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Dearest Georgiana: A Regency Inspired Romantic Comedy
Woodrow’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching story of found family, true friendships, and not just seeing the monsters in the one you love, but accepting them.
Samuel Barrington has returned to the ton as the new marquess. He never thought he would be here searching for a wife, but he owes his dying mother the chance to see him happily betrothed. He has chosen to court the proper and quiet book lover Louisa Gillingham, though as the season gets underway, he finds himself drawn to Georgiana Montagu...the girl he teased as a child, and an utterly unsuitable match.
Georgiana Montagu is entering society with her brothers at her side in the absence of their late parents. She has a plan to marry for true love and happiness for her family, and she has found the man to make this happen. If that vile toad, Samuel Barrington, could for once, stop meddling in and ruining her life. Even if he is annoyingly handsome. After all, he did teach her there was no value to one's face.
Samuel and Georgiana find themselves repeatedly tied up in each other’s affairs, despite their best efforts to focus on their own plans. Until Samuel has to make a repair their friendship or reveal a truth. Will they see what their hearts truly desire before it’s too late? Or will they both succeed and marry the one they want, not the one they love?
Samuel Barrington has returned to the ton as the new marquess. He never thought he would be here searching for a wife, but he owes his dying mother the chance to see him happily betrothed. He has chosen to court the proper and quiet book lover Louisa Gillingham, though as the season gets underway, he finds himself drawn to Georgiana Montagu...the girl he teased as a child, and an utterly unsuitable match.
Georgiana Montagu is entering society with her brothers at her side in the absence of their late parents. She has a plan to marry for true love and happiness for her family, and she has found the man to make this happen. If that vile toad, Samuel Barrington, could for once, stop meddling in and ruining her life. Even if he is annoyingly handsome. After all, he did teach her there was no value to one's face.
Samuel and Georgiana find themselves repeatedly tied up in each other’s affairs, despite their best efforts to focus on their own plans. Until Samuel has to make a repair their friendship or reveal a truth. Will they see what their hearts truly desire before it’s too late? Or will they both succeed and marry the one they want, not the one they love?
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2023
12 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Rosaline Woodrow
5 books14 followersI enjoy writing the human experience of what it means to find the people who make you the best version of yourself. A little laugh, a little heartache; balance is important.
Witty banter is what my readers come to me for. Love stories and found family are my jam. Strong male leads and strong female leads that fill each other's gaps is what I strive for.
When not writing, I am likely sitting in a tree reading or thinking about writing. If not there, I am in my greenhouse and garden, daydreaming barefoot. If not there, then I'm probably hiding in a closet so I don't have to share my piece of chocolate with one of my three kids (if they didn't hear the wrapper from across the world and catch me.)
Unless it's winter. Then pray for me and send books and black coffee. Most importantly: do not disturb the potato.
Witty banter is what my readers come to me for. Love stories and found family are my jam. Strong male leads and strong female leads that fill each other's gaps is what I strive for.
When not writing, I am likely sitting in a tree reading or thinking about writing. If not there, I am in my greenhouse and garden, daydreaming barefoot. If not there, then I'm probably hiding in a closet so I don't have to share my piece of chocolate with one of my three kids (if they didn't hear the wrapper from across the world and catch me.)
Unless it's winter. Then pray for me and send books and black coffee. Most importantly: do not disturb the potato.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 20, 2023
This book caught my eye right away from title to cover to blurb. Reading it was a more uneven experience.
The characters are excellently crafted and the story starts slow but ends well. But while It is not a bad book, the prose and word choices, especially in the first half of the book, often felt too modern to be fully immersive as a historical piece.
The book is written in first person, present tense, which is already unusual for historical romance and took some getting used to. The formatting is also quite modern, and I had to manually adjust to a serif font for reading comfort. There are several places where “double-take” is used, and as a verb too (e.g. “Nathaniel double-takes”).
The typical elements of young noblemen, fair heiresses, and leisurely lives of the ton are present, but the anachronistic prose makes it not as transportive as historical romance ideally can be. The writing felt rough from time to time, with lines such as “I feel movement in my face—Am I smiling?” and other similarly awkward phrases that tell rather than show. There are common writing missteps, such as someone saying, in first person, that all color drained from his own face.
As debut novels go, this one has a good backbone. The characters are memorable once you eventually get to know them. The story evokes real emotion, especially near the end. It is just all a little undermined by unevenly polished writing.
If anachronism is not a big deal for you, by all means, give the book a try. The main characters are genial and easy to root for, and you do care for the whole family by the end. But those who prefer more classical Austenesque prose (such as myself) might have a harder time enjoying this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The characters are excellently crafted and the story starts slow but ends well. But while It is not a bad book, the prose and word choices, especially in the first half of the book, often felt too modern to be fully immersive as a historical piece.
The book is written in first person, present tense, which is already unusual for historical romance and took some getting used to. The formatting is also quite modern, and I had to manually adjust to a serif font for reading comfort. There are several places where “double-take” is used, and as a verb too (e.g. “Nathaniel double-takes”).
The typical elements of young noblemen, fair heiresses, and leisurely lives of the ton are present, but the anachronistic prose makes it not as transportive as historical romance ideally can be. The writing felt rough from time to time, with lines such as “I feel movement in my face—Am I smiling?” and other similarly awkward phrases that tell rather than show. There are common writing missteps, such as someone saying, in first person, that all color drained from his own face.
As debut novels go, this one has a good backbone. The characters are memorable once you eventually get to know them. The story evokes real emotion, especially near the end. It is just all a little undermined by unevenly polished writing.
If anachronism is not a big deal for you, by all means, give the book a try. The main characters are genial and easy to root for, and you do care for the whole family by the end. But those who prefer more classical Austenesque prose (such as myself) might have a harder time enjoying this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 23, 2023
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for an ARC of this book. I received a free copy and was invited to share my honest opinion.
Ok, there were lots of things that I did like about this book. First was the realistic regency setting; the town, streets, carriages and ballrooms are instantly recognisable to anyone who is familiar with the genre and I felt it was well done. I also enjoyed the slow burn and the friends/enemies to lovers trope and I love a dual POV so that definitely appealed. The storyline I felt was good, as was the characterisation, particularly of the MCs. I liked that Georgiana was not the usual pretty, young, naive protagonist, but a more wily and practical lady with teeth she’s just grown into!
There were a few elements, however, that bothered me - and perhaps it’s because I’m a bit of a regency purist? The fact that one of the principal characters is called the Duke of Yordstrom didn’t sit well. It’s not an English name at all! There isn’t an infinite supply of dukedoms in England and they’re usually named after places and handed down through generations - it’s unusual for new titles to be created. As such, it struck me as odd that the author chose to invent a title that sounds so foreign as opposed to using an existing dukedom. There are enough to choose from, really, instead of creating something that sounds so out of place. (I do appreciate, however, that to an American audience, perhaps this would be totally unnoticeable? It just seems very artificial to me as an English reader!) It also bothered me that this character is alternately referred to as the Duke of Yordstrom, Duke Smith, Busick Smith and plain Smith. This is very much against regency etiquette, which would dictate using someone’s title unless on very intimate terms with them and it didn’t feel at all in keeping with the time period. The given name Busick is also highly unusual, not English and not very regency. I felt that these naming decisions unfortunately took away from the regency feel to the book.
There’s a similar example on p. 179 where Samuel calls both brothers Mr Montagu despite the fact that Nathaniel is a viscount. Again, according to regency etiquette, Nathaniel ought to be addressed using his title or simply his surname if intimacy is implied - but to call him “Mr” would be an insult and I don’t think this is supposed to be suggested in this scene. Another example is when Samuel “shoves” his hands in his pockets on p. 202 “as I trot down the stairs”. A regency era gentleman definitely wouldn’t have walked with his hands in his pockets! I appreciate that these are small things but the inconsistencies feel like errors in an otherwise well-crafted regency world.
The other thing that bothered me about this book was the frequent misuse of language and odd word choices that interrupted the flow of the text. For instance, on p. 190, the phrase “what we had as kids” is used, which is definitely not the correct word choice for a regency novel - a more appropriate choice might be ‘children’ or ‘younger’. There are also examples of the author attempting (unsuccessfully) to use more old-fashioned language, for instance when Lucas describes his evening as ““droll, dull, boring” on p.180, however ‘droll’ means funny or amusing, meaning this sentence doesn’t really make sense! There are lots of examples of this; “denied” instead of declined on p.99, “perspective” instead of prospective on p.227, “deny” rather than forego on p.410. In addition, there are some descriptive choices that are just plain odd; the repeated description of Samuel’s eyes as tree-bark-coloured is very strange and just doesn’t seem to flow naturally in the story. Another example is where, at one point, Georgiana describes running her hand down a horse’s fur - but horses don’t have fur! They have hair, hide, a mane, a flank, but not fur!
I have to say, I was also not a fan of the first-person present tense narration. I generally don’t like books written in the present-tense because I just find it less pleasing to read and I can’t say that this was an exception. It doesn’t fit well for a historical novel in my opinion. I also found that the author occasionally slipped into the past tense making the narration feel awkward.
Overall I did enjoy this story and the characters were engaging but I felt the writing really let it down. I think if you’re going to pick a regency setting, the whole book has to fit into this - and the language used plays a huge part in communicating the setting to your reader. Unfortunately, that’s where this book fell down for me.
Ok, there were lots of things that I did like about this book. First was the realistic regency setting; the town, streets, carriages and ballrooms are instantly recognisable to anyone who is familiar with the genre and I felt it was well done. I also enjoyed the slow burn and the friends/enemies to lovers trope and I love a dual POV so that definitely appealed. The storyline I felt was good, as was the characterisation, particularly of the MCs. I liked that Georgiana was not the usual pretty, young, naive protagonist, but a more wily and practical lady with teeth she’s just grown into!
There were a few elements, however, that bothered me - and perhaps it’s because I’m a bit of a regency purist? The fact that one of the principal characters is called the Duke of Yordstrom didn’t sit well. It’s not an English name at all! There isn’t an infinite supply of dukedoms in England and they’re usually named after places and handed down through generations - it’s unusual for new titles to be created. As such, it struck me as odd that the author chose to invent a title that sounds so foreign as opposed to using an existing dukedom. There are enough to choose from, really, instead of creating something that sounds so out of place. (I do appreciate, however, that to an American audience, perhaps this would be totally unnoticeable? It just seems very artificial to me as an English reader!) It also bothered me that this character is alternately referred to as the Duke of Yordstrom, Duke Smith, Busick Smith and plain Smith. This is very much against regency etiquette, which would dictate using someone’s title unless on very intimate terms with them and it didn’t feel at all in keeping with the time period. The given name Busick is also highly unusual, not English and not very regency. I felt that these naming decisions unfortunately took away from the regency feel to the book.
There’s a similar example on p. 179 where Samuel calls both brothers Mr Montagu despite the fact that Nathaniel is a viscount. Again, according to regency etiquette, Nathaniel ought to be addressed using his title or simply his surname if intimacy is implied - but to call him “Mr” would be an insult and I don’t think this is supposed to be suggested in this scene. Another example is when Samuel “shoves” his hands in his pockets on p. 202 “as I trot down the stairs”. A regency era gentleman definitely wouldn’t have walked with his hands in his pockets! I appreciate that these are small things but the inconsistencies feel like errors in an otherwise well-crafted regency world.
The other thing that bothered me about this book was the frequent misuse of language and odd word choices that interrupted the flow of the text. For instance, on p. 190, the phrase “what we had as kids” is used, which is definitely not the correct word choice for a regency novel - a more appropriate choice might be ‘children’ or ‘younger’. There are also examples of the author attempting (unsuccessfully) to use more old-fashioned language, for instance when Lucas describes his evening as ““droll, dull, boring” on p.180, however ‘droll’ means funny or amusing, meaning this sentence doesn’t really make sense! There are lots of examples of this; “denied” instead of declined on p.99, “perspective” instead of prospective on p.227, “deny” rather than forego on p.410. In addition, there are some descriptive choices that are just plain odd; the repeated description of Samuel’s eyes as tree-bark-coloured is very strange and just doesn’t seem to flow naturally in the story. Another example is where, at one point, Georgiana describes running her hand down a horse’s fur - but horses don’t have fur! They have hair, hide, a mane, a flank, but not fur!
I have to say, I was also not a fan of the first-person present tense narration. I generally don’t like books written in the present-tense because I just find it less pleasing to read and I can’t say that this was an exception. It doesn’t fit well for a historical novel in my opinion. I also found that the author occasionally slipped into the past tense making the narration feel awkward.
Overall I did enjoy this story and the characters were engaging but I felt the writing really let it down. I think if you’re going to pick a regency setting, the whole book has to fit into this - and the language used plays a huge part in communicating the setting to your reader. Unfortunately, that’s where this book fell down for me.
June 28, 2023
I really enjoyed the frenemies to lovers, found family tropes found in this short novel. I’m also a big fan of the dual pov.The banter between Samuel and Georgiana was adorable and I enjoyed their slow burn chemistry.
There were a few things that kept taking me out of the story however like some odd word choices and awkward phrasing. While I’m not an expert on the customs and rituals during those times there were definitely some historical inaccuracies that stuck out to me as a frequent reader. Overall these issues didn’t dampen the enjoyment of the story.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There were a few things that kept taking me out of the story however like some odd word choices and awkward phrasing. While I’m not an expert on the customs and rituals during those times there were definitely some historical inaccuracies that stuck out to me as a frequent reader. Overall these issues didn’t dampen the enjoyment of the story.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 30, 2023
Samuel, or The Marquess Barrington following the demise of his father, is in London for the Season, looking for a wife.
Georgiana Montagu, a former childhood friend of Samuel’s, is at the ball he is attending, together with her two brothers, and her friend Louisa.
Samuel believes that Louisa would make a good wife, and sets off to arrange an introduction to her, but catches sight of Georgiana on her brother’s arm, and is surprised by how she has blossomed since he last saw her. He is still set on courting Louisa, though.
Things don’t go to plan though, and everything is not as it seems. There are many disappointments in store for Samuel and the Montagu family, as old grudges resurface, and misunderstandings abound.
This is a lovely story of Regency England, and the regimens imposed on the Beau Monde by the ton.
I enjoyed it very much, and was carried along by the ups and downs the characters faced.
I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
Georgiana Montagu, a former childhood friend of Samuel’s, is at the ball he is attending, together with her two brothers, and her friend Louisa.
Samuel believes that Louisa would make a good wife, and sets off to arrange an introduction to her, but catches sight of Georgiana on her brother’s arm, and is surprised by how she has blossomed since he last saw her. He is still set on courting Louisa, though.
Things don’t go to plan though, and everything is not as it seems. There are many disappointments in store for Samuel and the Montagu family, as old grudges resurface, and misunderstandings abound.
This is a lovely story of Regency England, and the regimens imposed on the Beau Monde by the ton.
I enjoyed it very much, and was carried along by the ups and downs the characters faced.
I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
May 22, 2023
"Samuel Barrington has returned to the ton as the new marquess. He never thought he would be here searching for a wife, but he owes his dying mother the chance to see him happily betrothed. He has chosen to court the proper and quiet book lover Louisa Gillingham, though as the season gets underway, he finds himself drawn to Georgiana Montagu… the girl he teased as a child, and an utterly unsuitable match. Georgiana Montagu is entering society with her brothers at her side in the absence of their late parents. She has a plan to marry for true love and happiness for her family, and she has found the man to make this happen. If that vile toad, Samuel Barrington, could for once, stop meddling in and ruining her life. Even if he is annoyingly handsome. After all, he did teach her there was no value to one's face."
it's a good book. Samuel and Georgiana are meant to be together.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
it's a good book. Samuel and Georgiana are meant to be together.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 2, 2023
Woodrow's story is about finding someone who makes us whole, and it takes us through the journey with a lot of witty back and forth and in depth characters study.
Both Georgiana and co-protagonist Samuel could become your next literary crush, so be warned.
Both Georgiana and co-protagonist Samuel could become your next literary crush, so be warned.
June 12, 2023
I loved the friendships and the concept that friends can be family and their support is vital. I enjoyed the romance and hints of secrets. I want to read about each of the Montagu siblings and their paths to love. The writing style was different and took me a bit to get the feel for. I think the book could use a beta read or another run through with an editor. Some of the sentences seemed like they were missing words or had typos.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 17, 2023
The storyline is unusual for a period setting and the characters have interesting backstories. Pacing is fine and the conclusion is cute. Sadly, the writing style needs improvement. Much of the story is written in a way that tells you the story vs shows you/immersion. It’s the difference between the wind swept a chill throw my hair and the wind was cold.
The cover is fun and caught my interest.
The cover is fun and caught my interest.
May 22, 2023
Rosaline Woodrow's Regency debut is a sweet, rather uncomplicated story. "Dearest Georgiana" features the enemies-to-lovers trope, a common plot device this reader particularly enjoys. However, this tale is somewhat unique; the boy torments girl in childhood, and girl just won't let it go.
Georgiana Montagu has a secret wish, which is naive in itself, and the culmination of which would never happen in Regency England. Her "practical" solution, however, does lead to a few humorous situations. On the other hand, her childhood nemesis Samuel Barrington has a more realistic goal.
While this is a pleasant short novel, a few problems with the writing detracted from my enjoyment. The first person-present tense narration is distracting, although having two alternating "voices" helps somewhat. The characters, while engaging, are not particularly well-developed. There are historical inaccuracies, as well. Single men did not buy single women clothing, nor did unattached members of the opposite sex write each other. On the plus side, this book is clean, and there is no insta-love.
All criticism aside, I would try this author again. Regency Romance is one of my favorite genres, and I've read a countless number. I actually learned a new term here, "Waterloo teeth". How can something be gruesome and funny at the same time? But there you have it.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Georgiana Montagu has a secret wish, which is naive in itself, and the culmination of which would never happen in Regency England. Her "practical" solution, however, does lead to a few humorous situations. On the other hand, her childhood nemesis Samuel Barrington has a more realistic goal.
While this is a pleasant short novel, a few problems with the writing detracted from my enjoyment. The first person-present tense narration is distracting, although having two alternating "voices" helps somewhat. The characters, while engaging, are not particularly well-developed. There are historical inaccuracies, as well. Single men did not buy single women clothing, nor did unattached members of the opposite sex write each other. On the plus side, this book is clean, and there is no insta-love.
All criticism aside, I would try this author again. Regency Romance is one of my favorite genres, and I've read a countless number. I actually learned a new term here, "Waterloo teeth". How can something be gruesome and funny at the same time? But there you have it.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 14, 2023
Dearest Georgiana is Rosaline Woodrow's debut novel and it's an enjoyable read but not without a few issues.
I found the description of this book to be interesting, so I thought I would give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect from a debut novel.
The book is written in first person present tense, from dual points of view, which is not typical of historical romance and may have been more suited to a contemporary setting. I found it was not really to my taste, but that is a personal preference and I tried not to judge the book based on my dislike of the point of view.
The writing was sometimes awkward, requiring me to reread paragraphs at times to understand what the author was trying say, and several times the author used the incorrect word such, as bows when the author meant beaus . I feel like this book could have gone through a few more rounds of editing to really polish it and make it stand out.
The author could also have done a little more research on norms of the regency period, and proper forms of address for the peerage. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've picked up enough from reading historical romance, and historical novels over the years to have been able to pick up on several inaccuracies.
All of that said, I did like the overall story. The characters were likeable for the most part, and the story has a typical happy ending for the couple. If historical inaccuracies and a few grammar issues don’t bother you, this is well worth a read. I look forward to reading more from this author, and seeing if her writing improves.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found the description of this book to be interesting, so I thought I would give it a try. I wasn't sure what to expect from a debut novel.
The book is written in first person present tense, from dual points of view, which is not typical of historical romance and may have been more suited to a contemporary setting. I found it was not really to my taste, but that is a personal preference and I tried not to judge the book based on my dislike of the point of view.
The writing was sometimes awkward, requiring me to reread paragraphs at times to understand what the author was trying say, and several times the author used the incorrect word such, as bows when the author meant beaus . I feel like this book could have gone through a few more rounds of editing to really polish it and make it stand out.
The author could also have done a little more research on norms of the regency period, and proper forms of address for the peerage. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've picked up enough from reading historical romance, and historical novels over the years to have been able to pick up on several inaccuracies.
All of that said, I did like the overall story. The characters were likeable for the most part, and the story has a typical happy ending for the couple. If historical inaccuracies and a few grammar issues don’t bother you, this is well worth a read. I look forward to reading more from this author, and seeing if her writing improves.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 23, 2023
I have to admit the cover is what initially caught my attention and when I read the blurb, I was definitely interested. I was not disappointed. After his father's death, Samuel is now the new marquess. He has come back to London to search for a wife. Samuel believes he has found the perfect wife when he sees Louisa and is fully prepared to court her. But then he catches a glimpse of his childhood frenemy, Georgiana, and is completely captivated by her. But she is all wrong for him, so he focuses on securing Louisa's hand. Georgiana is newly entering society and her plan is to marry for love. As the season progresses, she believes she has found that person, but Samuel always keeps getting in the way. Somehow, they keep getting in each other's orbit, and though their intentions are to marry other people, their hearts continue to be drawn to each other.
This was an enjoyable frenemies-to-more story with great characters and I had a lovely time reading it. The story had plenty of humorous moments which made it all the more fun. I think this was a very nice debut by a new author. I am always on the lookout for new Regency authors, and I Ms Woodrow is one I definitely intend to follow.
I received a complimentary copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.
This was an enjoyable frenemies-to-more story with great characters and I had a lovely time reading it. The story had plenty of humorous moments which made it all the more fun. I think this was a very nice debut by a new author. I am always on the lookout for new Regency authors, and I Ms Woodrow is one I definitely intend to follow.
I received a complimentary copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review.
May 30, 2023
A sweet historical romance with loss, misunderstandings, friendships, and true love. Samuel needs to find a suitable wife to take home to his dying mother so she knows he will be fine when her time finally comes. He sets his sights on the belle of the season, Louisa, but has some serious competition with other suitors including the Montagu brothers that he grew up with. Not only does he have to face them, but their sister, Georgiana, whom he teased as a child after a falling out years ago. Georgiana is looking for a suitable match and has found him, but her childhood nemesis returns and throws everything into turmoil. Now they must reconcile past hurts to restore friendships and realize that sometimes the best match is the one right in front of you. Well written but with a few editing issues. Good characters with a deep emotional bond but a few that I felt needed to have closure, but maybe that will happen if more books are to follow. A good effort for a new author and I look forward to seeing more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 6, 2023
What a story! Sibling rivalry, misunderstandings, cutting comments, preconceived notions, and societal mandates all come together to create a tale of matches and mismatches. Georgiana, Samuel and her two brothers Nathaniel and Lucas, all grew up together. When Georgiana’s parents died, Nathaniel became a viscount and the head of the family. He sent Georgiana away to finishing school, much to her dismay, and now she is back in London for the Season. Meanwhile, Samuel’s mother is dying and he comes to London to find a wife before she passes. And so the story tells of courting attempts and mishaps, and intentional and unintentional sabotage. Emotions run high as Georgina plays the blame game with Samuel, who just wants his family of friends back. This story is told from the perspective of either Georgiana or Samuel, is fast-paced, and has a few twists and surprises. It captured my interest from the get-go and left me wanting more. I look forward to the nexy book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 7, 2023
Samuel and Georgiana . . .
This is an enjoyable story line that will keep the reader smiling and waiting for realization to dawn on these two stubborn characters. With Samuel Barrington becoming a marquess, there are added responsibilities on his shoulders. One important task is to produce an heir, and he wants to at least be betrothed so his dying mother can see he is happy.
Samuel decides to court Louisa Gillingham, but his attention is captured by Georgiana Montagu whom he used to tease in their childhood. Georgiana has her own definite ideas of marriage. She has a strong personality and will marry for love, if she can only get Samuel to get out of her way and leave her alone. After enough agitated encounters, Samuel realizes that he must decide whether to continue with his initial plan or to realize Georgiana may be the one meant for him to love. (At least life would never be dull.) Or will Georgiana remain stubborn and refuse to believe Samuel could be the one for her?
This is an enjoyable story line that will keep the reader smiling and waiting for realization to dawn on these two stubborn characters. With Samuel Barrington becoming a marquess, there are added responsibilities on his shoulders. One important task is to produce an heir, and he wants to at least be betrothed so his dying mother can see he is happy.
Samuel decides to court Louisa Gillingham, but his attention is captured by Georgiana Montagu whom he used to tease in their childhood. Georgiana has her own definite ideas of marriage. She has a strong personality and will marry for love, if she can only get Samuel to get out of her way and leave her alone. After enough agitated encounters, Samuel realizes that he must decide whether to continue with his initial plan or to realize Georgiana may be the one meant for him to love. (At least life would never be dull.) Or will Georgiana remain stubborn and refuse to believe Samuel could be the one for her?
June 12, 2023
What an interesting read, I normally love regency but I like how the author has made this a more modern version of a regency. This would be a great book for people who can't get into regency because of all the old timey language but still want balls and carriages and scandal of course. It had a whimsical feel from the start and I laughed out loud when Samuel first made a comment about Georgiana's teeth it was hilarious and so out of place for a regency it was like a breath of fresh air. The first few chapter had me put off a little since there was some info dump at the start but it sets the book up perfectly. I did find it hard to keep track of some characters as they were being called by names, titles and surnames all interchangeably but I got the hang of it by the end. The ending was of course a HEA and it was perfect, it even had a sweet epilogue. I just wish Nathaniel, Lucas and Louisa each had their own books with their own love stories.
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens. This review is voluntary and is solely my opinion.
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens. This review is voluntary and is solely my opinion.
June 14, 2023
Tedious and Other Issues
Something was off for me with this book, as it didn’t feel right as I started reading. It took me a chapter to figure out, but it’s because it’s written in the present tense. I dislike that in contemporary romance, where it has been firmly entrenched for a few years now, but it’s hard to swallow in historical fiction. But that’s just my opinion. You may not mind.
Other language oddities bothered me, however, as well. Far too many contemporary phrases slipped in. While I don’t expect modern writers to craft prose as they did 200 years ago, I still expect and prefer somewhat elevated language. So seeing contemporary phrases and concepts jars me right out of the time period. Also, this author didn’t seem to have a good grasp of the Regency era, or at least not as good as I expect from a Regency author...or even a "Regency inspired" one. The author claims this is a romantic comedy, but I did not find enough truly humorous moments for it to warrant being called such.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Something was off for me with this book, as it didn’t feel right as I started reading. It took me a chapter to figure out, but it’s because it’s written in the present tense. I dislike that in contemporary romance, where it has been firmly entrenched for a few years now, but it’s hard to swallow in historical fiction. But that’s just my opinion. You may not mind.
Other language oddities bothered me, however, as well. Far too many contemporary phrases slipped in. While I don’t expect modern writers to craft prose as they did 200 years ago, I still expect and prefer somewhat elevated language. So seeing contemporary phrases and concepts jars me right out of the time period. Also, this author didn’t seem to have a good grasp of the Regency era, or at least not as good as I expect from a Regency author...or even a "Regency inspired" one. The author claims this is a romantic comedy, but I did not find enough truly humorous moments for it to warrant being called such.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
May 28, 2023
This Regency-era England romance had me smiling so much while reading it.
I found the characters very endearing and relatable. loved the way the author structured the relationship between the siblings. Their bond is the strongest part of the story at least for me.
I had a lot of fun reading about the two main characters and how their journey and self discovery helped them to recognize their feelings for each other.
The friendship between the characters is also a very strong point in the story that I adored. I like reading about a healthy friendship between women.
This was almost a five star read for me but I found the third act a little less impactful than I expected. I know some aspects of the story are necessary but I wasn't a big fan of them.
I definitely plan on reading the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found the characters very endearing and relatable. loved the way the author structured the relationship between the siblings. Their bond is the strongest part of the story at least for me.
I had a lot of fun reading about the two main characters and how their journey and self discovery helped them to recognize their feelings for each other.
The friendship between the characters is also a very strong point in the story that I adored. I like reading about a healthy friendship between women.
This was almost a five star read for me but I found the third act a little less impactful than I expected. I know some aspects of the story are necessary but I wasn't a big fan of them.
I definitely plan on reading the next book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 27, 2023
Samuel Barrington needs to find a wife so his dying mother can see him happily married. Georgiana Montagu is looking for a husband for her own reasons, which she keeps hidden from us for a good part of the book. Because of a misunderstanding, Georgie wants nothing to do with Samuel, who was once one of her closest friends. The story is so sweet and engaging you can't help but want these two knuckleheads to find each other and live happily ever after. A lot of the story is told through Samuel's perspective, which I enjoyed. The characters are well drawn, especially Georgie, who makes you want to smack her and hug her at the same time. She reminds me a lot of Emma, with her absolute confidence in her rightness about everything. This book is an absolute joy, and II can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 25, 2023
3.5+
A quick, cute dual POV regency novel. Georgiana enters society with a plan to marry for love, but her and her brothers' childhood friend, Samuel, keeps upsetting her plans. Samuel has his own plans to find a smart match to please his ailing mother, but Georgiana proves to be quite a distraction.
The story is a little slow at times, but quite a lot happens by the end of the book. There are some repeated descriptions and unusual phrasing (for a regency novel) that could be a little distracting, but overall I enjoyed the development of the characters and how the story plays out. The ending is especially sweet.
Read it for:
🍀 Slow Burn
🍀 Frienemies to Lovers
🍀 He Falls First
🍀 Found Family
I received this ARC for free and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
A quick, cute dual POV regency novel. Georgiana enters society with a plan to marry for love, but her and her brothers' childhood friend, Samuel, keeps upsetting her plans. Samuel has his own plans to find a smart match to please his ailing mother, but Georgiana proves to be quite a distraction.
The story is a little slow at times, but quite a lot happens by the end of the book. There are some repeated descriptions and unusual phrasing (for a regency novel) that could be a little distracting, but overall I enjoyed the development of the characters and how the story plays out. The ending is especially sweet.
Read it for:
🍀 Slow Burn
🍀 Frienemies to Lovers
🍀 He Falls First
🍀 Found Family
I received this ARC for free and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
May 23, 2023
Dearest Georgiana is book 1 in The Montagu Siblings by Rosaline Woodrow. I enjoy books that are set during the Regency period. Samuel is the new Marquess of Barrington and he is looking for the perfect wife. I love that Georgiana and her brothers were childhood friends. I thought this romance was enjoyable with a few surprises here and there. I am looking forward to reading the next books. Dearest Georgiana was a wonderful afternoon read. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
June 6, 2023
She was his anchor.
This was fun book to read. The heroine of the piece thinks she is in love with one gentleman but really it is the hero. The problem is that they grew up together and neither realizes how they truly felt for each other. They go around and around and it was entertaining to read. The ending was great I loved her scene with the duke. I am so glad I read this one and I do recommend it. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
This was fun book to read. The heroine of the piece thinks she is in love with one gentleman but really it is the hero. The problem is that they grew up together and neither realizes how they truly felt for each other. They go around and around and it was entertaining to read. The ending was great I loved her scene with the duke. I am so glad I read this one and I do recommend it. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
June 22, 2023
Dearest Georgiana is Book 1 of the Montagu Siblings series by Rosaline Woodrow. This is the first book by this author that I have had the pleasure of reading. This book is about the love story of Geogiana and Samuel. They grew up together and then were parted as she went away to finishing school. Once reunited they find themselves bickering constantly until they realize that they are in love. I highly recommend this book to all historical romance readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 8, 2023
This is a fun easy read. It's well written and has good character development. I did get a bit annoyed with how Georgiana talked to Samuel, but at least I understood better why she was so angry with him when that was revealed a bit later in the story. Of course I knew this was going to be a happily ever after ending, but there was a bumpy path to get there.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 8, 2023
I enjoyed reading Dearest Georgiana by Rosaline Woodrow. Samuel and Georgiana were made for each other but it took most of the story for them to realize it. I liked the complicated relationships of each of the families since that is like real life. Louisa was a perfectly written part of the story and kept me guessing. Hope to learn more about her, maybe in the next book! This is a good book and is written in a bit of a different style. I read an ARC and this is my honest review.
June 12, 2023
This was such a fun book!! I love regency era stories, so I was pretty sure I was already going to enjoy it. But genuinely, it caught me off guard how much I liked it. I didn’t give it a 5 though because there were some points where I felt like it could have been more direct: while I LOVE a good slow burn, I would have want to feel the burn more. Regardless though, I enjoyed it wholeheartedly, so thank you for the opportunity to ARC read this book.
September 3, 2023
My first dip into regency and it was a great one! I loved how Rosaline wrote these characters, their problems, and the solutions! What a lovely, light hearted story it was! I found particular similarities between Georgie and myself and you don’t see that very often in books so it was a pleasant surprise.
The book nerd that I am wishes that we got more of Louisa but that’s my only complaint so here’s to hoping Rosaline writes a story focusing on her too!
The book nerd that I am wishes that we got more of Louisa but that’s my only complaint so here’s to hoping Rosaline writes a story focusing on her too!
May 16, 2023
If I could go back in time and fall in love with these characters all over again, I would. This is the sweetest slow burn that had me gushing over the male lead long after I read the last page. As with any Woodrow work, the dialogue is realistic, snappy, and delicious. This author has solidified her place on my "auto-buy" list.
Read
June 3, 2023The first book in the Montagu Siblings series, this is a new Author to me. Marquess Samuel Barrington and Georgiana Montagu will have their ups and downs as they work toward a happy ending. The story is fun, well written with a very good storyline that I enjoyed reading. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 6, 2023
Sometimes what you need is right there under your nose. Samuel was looking for a wife that his mother would like and Georgiana has different plans for her future. A wonderful read, rich is character and full of angst and love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 6, 2023
I absolutely adore this story and these characters. Samuel and Georgiana are precious, and Nathaniel is the love of my life. This is such a fun, lighthearted Regency romance with lots of laughs and heart. There's amazing sibling relationships and a slow burn/enemies to lovers-esque romance and great friendships. It's such a cozy, summery read and I can't wait to hold a copy in my hands.
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