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The Donovans #3
Battling the Bluestocking
Great minds do NOT always think alike.
Phineas Donovan is possessed of a sharp intellect. Fresh from Cambridge, he obtains a generous live-in position as tutor for the son of the wealthy Lord Bettencourt. If he can prove his value, he has hopes of being given the patronage of his employer, allowing him to take up a position as vicar. There, he can pursue his intellectual endeavors in peace and relative financial comfort.
In her humble but informed opinion, Lady Sarah Danneville is possessed of an even sharper intellect. If anyone should be tutoring her younger brother, it is she, not the reserved, bespectacled gentleman her father has employed to do the job. He is not fit to instruct a Danneville of Bettencourt Court.
But as Sarah works to undermine him, Mr. Donovan shows more pluck than she expects, not to mention harboring a secret hobby that would be laughable if it weren’t so dreadfully unsophisticated. If she can use this secret against him, she can finally persuade her father she is more than bait to lure a prosperous match.
Now, if only she can avoid being drawn into the unsophistication—and Mr. Donovan’s eyes—herself.
Phineas Donovan is possessed of a sharp intellect. Fresh from Cambridge, he obtains a generous live-in position as tutor for the son of the wealthy Lord Bettencourt. If he can prove his value, he has hopes of being given the patronage of his employer, allowing him to take up a position as vicar. There, he can pursue his intellectual endeavors in peace and relative financial comfort.
In her humble but informed opinion, Lady Sarah Danneville is possessed of an even sharper intellect. If anyone should be tutoring her younger brother, it is she, not the reserved, bespectacled gentleman her father has employed to do the job. He is not fit to instruct a Danneville of Bettencourt Court.
But as Sarah works to undermine him, Mr. Donovan shows more pluck than she expects, not to mention harboring a secret hobby that would be laughable if it weren’t so dreadfully unsophisticated. If she can use this secret against him, she can finally persuade her father she is more than bait to lure a prosperous match.
Now, if only she can avoid being drawn into the unsophistication—and Mr. Donovan’s eyes—herself.
9 pages, Audiobook
Published March 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
February 2, 2023
"One did not find reading time; one brought it into existence by sheer force of will, even if it meant losing an entire nights sleep."
Oh my heart. I STILL thinking book #2 in the Donovans series so I was worried nothing would live up to the feelings I had for Rebecca and Valentine BUT I was taken in once again! With every book I read from Martha, she solidifies herself as a MUST read author and her words really affect me in a powerful way.
This is a quiet love between two bookish characters. The build up is a slow paced understanding as they begin to realize how they have in common and ultimately how much they mean to each other. I loved their intellectual debates and conversations. I think Martha did an incredibly clever job when adding in all the Jane Austen references...these moments only added an additional rich layer to their relationship. These two definitely brought out the best in each other. PHINNEAS...oh the man has my heart. There is nothing I love more than a quiet, intellectual man...its actually my kryptonite and what a delivery!
I loved the dynamics between these two, there were moments that put a silly smile on my face and moments that left me misty eyed. I just want to hug this book and these characters and I know these will have a permanent place on my favorites shelves. Bravo.
*sweet romance, kissing only.
Oh my heart. I STILL thinking book #2 in the Donovans series so I was worried nothing would live up to the feelings I had for Rebecca and Valentine BUT I was taken in once again! With every book I read from Martha, she solidifies herself as a MUST read author and her words really affect me in a powerful way.
This is a quiet love between two bookish characters. The build up is a slow paced understanding as they begin to realize how they have in common and ultimately how much they mean to each other. I loved their intellectual debates and conversations. I think Martha did an incredibly clever job when adding in all the Jane Austen references...these moments only added an additional rich layer to their relationship. These two definitely brought out the best in each other. PHINNEAS...oh the man has my heart. There is nothing I love more than a quiet, intellectual man...its actually my kryptonite and what a delivery!
I loved the dynamics between these two, there were moments that put a silly smile on my face and moments that left me misty eyed. I just want to hug this book and these characters and I know these will have a permanent place on my favorites shelves. Bravo.
*sweet romance, kissing only.
July 9, 2025
I’m not sure what I’m feeling. Is it disappointment? Boredom? Or is it just… nothing?
This book had no soul. There was a romance, and a historical setting—which I always love—but there was no magic.
Both Phineas and Sarah felt like cardboard cutouts, which was very disappointing, especially since I know what this author is capable of. There was more chemistry between Diana and Duke—who appeared briefly and added a star to my rating—than between the actual couple.
I should have given up on this series after Val’s book.
—-
Diana’s book was a masterpiece. Val’s book was… not. Let’s see what Phin’s book brings…
This book had no soul. There was a romance, and a historical setting—which I always love—but there was no magic.
Both Phineas and Sarah felt like cardboard cutouts, which was very disappointing, especially since I know what this author is capable of. There was more chemistry between Diana and Duke—who appeared briefly and added a star to my rating—than between the actual couple.
I should have given up on this series after Val’s book.
—-
Diana’s book was a masterpiece. Val’s book was… not. Let’s see what Phin’s book brings…
April 11, 2023
I was a bit nervous about reading this because I’ve loved the previous books in the series, and yet this one has one feature that put me off — it’s built around a discussion of Jane Austen’s books. I can’t tell you how tired I am of authors who wheel out Austen’s books in Regencies in a sly (and frankly lazy) nudge to modern readers. However, I should have known that Martha Keyes is cleverer than that, because here Austen’s books are held up as exemplars of the despised novel, and contrasted with the more worthwhile intellectual endeavour of ancient Greek and other classic works. And even if both hero and heroine do come to see the value in Austen, there’s enough debate on other topics here that the book’s theme of reason versus emotion is beautifully illustrated. The hero and heroine play intellectual pingpong over classical works, but when they come to debate the Austen classics, they find themselves drawn into discussing their own feelings in a way that leaves them wide open to falling in love.
Here’s the premise: Phineas Donovan is the intellectual of the family, always with his nose in a book. He’s a bit nervous about taking up a position as tutor to an earl’s son, but how hard can it be? He soon finds he has to be a bit creative about lessons for young George (who sounds a bit dyslexic, perhaps?), but the biggest difficulty is the overt hostility of George’s older sister, Lady Sarah Danneville. But she’s a bluestocking, so she likes books just as much as Phineas does, and the two are soon sparring over works of ancient Greek, and then challenging each other to read samples of the despised romantic novel.
The plot unrolls fairly predictably from here on, as the two gradually learn to appreciate each other’s minds and bodies in equal measure. But Lady Sarah is the daughter of an earl and Phineas is the younger son of an admiral, with neither an independent fortune or a proper career. He’s a tutor with a curacy at the local church, so any match between them is unthinkable - isn’t it?
And here’s where Sarah does the stupid heroine thing, in deciding that she can’t possibly have Phineas so she’ll marry the exact opposite - an older man who already has an heir, so she’ll still have the freedom to be herself and not be tied to the domestic sphere. And her parents have found the very man, so how can she refuse? Oh dear.
Needless to say, things get sorted out in the end, although frankly the ending was a bit soggy, when everyone magically falls into line, and there’s one situation that I strongly disliked. I know it’s meant to be cute and all, but I positively hate it when deceit, even when it’s kindly meant, is practised on one of the main characters. Just be honest and reveal the good news straight away, instead of allowing that character to wallow in misery a moment longer than necessary. And the epilogue was just too sweet for my tastebuds. I know lots of readers love schmaltzy epilogues, but I’m not one of them.
Some other issues that got between me and wholehearted enjoyment of this particular book. I’m really not a fan of the duel viewpoint first person narration. When every paragraph is ‘I did this and that…’, it becomes hard to know which I is being spoken of, and yes, I know every chapter is headed with the appropriate character name, and it’s entirely my own fault for not reading the headings but I don’t, and so I regularly have to do a double-take to work out whose head we’re in. Mea culpa.
The other big issue with this book is the sheer volume of Americanisms peppering it. I’ve never noticed this in Martha’s books before, apart from the odd one or two, but here they’re everywhere, including pinkies, off of, write someone, go do something and absent used as a preposition. And shall absolutely everywhere. Does it matter? Of course not, and 99% of readers won’t even notice, but I do, and it makes it difficult to immerse myself fully in the story. It’s particularly disappointing when the author’s evocation of the Regency era is so magnificent in every other respect.
But in every other way, this book is well up to the author’s usual standards. Both Phineas and Sarah are well-drawn and fully-rounded characters, their relationship develops slowly and believably, and it’s easy to root for them. The dialogue is so satisfyingly sparky between them, and the author manages something that so few others achieve - her intellectual characters are genuinely knowledgeable and quick-witted. So many authors tell us their characters are clever, but very few manage to show it as well as is done here.
Martha Keyes is a brilliant writer and I highly recommend all her books, but for me those Americanisms and the slightly soggy ending keep it to four stars this time.
Here’s the premise: Phineas Donovan is the intellectual of the family, always with his nose in a book. He’s a bit nervous about taking up a position as tutor to an earl’s son, but how hard can it be? He soon finds he has to be a bit creative about lessons for young George (who sounds a bit dyslexic, perhaps?), but the biggest difficulty is the overt hostility of George’s older sister, Lady Sarah Danneville. But she’s a bluestocking, so she likes books just as much as Phineas does, and the two are soon sparring over works of ancient Greek, and then challenging each other to read samples of the despised romantic novel.
The plot unrolls fairly predictably from here on, as the two gradually learn to appreciate each other’s minds and bodies in equal measure. But Lady Sarah is the daughter of an earl and Phineas is the younger son of an admiral, with neither an independent fortune or a proper career. He’s a tutor with a curacy at the local church, so any match between them is unthinkable - isn’t it?
And here’s where Sarah does the stupid heroine thing, in deciding that she can’t possibly have Phineas so she’ll marry the exact opposite - an older man who already has an heir, so she’ll still have the freedom to be herself and not be tied to the domestic sphere. And her parents have found the very man, so how can she refuse? Oh dear.
Needless to say, things get sorted out in the end, although frankly the ending was a bit soggy, when everyone magically falls into line, and there’s one situation that I strongly disliked. I know it’s meant to be cute and all, but I positively hate it when deceit, even when it’s kindly meant, is practised on one of the main characters. Just be honest and reveal the good news straight away, instead of allowing that character to wallow in misery a moment longer than necessary. And the epilogue was just too sweet for my tastebuds. I know lots of readers love schmaltzy epilogues, but I’m not one of them.
Some other issues that got between me and wholehearted enjoyment of this particular book. I’m really not a fan of the duel viewpoint first person narration. When every paragraph is ‘I did this and that…’, it becomes hard to know which I is being spoken of, and yes, I know every chapter is headed with the appropriate character name, and it’s entirely my own fault for not reading the headings but I don’t, and so I regularly have to do a double-take to work out whose head we’re in. Mea culpa.
The other big issue with this book is the sheer volume of Americanisms peppering it. I’ve never noticed this in Martha’s books before, apart from the odd one or two, but here they’re everywhere, including pinkies, off of, write someone, go do something and absent used as a preposition. And shall absolutely everywhere. Does it matter? Of course not, and 99% of readers won’t even notice, but I do, and it makes it difficult to immerse myself fully in the story. It’s particularly disappointing when the author’s evocation of the Regency era is so magnificent in every other respect.
But in every other way, this book is well up to the author’s usual standards. Both Phineas and Sarah are well-drawn and fully-rounded characters, their relationship develops slowly and believably, and it’s easy to root for them. The dialogue is so satisfyingly sparky between them, and the author manages something that so few others achieve - her intellectual characters are genuinely knowledgeable and quick-witted. So many authors tell us their characters are clever, but very few manage to show it as well as is done here.
Martha Keyes is a brilliant writer and I highly recommend all her books, but for me those Americanisms and the slightly soggy ending keep it to four stars this time.
June 5, 2023
Lady Sarah Danneville has finally achieved her goal of becoming a tutor for her younger brother. Or so she thought. If discovering her father’s new choice for the position is a handsome gentleman with a very masculine frame isn’t enough to irk her, his obvious intellect and suitability for the role is. But she isn’t ready to give up. After all, the tutors never last with her brother, especially when she offers him ideas of mischief.
Phineas Donovan values reading above most pursuits, and his new position as the live-in tutor to a future earl seems the perfect road for his future. Except—his charge has little desire to learn and the boy’s sister…well, she is both handsome and intelligent. It’s a shame she doesn’t seem to like Phineas, though why he cannot say.
What begins as a battle of wits quickly turns to friendship, and both Sarah and Phineas find themselves gaining understanding and experience in the most least sensible emotion there is—love.
Oh my heart! I adore Phin and Sarah! Their banter was just fantastic and so pleasantly awkward. Poor Phin really struggles to keep his wits about him with Sarah nearby and it makes for some belly-aching moments of laughter. And let me just tell you, the first kiss…FIRE. They may as well have burned the library down 😂. I also really enjoyed Sarah’s relationship with her younger brother and the role he played in getting them together. SO GREAT. I laughed out loud until I cried. If that wasn’t enough to make me love this book, my favorite rake, Valentine, makes several appearances, along with the other characters of this series. The reunions are PERFECT. 😭😭I’m going to miss the Donovan’s! I love this series and these characters so much.
Phineas Donovan values reading above most pursuits, and his new position as the live-in tutor to a future earl seems the perfect road for his future. Except—his charge has little desire to learn and the boy’s sister…well, she is both handsome and intelligent. It’s a shame she doesn’t seem to like Phineas, though why he cannot say.
What begins as a battle of wits quickly turns to friendship, and both Sarah and Phineas find themselves gaining understanding and experience in the most least sensible emotion there is—love.
Oh my heart! I adore Phin and Sarah! Their banter was just fantastic and so pleasantly awkward. Poor Phin really struggles to keep his wits about him with Sarah nearby and it makes for some belly-aching moments of laughter. And let me just tell you, the first kiss…FIRE. They may as well have burned the library down 😂. I also really enjoyed Sarah’s relationship with her younger brother and the role he played in getting them together. SO GREAT. I laughed out loud until I cried. If that wasn’t enough to make me love this book, my favorite rake, Valentine, makes several appearances, along with the other characters of this series. The reunions are PERFECT. 😭😭I’m going to miss the Donovan’s! I love this series and these characters so much.
March 2, 2023
This was just too cute! I enjoyed all the banter and bookish discussions, especially the Jane Austen references. I did feel like it was a bit lacking in the romance department, so in that regard I think the previous two are better. But I had such a fun time with this series, and can definitely see myself reading all three books again.☺
June 15, 2024
I reread this via audio and since reading it the last time I read all of Jane Austen’s books. OH MY WORD. I loved this book already, but all the little details I caught this time around—my goodness. It’s perfection. Continue on for my original review…
THIS BOOK. Oh my word, why, oh why did I wait to read this book?! I knew Phineas was my favorite Donovan and seriously, his story was even more than I imagined. I seriously had to make so many quote graphics and still cut my highlights down for this review. Let’s just say I LOVED THE ENTIRE BOOK, every last bit, but for sake of my list, here we go.
Things I Loved:
-AUSTEN books. Let’s sum it up like that.
-“There was no feeling comparable to opening a new book, its contents a mystery.”
-“Only the depraved stopped in the middle of a chapter. This was a matter of principle; it had nothing to do with wanting to read more.”
-“I had a sudden, fleeting fear that I was not the better read between the two of us.”
-The flies
-Darts
-George (Gosh, I love that kid)
-Sarah’s mother ♥️
-The spider
-Mrs. Bamford
-Sitting with her
-The notebook
-Underlined words 😍
-“A scientific question…?”
-Ajax
-The entire ending. ♥️
There was so much wit, banter, fun, heart-warming moments, and fantastic tension. So, basically, just go read this book. I really enjoyed the appearances of each of the other Donovans sprinkled throughout this book, but I think you could read it on its own and still thoroughly enjoy it.
THIS BOOK. Oh my word, why, oh why did I wait to read this book?! I knew Phineas was my favorite Donovan and seriously, his story was even more than I imagined. I seriously had to make so many quote graphics and still cut my highlights down for this review. Let’s just say I LOVED THE ENTIRE BOOK, every last bit, but for sake of my list, here we go.
Things I Loved:
-AUSTEN books. Let’s sum it up like that.
-“There was no feeling comparable to opening a new book, its contents a mystery.”
-“Only the depraved stopped in the middle of a chapter. This was a matter of principle; it had nothing to do with wanting to read more.”
-“I had a sudden, fleeting fear that I was not the better read between the two of us.”
-The flies
-Darts
-George (Gosh, I love that kid)
-Sarah’s mother ♥️
-The spider
-Mrs. Bamford
-Sitting with her
-The notebook
-Underlined words 😍
-“A scientific question…?”
-Ajax
-The entire ending. ♥️
There was so much wit, banter, fun, heart-warming moments, and fantastic tension. So, basically, just go read this book. I really enjoyed the appearances of each of the other Donovans sprinkled throughout this book, but I think you could read it on its own and still thoroughly enjoy it.
January 30, 2023
Phineas has been a quiet character throughout this series, usually lost in his books. It was fun finally getting to know him. There is a lot more to him than I expect. I loved how well he was able to adapt to different situations. Sarah is a wonderful character as well. She loves learning and loves her brother dearly. When that is threatened you better watch out. I loved their story and the push and pull between them. I am sad to see this series end, but this was the perfect book to wrap everything up.
January 22, 2023
Everyone needs to be reading Martha's books! They are without a doubt some of the most entertaining reads I have ever read!
The push and pull tension in this one between Phineas and Sarah is perfection. Their banter, arguments, challenges at every turn, and bookish ways are everything I've dreamed about in a book and more.
I absolutely LOVED the entire storyline of this book and LOVED seeing some of the characters from books 1 and 2. It was like a homecoming with all of my favorite people with the addition of a few more...namely George and Chester (IYKYK) and even Mr. Wilks.
This book was unputdownable and to be honest, I never wanted it to end. BUT what an ending it had. If you're looking for a book with an incredibly strong ending. This is YOUR type of book. My heart was so full of happiness in the end. I've read a lot of books and this ending was by far one of the strongest I've ever read. It will leave you with an everlasting book-high. I will be reminiscing about this book for years and years to come!
5 stars, 2 thumbs up, all of the accolades for this one. It's smart, endearing, swoony, and entertaining at every turn of the page!
Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
The push and pull tension in this one between Phineas and Sarah is perfection. Their banter, arguments, challenges at every turn, and bookish ways are everything I've dreamed about in a book and more.
I absolutely LOVED the entire storyline of this book and LOVED seeing some of the characters from books 1 and 2. It was like a homecoming with all of my favorite people with the addition of a few more...namely George and Chester (IYKYK) and even Mr. Wilks.
This book was unputdownable and to be honest, I never wanted it to end. BUT what an ending it had. If you're looking for a book with an incredibly strong ending. This is YOUR type of book. My heart was so full of happiness in the end. I've read a lot of books and this ending was by far one of the strongest I've ever read. It will leave you with an everlasting book-high. I will be reminiscing about this book for years and years to come!
5 stars, 2 thumbs up, all of the accolades for this one. It's smart, endearing, swoony, and entertaining at every turn of the page!
Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
December 6, 2024
• 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆; 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 •
I am so sad to be done with this series! It was truly so much fun to read/listen to. I listened to all of the books through hoopla and none of them disappointed. The narrators were all phenomenal and really brought the stories to life!
I was highly anticipating Phineas’ story because he was the one I felt I knew least about from the previous stories. His bookish nature immediately won me over, as did his awkwardness in the presence of Lady Sarah Danneville 🤭 Their meet-cute was literally so funny and absolutely perfect for the two of them! Of course it would involve books in some way or another ☺️ And then the awkwardness that ensued was positively hilarious!
“𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗.”
One thing that really made this story so great was the amount of effort Sarah went to to make sure she DID NOT fall in love with Phineas or end up with anyone like him 😂 Madly scribbling away in her notebook to get out all of her feeling only to have said notebook mysteriously disappear 🤭 Sarah was so certain that SHE was the best candidate for tutoring her brother and NOT some bespectacled gentleman her father had employed.
I absolutely adored all the bits with Jane Austen’s books!! That was such a fun aspect to bring to this story. Imagining Phineas pouring over Pride & Prejudice certainly brought a smile to my face. It created some of the most delightful conversations between Phin and Lady Sarah.
George brought some of the most hilarious moments to this book 😂 I dearly loved his character and all the shenanigans he got up to, with the help of his sister, of course. The oil on the glasses and the flies in the room, which then made so the cat was brought inside, did not bring about the response they were hoping it would elicit of Mr. Donovan. Instead, Phin’s patience and understanding for George really shown through with his calm response, making Lady Sarah’s feelings for him even more conflicted. I literally laughed out loud over the incident when George hid Sarah’s notebook in Mr. Donovan’s sermon book. Poor Phineas really bumbled around with that one 😂
I am so sad to be done with this series! It was truly so much fun to read/listen to. I listened to all of the books through hoopla and none of them disappointed. The narrators were all phenomenal and really brought the stories to life!
I was highly anticipating Phineas’ story because he was the one I felt I knew least about from the previous stories. His bookish nature immediately won me over, as did his awkwardness in the presence of Lady Sarah Danneville 🤭 Their meet-cute was literally so funny and absolutely perfect for the two of them! Of course it would involve books in some way or another ☺️ And then the awkwardness that ensued was positively hilarious!
“𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗.”
One thing that really made this story so great was the amount of effort Sarah went to to make sure she DID NOT fall in love with Phineas or end up with anyone like him 😂 Madly scribbling away in her notebook to get out all of her feeling only to have said notebook mysteriously disappear 🤭 Sarah was so certain that SHE was the best candidate for tutoring her brother and NOT some bespectacled gentleman her father had employed.
I absolutely adored all the bits with Jane Austen’s books!! That was such a fun aspect to bring to this story. Imagining Phineas pouring over Pride & Prejudice certainly brought a smile to my face. It created some of the most delightful conversations between Phin and Lady Sarah.
George brought some of the most hilarious moments to this book 😂 I dearly loved his character and all the shenanigans he got up to, with the help of his sister, of course. The oil on the glasses and the flies in the room, which then made so the cat was brought inside, did not bring about the response they were hoping it would elicit of Mr. Donovan. Instead, Phin’s patience and understanding for George really shown through with his calm response, making Lady Sarah’s feelings for him even more conflicted. I literally laughed out loud over the incident when George hid Sarah’s notebook in Mr. Donovan’s sermon book. Poor Phineas really bumbled around with that one 😂
April 5, 2023
It took me a bit to warm up to this book, but I ended up really enjoying it.
Phineas has intrigued me even since Duke & Diana’s story because I loved his interactions with his siblings. And he absolutely delivered in this book!
As for Sarah, I both loved her and felt frustrated by her. Possibly because our similarities (practicality)… possibly because of the eras we live in. Anyways, I ended up loving her journey of seeing marriage as more than a cage or business transaction but instead as a mutually supportive partnership.
Speaking of which, I loved how Phineas was so sweetly supportive of Sarah! And that ending was so heartwarming!
Honourable mentions go to George playing matchmaker & the inclusion of Jane Austen’s books and Valentine’s feigned abhorrence of them. 😂
Phineas has intrigued me even since Duke & Diana’s story because I loved his interactions with his siblings. And he absolutely delivered in this book!
As for Sarah, I both loved her and felt frustrated by her. Possibly because our similarities (practicality)… possibly because of the eras we live in. Anyways, I ended up loving her journey of seeing marriage as more than a cage or business transaction but instead as a mutually supportive partnership.
Speaking of which, I loved how Phineas was so sweetly supportive of Sarah! And that ending was so heartwarming!
Honourable mentions go to George playing matchmaker & the inclusion of Jane Austen’s books and Valentine’s feigned abhorrence of them. 😂
December 24, 2024
Things that stuck with me: books, white cat hair, paper darts, oily glasses, Jane Austen tribute, sibling drop-ins, flies, stick swords, CRINGE church scene, mfc: heavy on what she wants and lacking in mmc proclamations… but he’s mega reaching. The end. Books.
February 18, 2023
I love that Phineas and Sarah are both bookworms. It made their battle of wits so fun. The pranks that Sarah and her little brother do to try to get rid of Phineas were so funny. He breaks through their walls and they both end up liking him. What a kiss! I loved it. I’m also happy that the other Donovans made an appearance. I love this family!
February 10, 2023
I love Phin. He is a favorite from the other books in the Donovan series. He’s so kind hearted and wonderful.
Warning ahead… I didn’t LOVE this one, but the others in the series are some of my all time favorite books, so maybe my expectations were too high!
I enjoyed this book enough and thought it was a satisfying conclusion to the series. However, the first two books are books that I was excited to reread as soon as I finished them. This one was a bit “slower and steadier” so while I enjoyed reading it, I wasn’t left feeling excited about it. The chemistry between Phin and Sarah was sweet, but it wasn’t the same way it was between Diana and Duke and Valentine and Rebecca. I think I just didn’t feel like Sarah was a perfect match for Phin. They both liked books and had that in common, but I actually felt a bit annoyed and protective of Phin at times and sometimes felt like Sarah toyed with his emotions, especially near the end. Duke is such a perfect match for Diana and Rebecca was such a perfect match for Valentine. I just didn’t feel like that with Sarah and Phineas.
I definitely enjoyed seeing where all the Donovan’s are now and seeing Phineas get his HEA though! Worth a read and maybe my love for Phin makes is difficult for anyone to seem worthy of his sweet precious heart. This just was not my favorite of the series.
Warning ahead… I didn’t LOVE this one, but the others in the series are some of my all time favorite books, so maybe my expectations were too high!
I enjoyed this book enough and thought it was a satisfying conclusion to the series. However, the first two books are books that I was excited to reread as soon as I finished them. This one was a bit “slower and steadier” so while I enjoyed reading it, I wasn’t left feeling excited about it. The chemistry between Phin and Sarah was sweet, but it wasn’t the same way it was between Diana and Duke and Valentine and Rebecca. I think I just didn’t feel like Sarah was a perfect match for Phin. They both liked books and had that in common, but I actually felt a bit annoyed and protective of Phin at times and sometimes felt like Sarah toyed with his emotions, especially near the end. Duke is such a perfect match for Diana and Rebecca was such a perfect match for Valentine. I just didn’t feel like that with Sarah and Phineas.
I definitely enjoyed seeing where all the Donovan’s are now and seeing Phineas get his HEA though! Worth a read and maybe my love for Phin makes is difficult for anyone to seem worthy of his sweet precious heart. This just was not my favorite of the series.
February 28, 2023
Awe Phineas was just as adorable as I expected home to be and Sarah definitely began to grow on me as the book went on. I love that this was two intellectuals with no interest in love navigating new feelings they never expected to have.
I loved:
-Phineas’ relationship with George
-George being a sneaky little matchmaker
-Phineas challenging Sarah to read Jane Austen
-Sarah’s mom always being the smartest in the room
-Diana being a sneaky little matchmaker
-the return of Theo & Elena
-The Admiral softening a bit as a grandfather
I loved:
-Phineas’ relationship with George
-George being a sneaky little matchmaker
-Phineas challenging Sarah to read Jane Austen
-Sarah’s mom always being the smartest in the room
-Diana being a sneaky little matchmaker
-the return of Theo & Elena
-The Admiral softening a bit as a grandfather
February 3, 2023
Keyes does not disappoint!
Well written and edited, this delightful novel is a low angst romance between two very likeable characters, enlivened by one mischievous 10 year old boy, who is as well drawn as the protagonists. The dialogue is lively, and it is enriched if the reader has knowledge of Jane Austen’s works, as they are central to many of the discussions.
Well written and edited, this delightful novel is a low angst romance between two very likeable characters, enlivened by one mischievous 10 year old boy, who is as well drawn as the protagonists. The dialogue is lively, and it is enriched if the reader has knowledge of Jane Austen’s works, as they are central to many of the discussions.
December 22, 2023
3.45
This was the 4th installment of the Donovan family. I did enjoy it, it's just Phineas wasn't my style of hero. This book as well as the last one were in first person, but back and forth between the hero and heroine, which I enjoyed so much more than just the heroine doing all the narrating (like the first two books). Overall, it was a fun series... Read it in order as you will meet the other characters off and on throughout.
This was the 4th installment of the Donovan family. I did enjoy it, it's just Phineas wasn't my style of hero. This book as well as the last one were in first person, but back and forth between the hero and heroine, which I enjoyed so much more than just the heroine doing all the narrating (like the first two books). Overall, it was a fun series... Read it in order as you will meet the other characters off and on throughout.
February 2, 2023
Martha Keyes does it again. I loved book one. Book two was amazing as well. I wasn’t sure if book three could measure up. It did.
Book lovers, goals, strong personalities, disappointments. A quiet love brought about for two book lovers and through beloved books. I loved the role Jane Austen’s books played in their love story. How they found their own strength to peruse love after debating her books. I love a good debate between characters.
There were so many emotions in this book as they face their futures and their roles in the world, while trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. I love that they helped each other become better and to see themselves more clearly. There were plenty of moments for laughs as well. The perfect balance of joy and seriousness for this quiet couple.
Don’t put off this book! It’s so beautifully written.
Book lovers, goals, strong personalities, disappointments. A quiet love brought about for two book lovers and through beloved books. I loved the role Jane Austen’s books played in their love story. How they found their own strength to peruse love after debating her books. I love a good debate between characters.
There were so many emotions in this book as they face their futures and their roles in the world, while trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. I love that they helped each other become better and to see themselves more clearly. There were plenty of moments for laughs as well. The perfect balance of joy and seriousness for this quiet couple.
Don’t put off this book! It’s so beautifully written.
April 12, 2023
Another great success in this series! Phineas is not your typical "hero" type and I like that he holds his own. I especially love it when he defends reading outrageous "novels"! Martha Keyes is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine!
January 25, 2023
Dare I say this is her best book yet!? I am so glad to finally have Phineas story! This was just so well done! Loved how it played out it! Thank you Martha Keyes for this beautiful story!!
February 4, 2023
I LOVED this book so much! The characters of Phineas and Sarah were both so relatable. Figuring out where love fits into their lives is difficult, but luckily they have Jane Austen's novels to help guide them. There were so many swoon-worthy moments I couldn't put this book down! It was fun to see some familiar characters from the earlier books. This might be my favorite book in the series, but just do yourself a favor and go read them all!
March 17, 2023
Sweet little love story! I love it when there are two narrators telling their own side of the story.
❤️
❤️
June 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this series - the last one was my least favorite though. The narrator is good and the story moved along. It just lacked the depth of the first two books in the series. A fun read.
February 27, 2024
The best one of the series!
January 28, 2025
A good installment in the series. The capitulation to their marriage in the end was rather unbelievable. This series has been a little uneven for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2025
a quiet love is a welcome change. it didn’t capture my heart but overall quite enjoyable
December 4, 2025
Maybe I am biased but I really liked all the Jane Austen references! I wanted to discuss her books with the characters from this book :)
December 19, 2025
3.75⭐️
February 16, 2023
This was a sweet slow moving romance. I have loved all these stories. This one did not hit me in the feels like the others did. I guess there was just too much thinking and not enough feeling for me. This is a proper romance.
April 23, 2024
THIS WAS CHARMING!
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I have really enjoyed the Donovan series. Each book feels completely different yet the crossing over of siblings and family is the perfect dynamic that gives you all the good emotions of coming back to a favorite series.
The banter between Sarah and Phineas was stellar. I loved the chemistry and just a dash of enemies to lovers as Phineas had unknowingly encroached on Sarah’s space. I thought it was a little slow out of the gate but as the story progressed I was increasingly attached to this relationship. It was sweet and I loved the character growth of both characters separately and how they came together in the end. And I also just really love when side characters you expect to be mean (like the Duke at the end) aren’t! It’s something satisfying to me to see things work at as they did.
I liked the plot a lot too. Sarah’s little brother was a charming addition who brought out a lot of good moments between Phineas and Sarah unwittingly (and some wittingly). It’s a quick regency romance that will bring a smile to your face. I highly recommend this series!!
Overall audience notes:
- Regency Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I have really enjoyed the Donovan series. Each book feels completely different yet the crossing over of siblings and family is the perfect dynamic that gives you all the good emotions of coming back to a favorite series.
The banter between Sarah and Phineas was stellar. I loved the chemistry and just a dash of enemies to lovers as Phineas had unknowingly encroached on Sarah’s space. I thought it was a little slow out of the gate but as the story progressed I was increasingly attached to this relationship. It was sweet and I loved the character growth of both characters separately and how they came together in the end. And I also just really love when side characters you expect to be mean (like the Duke at the end) aren’t! It’s something satisfying to me to see things work at as they did.
I liked the plot a lot too. Sarah’s little brother was a charming addition who brought out a lot of good moments between Phineas and Sarah unwittingly (and some wittingly). It’s a quick regency romance that will bring a smile to your face. I highly recommend this series!!
Overall audience notes:
- Regency Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
February 4, 2023
Where do I begin? What a perfect conclusion to an amazing series. Thank you for the best epilogue ever. And thank you for all the cameos. I love the whole Donovan family. But this book was fantastic too! I was so happy to get to know Phineas better bc he was so quiet in the other books. But he is just a cinnamon roll. So selfless and patient the whole book. Even during the hard times and trials. He never thought ill of others. I genuinely want to be more like Phineas. He was socially awkward as well and I could totally relate. Sarah was a great character too. It was so fun to read all their intellectual discussions. And her younger brother George brought about many great scenes. The creative ways phineas tutored George inspires me to help my own kids in similar ways. This book was a page turner and never slowed. Nothing bugged me and the authors writing was amazing as usual. I am happy to report this was a definite 5 star read.
SPOILERS and book notes:
Yeah! Bookworm love! The reverence for books in this novel is unparalleled. Phineas personality: “calm demeanor, bright kind, and genuine smile”. Sarah also mentions his body that looks like he is a sportsman haha. His gift from Rebecca of Jane Austin novels is perfect. How he loses track of time reading them. Bahaha bookworm fighting is the best “I had a sudden, fleeting fear that I was not the better read between the two of us”. I love cats and their personalities. I love when they are in regency books. All the cameos from the Donovan family make me so happy! I love them all! I like this description of novels and their value by phineas: “these were not equations or laws of physics; they were truths about humanity.” I love discussing books so I think it’s so cute that a lot of their courtship involves it. Phineas is so bad at small talk and I love it. He is so great with the way he tudors George. He is kind and patient and uses hands on activities. He makes experiences educational for George with out George realizing it. I love sword fighting with sticks. That is so fun and cute!! Lady Hester Stanhope was a real person and I loved learning more about her in this book. It made me google more about her after. She was a traveler and an eccentric. Oh man I hate when tender moments get interrupted but this book had an angry duck trying to steel his handkerchief and it was hilarious. I’ve had so many duck instances like that. This quote by phineas represents my whole LIFE. Like maybe I should print it out and hang it on my wall? “One did not find reading time; one brought it into existence by sheer force of will, even if it meant losing an entire night’s sleep.” Man that was some library kiss. They definitely left their sense behind in favor of sensibility haha. That was a fantastic ending. Traveling on ship with Theo and eleana to greece. Than that epilogue with the entire Donovan family. And them all having babies. Oh man I want more with them as a whole family together!!! Discussing romance novels together. I love every single one of the members of the Donovan family but I still think Valentine is my most favorite. Him pretending not to love the novels but secretly liking them is the best.
SPOILERS and book notes:
Yeah! Bookworm love! The reverence for books in this novel is unparalleled. Phineas personality: “calm demeanor, bright kind, and genuine smile”. Sarah also mentions his body that looks like he is a sportsman haha. His gift from Rebecca of Jane Austin novels is perfect. How he loses track of time reading them. Bahaha bookworm fighting is the best “I had a sudden, fleeting fear that I was not the better read between the two of us”. I love cats and their personalities. I love when they are in regency books. All the cameos from the Donovan family make me so happy! I love them all! I like this description of novels and their value by phineas: “these were not equations or laws of physics; they were truths about humanity.” I love discussing books so I think it’s so cute that a lot of their courtship involves it. Phineas is so bad at small talk and I love it. He is so great with the way he tudors George. He is kind and patient and uses hands on activities. He makes experiences educational for George with out George realizing it. I love sword fighting with sticks. That is so fun and cute!! Lady Hester Stanhope was a real person and I loved learning more about her in this book. It made me google more about her after. She was a traveler and an eccentric. Oh man I hate when tender moments get interrupted but this book had an angry duck trying to steel his handkerchief and it was hilarious. I’ve had so many duck instances like that. This quote by phineas represents my whole LIFE. Like maybe I should print it out and hang it on my wall? “One did not find reading time; one brought it into existence by sheer force of will, even if it meant losing an entire night’s sleep.” Man that was some library kiss. They definitely left their sense behind in favor of sensibility haha. That was a fantastic ending. Traveling on ship with Theo and eleana to greece. Than that epilogue with the entire Donovan family. And them all having babies. Oh man I want more with them as a whole family together!!! Discussing romance novels together. I love every single one of the members of the Donovan family but I still think Valentine is my most favorite. Him pretending not to love the novels but secretly liking them is the best.
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