I enjoy this author, and I love dogs, but I just had such a struggle sticking with this one, and caring about the characters and events. It's not terrible, it just did not grab me at all. ( )

Terzo libro della serie dove anche le ultime due sorelle Haddonfield ancora nubili finalmente prendono il volo.
Susanna e Della sono a Londra per il debutto in società della minore, cosa questa che si rivelerà più difficoltosa di quanto si possa pensare. Susanna ritroverà un suo vecchio amico, Will, mentre Della dovrà tener testa a uno strano corteggiatore.
Un libro che non mi ha entusiasmato e che alla fine sembra più un manuale sui cani e su come vadano trattati; accanto le vicende degli umani si svolgono senza particolari emozioni, abbastanza banalmente, e senza alcun particolare colpo di scena che ne vivacizzi la lettura.
Una storia tranquilla e a tratti anche prolissa, forse il più lento e inutilmente lungo dei tre libri della serie.
Si può leggere di certo, ma solo se si cerca una storia molto tranquilla e piuttosto sonnacchiosa.
( )

Grace Burrowes has a way of writing wonderful male characters and this book is no exception. I always say that this is my favorite story but each one seems to surpass the previous ones. How can you not love a book when a whole family of men are named after trees. There’s Grey Birch - the Earl of Casriel, Willow – the hero of this tale and their 2 younger brothers in town Ash and Sycamore (known as Cam. Will Dorning is a caretaker. He feels responsible for everyone in his family. He tries for find a wife for his brother Casriel, and he watches over Ash and Cam to make sure they don’t get into trouble.
Will is known for his dog-raising/training skills. He’s a one man rescue society. He is able to match dogs that need homes with people who need dogs. Then he sets about to train both. His dog training skills come in handy in life also as he adds Lady Susannah Haddenfield to his pack. Susannah and Will have known each other for years but she is an Earl’s daughter and he is the spare in a family without much money or prestige to speak off.
Susannah is on the verge of becoming a spinster but she has come for one last season to bring out her younger sister Della. Della is the dark horse in a tall blond stable and there is talk about her parentage. She is being courted by Viscount Effington who is secretly doing everything he can to ruin her season so that her brother will up her dowry and make it worth it for him to marry her. The problem is that Lord Effington is an Effing-jerk.
The beauty of Ms Burrowes’ writing is that with every book, she is able to weave her collection of characters in and out of each tale. You don’t have to have read any of her other books to enjoy this one but you will certainly want to go back and see how she has written stories for other characters. My favorite, who seems to make an appearance in many of her books is Susannah’s older brother the Earl of Bellafonte, Nicholas Haddenfield. Wee Nick is the size of a Norse god with a silver tongue and a heart of gold. Although he is only mentioned by name in this story, if you know Nick you know he would not take kindly to how his sister Della is being treated. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Though it dragged a little bit in a few places, the rest more than made up for it. Will and Susannah have a little bit of a history before the start of this book. Seven years earlier, Susannah was in her first Season and the victim of a pair of particularly nasty fellow debutantes. Will, being the truly nice guy that he is, stepped in to give Susannah a bit of confidence. They parted ways not long after, but Susannah never forgot Will's kindness.

Fast forward to the present, and Susannah is back in London, this time as a chaperone for her younger sister, Della. Susannah would rather spend her time reading her beloved Shakespeare than spend time in Society, but she is determined to help Della land a husband. Then she can go back to her books and be content as the maiden aunt. Unfortunately, her sister's one beau is a self-avowed dog lover, and Susannah most definitely is not. So she went to Will to ask him to teach her how to look like a dog lover.

Will is the second son of the cash-strapped Dorning family. He has taken on the responsibility of watching out for his younger brothers, a headache of major proportions. His preferred activity is the training and breeding of dogs, and he prefers their company to that of humans. He has also never forgotten Susannah, and over the years has found himself watching her from a safe distance.

I really liked both Will and Susannah. Will is a nice guy. He is honorable, kind, and loves his family, even though they frequently exasperate him. I loved watching him with the various dogs, his patience and understanding of their varied temperaments were obvious. He was equally patient with the various owners, who were much harder to train. Susannah is strong and determined. She no longer worries too much about what people say about her. She's comfortable with her old maid status. She also loves her family and is determined to do her best to make Della's season a successful one. I did get a little frustrated with her focus on shoving Della and Effington together, especially since it is so clear that he isn't a good man.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Will and Susannah. There are sparks between them from the beginning, as well as an undeniable connection. Will tried very hard to resist the attraction, making it very clear to Susannah that he is in no position to make an offer for her. While Susannah would like to have forever, she will try to be content with having him for as long as she can. I enjoyed their interactions, especially when Susannah put her mind to distracting Will from his honorable position. I did get a little frustrated with Will at times because he was so convinced of his unsuitability when he actually had a lot going for him. I also thoroughly enjoyed her "dog lover" sessions and the clear evidence that she wasn't as "anti-dog" as she thought she was. I liked the way that Will brought Susannah out of her shell and the time spent with Susannah helps Will let go of some of his control issues with his brothers. I loved the ending and seeing Will realize that a future with Susannah is possible after all. His discussion with his brother-in-law, Worth, about his finances and his plans was pretty funny, but quintessentially Will. His big moment with Susannah was sweet, with an additional twist for him.

The secondary story with Susannah's sister, Della, and her suitor was interesting. Susannah's determination to get Della married off quickly seemed a little extreme to me, and a bit selfish. It was especially annoying as more of Effington's personality was revealed. I had a great deal of fun watching Will's brother, Ash, stir that pot whenever he could. It was no surprise to see him show such protectiveness toward Della the more time he spent with her. I thought Della was a little naïve about her relationship with Effington, especially once her true feelings and intentions were revealed. I thought that Effington was creepy from the beginning and those feelings grew stronger as the book went on.

The mystery of the missing dogs was a good addition to the story. I was a little disappointed in Will's reluctance to get involved at first, though his reasons were logical. His brothers, Cam and Ash, had no such qualms and I loved watching the two of them and their attempts. Even Susannah got into the act of trying to convince Will to take action. The final confrontation was fantastic, with an intensity that kept me on the edge of my seat until it was over. I loved seeing how it all came together, with Susannah playing a significant part. I laughed out loud at her actions once the dognapper was captured.

Out of all the secondary characters, my favorites were the dogs. I loved Will's Georgette and her obvious affection for both him and Susannah. Each of the other dogs had their own personalities and unique relationships with their owners. I loved watching the various interactions between owners and pups, and between owners and Will as he tried to train the owners along with the dogs. ( )

Will's True Wish is the third book in the True Gentlemen series and again about one of the Haddonfield sisters. Susannah Haddonfield is the sister who loves Shakespeare and has come to London for the season to chaperone her younger sister, Della. Susannah has decided that she will be a spinster once the season is over, but with her two older sisters having recently found their husbands, she does not want to stay in Kent.
Willow Dorning is the heir to his brother the Earl (until he marries and has children of his own). He is the sibling who must watch out for the pack of Dorning men in town for the season as well as try to grow his fledgling dog-breeding business.
Both Susannah and Will have some history together and they are thrown together when Susannah has a need to learn about dogs. There is all sorts of interesting side plots and many of Ms. Burrowes other characters make appearances (which I always enjoy). Susannah and Will are interesting people and well-suited to each other. They each have a few flaws also which makes them all the more intriguing.
This was another great Burrowes book and my favorite of this series so far. ( )