The Heiress Effect - Courtney Milan

Miss Jane Fairfield can’t do anything right. When she’s in company, she always says the wrong thing—and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can’t save her from being an object of derision.
And that’s precisely what she wants. She’ll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe.
Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He’s the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances—and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he’ll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn’t need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn’t need to fall in love with her. But there’s something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can’t resist…even though it could mean the ruin of them both.

I thought I should continue another series and decided to pick this one up. Considering my reading choices so far this year will be the year I catch up on most series...

I really enjoyed The Heiress Effect! It had strong, interesting characters, both the main and the secondary ones. An unusual story with some really interesting themes in the background. Clearly something out of the ordinary!

Miss Fairfield is doing her best to avoid marriage. She wants to remain unmarried so she can protect her sister from the misguided good intentions of her guardian. So she behaves and dresses in a way as to repel everyone. Oliver Marshall is trying to rise in politics and to do that he needs to court the favour of some titled men. That and somewhere down the road a wife who can help him gain the favour he needs to succeed.

You can see how Jane and Oliver seem to be total opposites in terms of what they want and / or need. But Oliver sees something in her he recognises and thus they begin a friendship of sorts.

This seemed to have everything I enjoy. However, I didn't fall in love with it. I think my main complaint is that I felt, in the beginning, that Jane was acting, playing a role. And then it turns out that she becomes the character she is playing so that Oliver may have an obstacle to face. I felt she became a bit of a caricature while Oliver, with his behaviour, only felt human, with frailties and faults.

So, I enjoyed the first half of the story a lot more than the second one which lowered the grade I was intending to give to a 4/5.