Lions and Lace

Van Alen Sisters, Book 1

De: Meagan McKinney

Narrado por: Suzie Althens

From the glittering mansions of the Astors and the Vanderbilts to the gas-lit streets of New York, this passionate novel by award-winning author Meagan McKinney brings together a desperate woman and a handsome stranger who could expose her scandalous secret....

New York heiress Alana Van Alen has everything-beauty, wealth, and status. But she is living a lie. To protect her sister, she plays society's game and attends dazzling balls and soirees-until a cunningly orchestrated act of revenge leaves her penniless and at the mercy of one of the city's most notorious gentlemen.

Dubbed the Predator of Wall Street, Trevor Sheridan rose from abject poverty in Ireland to the pinnacle of power in Manhattan. Yet he's still shunned by the city's elite Four Hundred. Now he has parlayed his hunger for revenge into a scheme to destroy the rich and powerful. In the final phase of his plan, he will marry the pedigreed Alana Van Alen to gain the acceptance that has been denied to him for so long. But along the way, he makes a fatal misstep: He falls in love with her.

©1992 Ruth Goodman (P)2024 Tantor

Great naration and interesting story

I liked the writing style and the plot, the second characters and the old New York high society setting.
Alana Van Alen is a high society beauty, who finds herself bankrupt (due to bad investments done by her uncle, the one in charge of her money) and literally discarted in front of the house where the wealthy irishman Trevor Sheridan lives . He is the cause of her uncle's bankruptcy, as he takes revenge on all of the Knickerbockers who do not attend to his sisters's coming out party (irish are seen as unworthy by the descendants of the Dutch NY settlers.).
Trevor sees an opportunity in this predicament, convincing Alana to accept a marriage of conveniance, in order for his sister to be accepted in the NY high society.
Alana has a secret of her own, which weighs hard in saying yes to a man who she doesn't know.
I liked Alana's character but had a hard time liking Trevor. He is a tormented/ broody hero with a very hard life behing him, who manages to become wealthy through hard work, perseverence and intelligence. Although very succesful, deep down he has a very bad opinion of himself and always finds negative intentions in other people's actions.
He takes a verrry loooong time to open his eyes and see Alana as she is, not distorted by his irrational thoughts and preconceptions. He is mean and mean again, behavior understandable in the begining of the book, but not as their relationship develops.
I sometimes wanted to beat him with a club. Open your eyes man and see the wonderful person in front of you!
He does in the end, but for me this does not mend all his cruel behaviors.

That being said, do not avoid the book, as it is very well constructed, with funny, heart warming secondary characters who are worthwhile.
The tension between Alana and Trevor also keeps you turning the page.

Now, I will continue with book two" Fair is the Rose", to find out Alana's younger sister's story.
I only hope the main male character will be less annoing :-)