Becoming Lady Lockwood by Jennifer Moore

Synopsis:

Amelia Beckett is delighted to be a widow. Married by proxy to a man she'd never met, Amelia recognizes that a fortuitous entry into widowhood frees her from meddlesome chaperones and matchmakers. Heiress to her mother's sugar plantation in Jamaica, she happily anticipates working in a man's world, with the additional credibility of her new title: Lady Lockwood. But with the arrival of Captain Sir William Drake, her plans quickly go awry...

William has traversed the Atlantic with one purpose. If he cannot prove that Amelia's marriage to his brother was a fraud, she will be entitled to a sizeable portion of his family's estate. He is determined to return this duplicitous "Lady" to London for an official hearing, and he carries with him a letter that will ensure her cooperation...

Left with no choice, Amelia joins the captain on his return voyage to England, and the two quickly find that ship life does not allow for evasion. Amelia and William are ceaselessly thrown together, and amidst fierce storms and ocean battles, what began as antipathy seems to be evolving quite unexpectedly. But as they draw ever closer to their destination, will the impossibility of their circumstances shatter any hope of a future together?

My Review: 4 Stars

I had been hearing lots of good things about Becoming Lady Lockwood and was not disappointed when I read it!

Amelia Beckett is actually happy to be a widow. She had never met Lawrence Drake, the Earl of Lockwood, and was married to him by proxy. Shortly after their marriage, he unexpectedly passed away. She is now Lady Lockwood and no longer has to worry about the scrutiny the single women are subjected too.

Captain Sir William Drake is now the Earl of Lockwood and is determined to expose Amelia and her father as a fraud and have the "marriage" to his brother dissolved. He is sure that Amelia and her father tricked his brother into the marriage and they did it so that they can obtain his wealth and property.

William has to take Amelia back to London to meet with the magistrates to have the issue cleared up. She is not looking forward to it but she has no other choice.

While on the journey William is determined to not like her or have anything to do with her but quickly finds that it is not going to happen. Amelia is not like any woman he has ever met before. She is not only kind, caring, friendly and loyal but she is a very strong, hard working woman who pulls her own weight on the ship. Rather than sitting back and doing absolutely nothing, she can be seen in the galley helping the cook, in the surgery room helping the doctor, on deck helping to mend the sails. She helps to bring light and laughter to everyone around her.

Watching William and Amelia fall in love was adorable! I really enjoyed their story! The only thing that I did not like is the fact that while Amelia is so strong in almost everything in life, she is not strong when it comes to her own self esteem. While she and William have shared quite a few memories, happy times and even a couple of kisses, she doubts that he feels anything for her. Everyone could see his feelings plain as day but she didn't and doubted her own worth. I don't know why but that just bugs me!

And what good story lacks adventure and trials?! Can I just tell you how much I enjoyed watching Amelia rescue the entire ship and crew?! That was just awesome! I loved how she considered every single one of the men her shipmates and how close she grew to the crew. She really is an amazing heroine!

I wasn't too shocked to find out who the bad guy was. I kinda saw that one coming. But to me it seems like something is missing there.. like there is more to that story.

All in all this was a cute, fun read full of adventure, friendship, loyalty and of course a HEA! What a great first novel by Jennifer Moore! Can't wait to read more by her!