband died 3 weeks ago in an explosion on an oil rig in which the men had invested their savings. The ladies are now penniless. Delilah has decided to take them all to London to live with her sister, Lavinia, Lady Eastwood.

London - 1895

Phillip Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly, 24, has staggered in from yet another night of drinking, gambling and women. Hoping to get to his room and his bed quickly, he is foiled when his father, Lucien Sinclair, the Marquis of Stancliff, stops him. Phillip is his heir and his father demands that he never come home hungover from a night of drinking and carousing or he will cut off his funds.

Phillip’s mother, Collette and her four sisters own Hamilton’s Book Shoppe that their parents had run. They had lived above the store. The sisters still run this store plus others. When Meredith discovers the bookstore, she is delighted with its coziness. Collette welcomes her and when she learns that she is a budding author, invites her to use the upstairs rooms for quiet and privacy for her writing. They soon become friends.

Phillip and Meredith see more of one another and are definitely attracted to one another. However, as much as Phillip likes her, he is just not ready to commit himself to marriage. People think that Meredith is a truly eligible young woman as they think she is an oil heiress. She knows she is penniless and doesn’t know what people will think when they learn otherwise. Is there a future for Phillip and Meredith or will she remain a spinster, yet hopefully an author?

This is a lovely story that I enjoyed very much. The Hamilton sisters are all warm, friendly, and welcoming. I loved Meredith because she is a strong heroine who knows what she wants from life. Phillip is a nice guy but he is hesitant to grow up. it is nice to see him finally mature. Great book! Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.