Lydia Cottrell had such dreams for her six half-brothers and sisters She prayed their new guardian, the dashing Lord Huntington, would be better to them than the late baronet, their father -- a man who prized money above all. Lord Huntington, himself, was smitten with Lydia...but she couldn't understand why. Then she discovered that she had inherited a rather sizable dowry, and accused him of being a fortune hunter. Now Lord Huntington had to prove to Lydia that her love was more priceless than all the riches in the world.
Severity reflects intensity, not value — “central theme” means a warning is a core part of the book, not that the book is bad.