Mr. Clarke's Deepest Desire

The perfect enemies-to-lovers romance! I've read a lot of books where the H and h start out as enemies but are quickly united in their mutual attraction. This is the first book I've ever read where the mutual attraction is not quite enough to overcome the intense animosity they have for each other; his is mistakenly based on his opinion of her father, while hers is rightly based on his treatment of her. Matthew is a wonderful hero, a man who has pulled himself up by hard work and a little bit of luck, despite the challenges he faced as a child. He's just not quite ready to forgive the family that was at the root of those challenges, regardless of how much he's attracted to the daughter of his nemesis. Rosamund is both irresistibly attractive and frustratingly shrewd and clever. I simply adored their bickering back and forth, their clear annoyance with each other even when acknowledging their explosive chemistry. For these two, it's going to take a whole lot more than just their fiery exchanges to bridge the gap between what they want and what they can be together. The writing is outstanding, giving both characters strong personalities and genuine virtue even when they're at odds. I loved how all the characters were fully developed; no easy villains here who exist just to drive the plot. The HEA was hard-won and very satisfying for all. I enjoyed every bit of this book and highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.