Barbara's rating: 3.3 out of 5
Series: I wish I knew, but it is part of a series
Publication Date: 7/23/24
Period: Regency - London
Number of Pages: 352
This author delivered a good first full-length novel with likable characters and plenty of her signature steam and wit. Some scenes had me laughing out loud and others made me smile because, overall, it was a happy book. I think Peter and Selina had the chemistry going, but I would have liked to see how we got there. I rather felt as if I'd been dropped into the romance in the middle of the second act – rather than seeing it unfurl as it grew. Our hero, Peter, was NOT an alpha male, but 😊I think maybe our heroine was an alpha female. Peter did, however, have his swoon-worthy moments. 😊 I liked all the characters, but I thought Peter's half-sister was a bit over-the-top. I am glad to have read this book even though I did get a tad bored at times and found it draggy in spots.
Our story follows Peter Kent, born and raised in New Orleans to a third (or more) son of the Duke of Stanhope. Peter never expected nor wanted to inherit a title, much less that of Duke, but he couldn't turn down the opportunity to present anti-slavery legislation in the House of Lords. Upon arriving in England three years ago, he discovered he had illegitimate half-siblings, a boy and a girl. He now has two goals – end slavery as best he can and gain guardianship of his half-siblings.
Selina Ravenscroft is a very modern woman – and a very managing one. She is a 'fixer' who fixes everything for everybody – whether they want it fixed or not. She is a brilliant ray of sunshine who sees the best in every situation and wants to make it right. So, when she learns Peter wants to gain guardianship of his half-siblings, she takes right over fixing it for him. Her solution? Peter needs to marry a very respectable English lady who hasn't had a hint of scandal in her family for the last hundred years. Selina also has a secret – and it is the reason she cannot be the lady who marries Peter. Selina owns a lending library – but – that lending library makes some very scandalous literature available to the ladies of the ton – married and unmarried. She wants those ladies to learn what they need to do to keep from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous men – and contraception – and well, the mechanics of how it all works.
I really liked the three ladies Selina chooses for Peter and while they weren't right for him, I know we'll be seeing them in future books in the series. I am looking forward to those books and the next features Selina's best friend, Lydia Hope-Wallace.
So, overall, this was a nice, witty, steamy book, that I am glad to have read, but wouldn't read a second time because I thought the bland and boring times outweighed those flashes of brilliant wit and steam.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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