A charming Regency full of misunderstandings and hijinks. Clarissa is known as the plain sister, but Race sees through all that and wants to court her. Unfortunately for him, his reputation as a rake means Clarissa's guardian won't let him through the door. So he has to get creative, but even when he gets time alone with Clarissa, she won't take him seriously.

It was fun to return to the world of Bellaire Gardens and see some returning characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

If you like a good regency romance then this is one you should for sure try out. I loved it! Well worth a laugh.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
While I usually like anne Gracie, this book seems lacking. I feeling like nothing really happened between Race and Clarissa.
Clarissa doesn't believe that she is pretty altering seeing her parents marriage in which he father married her mother only for her money and resented that they money was tied up in a trust. He called Clarissa and her mother ugly and hated Clarissa not being a boy and had multiple affairs even though Clarissa's mother loved him.
Now Clarissa believes Race is only interested in her because her guardian asked him to look after her.
I will give this book credit in that it got be out of an extended reading slump but and overall plot was weak and slow.
3 stars

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥.5
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
The Heiresses Daughter is the third installment in the Bellaire Gardens series. I have really had a fun time with this series. Anne Gracie is such a endearing author to read, and one of the few modern authors releasing books where I can truly get into their works. I was able to physically read this one and also do the audiobook for this one. I am a bit behind on this one, as the publisher did give me the ARC, but as I am reading less of these now, just working through the backlogged of ARC so I can clear out my reading queue on Netgalley. I was impressed with this one though. Just like the previous two books, it had a level of charm and regency enticement that only Anne Gracie truly delivers. I think fans of Julia Quinn, Mary Balogh and Victoria Alexander, will have a blast with this one. It does have a bit of blend of modern with authenticity. While there were some things that felt a bit modernistic, it wasn't enough to turn me off and there is still the tone of historical authenticity that still was being reflected.

First Line
"Don't wiggle around like that child," Nanny said.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Race, Lord Randall
The Heroine: Clarissa Studley

Summary
The Heiresses Daughter is a story that begins with seeing our young heroine, and an interaction between Clarissa and her father to really set the stage for our heroine. As an adult, Clarissa knows that she does have a familial duty for marriage but she also doesn't want to just settle. She wants true love and a man that will want her and not just her fortune. She starts the season drawing the notice of two men. One is a friend of her guardian and brother in law who has a history of being a rake and she doesn't find herself worthy of him. Then we have her other suitor, who is a veteran and injured from the war but would suit her a bit better in her own expectations. But as Race start to make more of a invested effort for her, she has her own doubts and her own lack of self worth. But Race, is determined to win Clarissa over. But Clarissa is having mixed feelings as she isn't sure of Race's intentions towards her. But as Clarissa learns to trust in Race, she will discover a love worth fighting for.

What I Loved
This was basically seeing the hero fight through the heroine's insecurity issues and it was just delightful. I love seeing a hero that is willing to fight for his girl. Now from the beginning, and this is where its vital to read the prologue, we see why Clarissa has such insecurities. We see how her father treat her and her mother and she grew up in an environment where she was never enough, no matter how hard she tried. So seeing the heroine really work through her issues was very difficult to watch. But in some ways I resonated with her issues. As women, we have all experienced these insecurities and it felt authentic. Now there were times when some of the language being used was a bit more modern than what I prefer, but I know its probably the author or the publishing pushing it due to the culture we live in now. But it wasn't too much, just enough to pacify those more difficult readers. The romance that builds between Race and Clarissa, was quite endearing. The hero did some great pining and he didn't just give up on Clarissa when misunderstandings happened. He was determined to fight for their relationship and there was some fun banter that is implemented into the story as well that added a unique level of charm and wit to the story that only deepened the enjoyment of it.

What I Struggled With
I didn't really understand why the heroine was so doubtful of Race. Yes he had a history, but he was also the best friend of her brother in law, who actually trusted him enough to take care of her so I didn't get why she was so resistant throughout so much of the book. I could understand it in the beginning, and while yes she had insecurities, she really didn't communicate this honestly until the very end and it felt a bit too dragged out.

Narration
Pretty decent narration for a historical. It might not work for everyone, but I found it mostly enjoyable. If you don't want to deal wit the heavy accent, just speed it up. lol

Overall View
I found the Heiresses Daughter to be a satisfying romance that led me on a merry ride of wit, charm and emotion which quickly resonated. A TRULY IMPACTFUL ROMANCE THAT HAD DEPTH!

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance
Time Era: England-Regency Era 1800-1820
Character Types: Protector, Rake/Rogue, Plain Jane
Themes: Pining Hero, Heart/Emotional, Friendships, Family Saga Themes
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Friends to Lovers, Love Triangle

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Mary Balogh
Victoria Alexander
Elisa Braden

Song This Book Inspires
In My Blood by Vitamin String Quartet

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standlone, but for familial connections, best to read in order but its not necessary.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.


Narrators:
Christine Rendel

A dashing rake must prove he has changed his scandalous ways to win his one true love from the arms of another, in a witty new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Rake's Daughter..This is a good romantic novel. It is both comical and fun.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

With her sister Izzy on her honeymoon, heiress Clarissa Studley is going to have to face the season with just her marriage-minded chaperone for support. Clarissa’s father was an awful man who was unforgivably cruel to both Clarissa and her mother, having affair after affair and belittling them both to point that Clarissa is sure that no man would ever want more than her fortune. So, when her brother-in-law, Leo’s best friend Lord Randall “Race” begins to show an interest in her, she is sure he is only pretending to like her as a favor to Leo, after all he is gorgeous and a known rake, why would he want a plump, plain country girl like her? Besides, she has bigger things to consider, like the possibility of another sister! But Race doesn’t seem to be giving up and now she has another suitor who is also showing serious intentions. Too bad he doesn’t make her heart beat faster like Race does, but if life with her father taught her anything it is that you can never trust a rake.

Horatio “Race”, Lord Randall may have a reputation as a rake, but it is exaggerated and worked to his advantage before he wanted find a wife. But now it seems that his legendary charm is failing him, because the first and only woman he has ever wanted to marry is doing her utmost to avoid him! He will have to find a way to prove to her that his love is real or risk losing her to the wrong man!

This was a very sweet story but was not as cohesive as I have come to expect from Ms. Gracie. Race and Clarissa are wonderful characters and I wanted to love their journey to HEA, but sadly, the story just seemed to drag and began to feel repetitious. It also had elements that just seemed as if they were added to act as a filler. This book has a very slow-burn romance, feelings of inadequacy, sneaky suitors, surprise relatives, very low-steam love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, and finally a well-earned HEA. I liked this book, but it felt like it would have been better as a novella, as Clarissa’s self-doubts and insecurities just went on way too long and stalled the progress of the story. Overall, it was not a bad book, but not the story I was hoping for. I would recommend it for readers who have been following the series or readers who prefer a lower steam romance. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title.

3 maybe 3.5 stars

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Clarissa Studley and her sister Izzy are in London to make their come out together. The occasion is marred by the fact that Izzy is the daughter of her father with his mistress and of course it would be a scandal if this became known amongst the ton. Clarissa meets Race Randall, the best friend of her guardian, Leo's. Race is instantly attracted to Clarissa but she does not believe him because she thinks she is unattractive and plump, unlike her sister Izzy. Race is unprepared to give up on Clarissa and he always finds ways to be in her presence. Of course he will have a hard time convincing Clarissa that he is truly interested in her especially with the female members of the ton telling her he would never be interested in someone like her. The Heiress's Daughter was a beautifully written story and I was happy to see that Clarissa got her HEA with a man who was able to see her beauty and loved her despite her self doubts.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Heiress's Daughter is the third book in The Brides of Belleaire Gardens series by Anne Gracie. I don't think you need to read the first two books to be able to jump into this story but it would probably be helpful as there are references to other characters and storylines that might leave you wondering. That said, it's not a huge gap.

Clarissa is the ward of Leo and sister of Izzy the main characters in book two. Because of her background, she is determined to never marry a rake and the man who has his eye on her, Race, is definitely a rake so Clarissa is going to keep her distance. The thing is, Race is determined to show her that he isn't truly as bad as his reputation would have her think he is and for the first time, he is well and truly in love. When a rival shows up and challenges Race for Clarissa's affections, Race becomes desperate to make her see that he truly is the one for her.

I enjoyed this installment and loved being back with these characters. It's always great when you get to come back to old characters while getting to explore new ones as well and this series does that well. Anne Gracie is always an author I can count on to give me a solid story with some well-developed characters and she did not disappoint in this book. If you're looking for a new historical romance to pick up, consider grabbing this one!

The Heiress's Daughter by Anne Gracie is a charming Regency romance that follows heiress Clarissa Studley as she navigates the complexities of love and societal expectations. Determined to avoid rakes and fortune hunters, Clarissa finds herself irresistibly drawn to Race, Lord Randall, despite his flirtatious reputation. Anne Gracie skillfully weaves a tale of romance and suspense, exploring themes of trust, self-discovery, and the transformative power of love. While the novel occasionally falters with repetitive misunderstandings and predictable plot twists, Gracie's vivid prose and endearing characters create an enchanting world that captivates readers and leaves a lasting impression of warmth and authenticity in Regency England.

Another hit from Anne Gracie. Thank you @berkleyromance for the review copy because THE HEIRESS’S DAUGHTER was such a win! This next installment in the Brides of Belleaire Garden series is Clarissa’s story and I immediately fell in love.

Clarissa’s lack of confidence in herself stems from her father’s treatment of her and it was so heart-breaking to read how little she thought of herself in not only the looks but personality department as well. Race seeing her for who she is both inside and out is a trope I love. Race’s rakish ways and exploration of his origins was a turn I wasn’t expecting amd ended up being really surprising in a way that I really liked.

The introduction of another character had my heart melting and I’m so hopeful she gets a book because I need her to have a happy ending and hear more of her story! The best things about Gracie’s books is she always seems to write a full-bodied story with depth and development and great pace.

I adore her writing and love everything she writes, she is truly the best historical romance author around. I love other HR authors but she has not had a dud book for me ever! You have to read Anne Gracie if you haven’t and if you have, you’ll enjoy this next book!

Handsome, rich, and eligible Race must convince Clarissa he really does love her and wants to marry her. From childhood, Clarissa was told by her father that she was plain and fat just like her mother so she can't believe that the charming Race is serious when he tells her she's beautiful and wants to get married. Much of the book is Race creating outings, attending balls, anything to see her. We get to visit the characters from the previous books and are introduced to another previously unknown half-sister. I'd like to live in their homes with the private garden for only those on this block! Clarissa's emerging self confidence as she realizes people care about her for more than her inheritance is very well done and enjoyable.

The third book in the Brides of Bellaire Gardens. I intended to go back and read the previous books in the series before starting this one; however, I started reading the first chapter. Before I knew it==I was fully engrossed in the book!

Anne Gracie's writing is just so lovely. I first stumbled on her when I read her Chance Sisters series. After that, I quickly fell down the rabbit hole of reading any and all her books. She has a unique but familiar style of reading that makes it easy for a reader to get lost within the pages of her books.

With the "The Heiress's Daughter, the idea of a rake pursuing a "plain" wallflower type heroine (with a large fortune, mind you), it was difficult to not want to read this all in one sitting! I would definitely recommend this book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to Anne Gracie, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this book was meh. The plot boils down to an heiress learning to trust a man who's reputation suggests he's untrustworthy, while he endeavors to convince her she can trust him. It's a cycle that loses its intrigue quickly. The heroine is timid and self-conscious about everything except her sisters, which is the part I liked most about her. The hero is nice and charming but seems to do nothing with his time aside from try to get her to take him seriously.

Overall, boring plot, boring heroine, boring hero.

One of the things I most enjoy about Anne Gracie's books is the relationships, especially the families formed. Whether biological, by marriage, or chosen, her family units are treasures that leave me sighing with delight and eager for return visits. In The Heiress's Daughter, we're treated to all three within the lush, private area of Bellaire Gardens.

Of course, comprising those family units are Gracie's characters and developing those characters is another of her many skills. I love the time and care she takes to bring them to life, giving them layers and intricacies that make them feel so very real. Clarissa and Race (who are first introduced in book two of this series, The Rake's Daughter) are excellent examples of that. How could I not love both of them, and especially love them together? If Clarissa's back story did not tug at my heart, I would have no heart. What that woman was put through by someone who should have loved, encouraged, and supported her. To become the kind, generous, loyal woman she is in spite of the treatment she received is testament to the special person she is, one worthy of the great love she feels is beyond her reach.

And then there's Race: handsome, flirtatious, liaisons scattered in his wake, and not a fortune hunter. In other words, a rake, just as Clarissa's father had been. But, is he really? There are so many hidden layers to this character and I'm here for all of them. He falls first. He falls hard. And he's willing to put in the work to convince Clarissa of his genuine feelings for her, which is not easy. It's safe to say I fell just as hard for him as Clarissa eventually does. I love his kindness, his humor, and his steadfast determination to bring Clarissa to the point where she sees - and believes - the beauty that makes her precious to him. Did I mention how much I adore this guy?

If you enjoy character-driven stories with plenty of humor, feel-good emotion, family dynamics, and happy endings, look no further than Anne Gracie's The Heiress's Daughter. It's an absolute delight.

This book stands well on its own but I enjoyed it much more for having read books one, The Scoundrel's Daughter and two, The Rake's Daughter first. Reading book two gave me a much better understanding of Clarissa, her back story, and her relationship with her sister (heroine of book two) while reading book one allowed me to better enjoy the characters from that book as well as the events in their lives that play out in The Heiress's Daughter.

4.5 stars

Every time I picked up "The Heiress's Daughter", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Firstly, this cover is so beautiful!

Anne Gracie's storytelling is simply breathtaking! Each and every element of her story, from the setting, to the plot, to the romance, to the characters, etc. truly jumps right off of the page. I was so swept away that I truly felt I was right there in the story, and simply could not put this book down.

Clarissa, completely understandably, is extremely guarded in many ways and promises herself that she will never marry a rake. Race, deeply in love with her, must show Clarissa that he is different from the man that she believes him to be. When another suitor becomes interested, what will happen next? I do not want to say too much about the plot of this novel due to spoilers, but, I will say, this book has so much in it: heartbreaking moments, heartwarming moments, shocking moments, heartfelt moments, romance, love, and so, so much more.

If you enjoy Historical Romance, I highly recommend this book! I so look forward to reading what Ms. Gracie writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book, and to Berkley Publishing Group for having me on the blog tour! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the 2nd book in this series. I loved book 1.
I'm not sure how I feel about this story. There was so many negatives to overcome. Clarissa had very low self-esteem, Race was a rake with a very bad reputation, and the war hero was a fake. I just felt the book dwelled more on the negatives than the Romance. It wasn't until the end of the book that I felt the chemistry between the two main characters.
It was a good story but had no lustre., no angst,no real passion.

Studly Park Manor, Hampshire

1806

On her 7th birthday, Clarissa Studley is thrilled to have a beautiful new dress and shoes that match her mother’s dress. When she heads downstairs, her father comes through the door. As he rarely comes home, she is so happy to see him reminding him that it’s her birthday. He roughly shoves her aside telling her she is ugly and worthless just like her mother. The man has always been very cruel to them and Clarissa believes that she is ugly.

1818 - London

Clarissa is staying with her chaperone and a lady friend. Some years ago, she discovered that she had an illegitimate half sister, Isobel (Izzy) who had been cast off by their father into an orphanage. Izzy has just married Leo Lord Salcott, and is now a Countess. They are off on their honeymoon. Before leaving, Leo asked his best friend Race, Lord Randall, to keep an eye on Clarissa and take her out horseback riding. But for some reason, the woman she is staying with thinks that he is a rake and will not allow him into her home. In truth, Race is a very wealthy and friendly man. Clarissa is also wealthy as she inherited a vast sum of money from her mother that is held in trust for her. Race is not to be daunted so he finds other ways to see Clarissa and help keep her away from fortune hunters. Will Race and Clarissa find a match?

This is such a delightful book with stories within stories and lots of humor. I loved the characters and the “work” that Race had to put into winning Clarissa’s hand. It’s simply swoon-worthy. Enjoy!

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

The Heiress's Daughter by Anne Gracie, book three in her The Brides of Bellaire Gardens series, is a captivating story that engages the reader, creating an enjoyable read. Heiress Clarissa Studley, was so beaten down by her father’s verbal abuse, it took a while for her to trust her own judgment and believe that someone could love her, just her, and she could be enough.
Scarred she vowed to avoid rakes and fortune-hunters as she searches for a husband; wanting only to marry for love. She has been keeping Race, Lord Randall, at arm's length and is determined not to fall in love with him; or at least not more than she already is. Though he is wealthy and not after Clarissa's fortune, Race's reputation as a rake has her convinced that he would an unfaithful husband. Race has adored Clarissa since they first met and is determined to prove her, and society, wrong about him. Clarissa is captivated by Lord Randall, who sees her unique beauty. When a wounded war hero starts to pursues her, Race becomes more desperate to prove to Clarissa that he truly loves her and she can trust him with her heart.

Clarissa and Race were fabulous characters and it's understandable why they fell for each other. Though she is insecure and doubts herself, Clarissa is brave, kindhearted, and willing to sacrifice anything for those she loves, especially her half-sisters. Race defies the rumors about him and his reputation; he's willing to fight for Clarissa, support her, and be vulnerable with her, while also respecting her and her boundaries. The side characters added so much to the story: including the indomitable Lady Scattergood, wreathed in brilliant scarves and surrounded by her dogs, Mrs Price-Jones, who has been employed as Clarissa’s chaperone, and Zoë, another surprise half-sister.

Ms. Gracie created an enchanting romance that was an enjoyable read, a wonderful story of the ones who can’t help but to fall in love with wanting and being in love.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#Berkley #NetGalley

The Brides of Bellaire Gardens, of which The Heiress's Daughter is the third entry in the series, is a collection of romances reminiscent of traditional Regencies. When I finished The Rake's Daughter, I was really looking forward to this book: it features Clarissa, a "plain" heroine who often fades into the background. She was a great supporting character in her sister's book, and I was hyped for her HEA.

Well, the book didn't disappoint. As it opens, the MMC (Race, Lord Randall) has already decided that Clarissa is his perfect bride. Now he just has to convince her of two things:

1. He's serious about her and not just being a protective friend;
2. That his rakish reputation is overblown.

This guy literally spends two thirds of the book trying to figure out how he can convince Clarissa that he's serious about marrying her. He's a "catch" and hasn't developed any skills in encouraging eligible young women to pursue him; he's focused his energy on dissuading them from ever thinking he's serious. Too bad for him, then, that Clarissa really needs a man who makes his intentions very obvious. (She's got a lot of reservations about marriage thanks to her parents' awful union and the way she's been treated in comparison to her hot sister.)

So most of the book is Race racking his brain with how to make his feelings more and more obvious to Clarissa, until he's got to convince her that's truly not a rake. It's low angst, low steam, and charming in the best way. The Heiress's Daughter is out now!

CN: Do note that there is an attempted SA by a grody fortune hunter in case that would be difficult for any reader!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

A pleasure!

Just how was a confirmed rake to woo a young heiress who’s always been told she’s plain and dumpling like?
Lord Randall, Horatio, known to his friends as Race, saw the inner beauty of Clarissa Studley the moment she’d supported her illegitimate sister at a ball years ago.
Clarissa’s strong suppressed feelings are mistaken for insipidness. Race is never confused.
Clarissa’s father had been a thorough going rake and cad. He’d married Clarissa’s mother for her fortune and then left her to wither away on his estate in Hampshire while he cut a swathe through London society. No rakes could not be trusted! Ever!
This story of a rake a-wooing, and the complicated thoughts of his beloved is absolutely a delight.
Of course things get tangled up and others add to that entanglement. There’s the wounded war hero making tentative overtures towards Clarissa. So charming! Race’s blood boils!
A story of hidden strength, with of course a fairytale ending.

A Berkley ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)