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Baleful Godmother #1.5
Resisting Miss Merryweather
She sees things no one else does...
Sir Barnaby Ware made a mistake two and a half years ago. A massive mistake. The sort of mistake that can never be atoned for.
He knows himself to be irredeemable, but the captivating and unconventional Miss Merryweather is determined to prove him wrong.
The daughter of a dancing master and a noblewoman, Miss Merryweather had an unusual upbringing. She sees things no one else sees—and she says things no one else says.
Sir Barnaby knows he’s the villain in this piece, but Miss Merryweather thinks he’s the hero—and she is damnably hard to resist…
(Resisting Miss Merryweather is a novella of approximately 33,000 words.)
Q & A with the author
How would you describe this series?
It's a fusion of magic and Regency England. I guess you could say it's "Jane Austen meets Maleficent". I hope to take readers on a journey from the glittering ballrooms of the aristocracy to the dark underbelly of Regency England - with passion, danger, adventure, romance, and a little magic thrown into the mix.
I think the series could also be labelled Regency Noir, because it falls on the darker, grittier side of the romance fence, although each book contains humor, too. The stories are emotional, but not sweet (there's sex, violence, and my heroes do swear rather badly at times!).
Why did you write this series?
I wanted to get my well-bred heroines out of the drawing rooms and put them in the way of adventure and romance. But I didn't want to write a series where magic is common; I wanted to write a series where only a few characters have magic, and it's a deep, dark secret, and no one else knows.
But ... do magic and Regency England go together?
Definitely! Many, many years ago I read Sorcery and Cecelia (or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot) by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and totally loved it and ever since then I've thought that Regency England and magic go very well together. Other writers think so, too. Just look at Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
What was the catalyst for this series?
A magazine article that I read years ago in which celebrities were asked what magic power they'd choose and why. That got me thinking! (I'd choose shapeshifting, by the way.)
How would you describe your writing?
Several reviewers have likened my writing to Georgette Heyer, which is the hugest compliment ever. I adore Georgette Heyer! She's why I write historical romance, and I reread her books over and over. (If you've not read The Grand Sophy, please do so!) I've also had readers compare my writing to Courtney Milan and Mary Balogh, which are also massive compliments.
Who would like this series?
This series will appeal to readers who enjoy the historical backdrop of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, the dark and sensual 'noir' feel of Anna Campbell, the emotion of Mary Balogh or Courtney Milan, and the magic of Patricia Rice and Mary Robinette Kowal. Quite a broad range, really!
What order should I read the series in?
Each book, whether a novel or novella, can be read as a standalone, but many readers prefer to read them in order.
Sir Barnaby Ware made a mistake two and a half years ago. A massive mistake. The sort of mistake that can never be atoned for.
He knows himself to be irredeemable, but the captivating and unconventional Miss Merryweather is determined to prove him wrong.
The daughter of a dancing master and a noblewoman, Miss Merryweather had an unusual upbringing. She sees things no one else sees—and she says things no one else says.
Sir Barnaby knows he’s the villain in this piece, but Miss Merryweather thinks he’s the hero—and she is damnably hard to resist…
(Resisting Miss Merryweather is a novella of approximately 33,000 words.)
Q & A with the author
How would you describe this series?
It's a fusion of magic and Regency England. I guess you could say it's "Jane Austen meets Maleficent". I hope to take readers on a journey from the glittering ballrooms of the aristocracy to the dark underbelly of Regency England - with passion, danger, adventure, romance, and a little magic thrown into the mix.
I think the series could also be labelled Regency Noir, because it falls on the darker, grittier side of the romance fence, although each book contains humor, too. The stories are emotional, but not sweet (there's sex, violence, and my heroes do swear rather badly at times!).
Why did you write this series?
I wanted to get my well-bred heroines out of the drawing rooms and put them in the way of adventure and romance. But I didn't want to write a series where magic is common; I wanted to write a series where only a few characters have magic, and it's a deep, dark secret, and no one else knows.
But ... do magic and Regency England go together?
Definitely! Many, many years ago I read Sorcery and Cecelia (or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot) by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and totally loved it and ever since then I've thought that Regency England and magic go very well together. Other writers think so, too. Just look at Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
What was the catalyst for this series?
A magazine article that I read years ago in which celebrities were asked what magic power they'd choose and why. That got me thinking! (I'd choose shapeshifting, by the way.)
How would you describe your writing?
Several reviewers have likened my writing to Georgette Heyer, which is the hugest compliment ever. I adore Georgette Heyer! She's why I write historical romance, and I reread her books over and over. (If you've not read The Grand Sophy, please do so!) I've also had readers compare my writing to Courtney Milan and Mary Balogh, which are also massive compliments.
Who would like this series?
This series will appeal to readers who enjoy the historical backdrop of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, the dark and sensual 'noir' feel of Anna Campbell, the emotion of Mary Balogh or Courtney Milan, and the magic of Patricia Rice and Mary Robinette Kowal. Quite a broad range, really!
What order should I read the series in?
Each book, whether a novel or novella, can be read as a standalone, but many readers prefer to read them in order.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2016
445 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Emily Larkin
38 books369 followersEmily Larkin is the USA Today bestselling author of the Baleful Godmother historical romance series, a series that readers are calling “sexy, unusual and vastly entertaining,” and "ridiculously wonderful."
When not reading or writing, Emily can be found hiking—preferably somewhere off the beaten track. She loves to travel, and has lived in Sweden, backpacked in Europe and North America, and traveled overland in the Middle East, China, and North Africa. Her varied career includes stints as a field assistant in Antarctica and a waitress on the Isle of Skye.
Emily writes fantasy novels as Emily Gee, and historical romance novels as Emily Larkin. She has been a finalist in the Romance Writers of America RITA award, as well as the National Readers Choice, Booksellers Best, Australian Romantic Book of the Year, Sir Julius Vogel, and Koru awards. Her websites are www.emilylarkin.com and www.emilygee.com.
** Join Emily’s Readers’ Group to get an email whenever she has a new release or discounts a book—plus get some FREE ebooks as well!**
When not reading or writing, Emily can be found hiking—preferably somewhere off the beaten track. She loves to travel, and has lived in Sweden, backpacked in Europe and North America, and traveled overland in the Middle East, China, and North Africa. Her varied career includes stints as a field assistant in Antarctica and a waitress on the Isle of Skye.
Emily writes fantasy novels as Emily Gee, and historical romance novels as Emily Larkin. She has been a finalist in the Romance Writers of America RITA award, as well as the National Readers Choice, Booksellers Best, Australian Romantic Book of the Year, Sir Julius Vogel, and Koru awards. Her websites are www.emilylarkin.com and www.emilygee.com.
** Join Emily’s Readers’ Group to get an email whenever she has a new release or discounts a book—plus get some FREE ebooks as well!**
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
October 25, 2017
2.5 stars
This is going to be awkward.
So I had no idea that this was rather a novella until I looked at my Kindle app and saw that Resisting Miss Merryweather was much shorter than the previous book. And, well, I'm a little allergic to novellas. In case I haven't said it a gazillion times before, novellas are, in my opinion, not the adequate format to showcase a developing relationship. Everything has to be packed into a limited amount of pages, and it's usually the emotional depth that suffers the most.
I really have no clue why the author didn't choose to write a full-length novel. The premise is highly interesting. Sir Barnaby Ware used to be life-long friends with Marcus Langford, Earl of Cosgrove, and hero of the previous book, until Cosgrove's late first wife, Lavinia, threw herself into Barnaby's arms, falsely accusing Marcus of beating her and asking for comfort. The sort of comfort that leads to sex. Lavinia, hating her husband for wanting to divorce her, uses Barnaby as a weapon and tells her husband of their affair, adding a few lies here and there, and thus destroying a friendship that had begun when they were children.
There's a poignant scene between Barnaby and Marcus in the first book, with Barnaby asking - begging - for forgiveness. Marcus, of course, lets him know that forgiveness is not the issue, but forgetting a whole different matter.
Barnaby has been full of shame and self-loathing from the moment he slept with his best friend's wife. Now, a bit over two years later, Marcus offers an olive branch and invites him to his new country estate and asks Barnaby to be the godfather to his newborn son.
A little explanation here: There's more to Lavinia's personality than meets the eye, but for that I advise to read the previous book.
Anyway, along comes Miss Anne 'Merry' Merryweather, a distant cousin of Charlotte, now Countess of Cosgrove, who will, upon her 25th birthday also be gifted by that ominous Faerie Grandmother with a gift of Merry's choosing. She's a little undecided yet.
And here we are again: Tortured hero in need of the forever positive heroine to be healed.
To go back to the point I made above, I am still a little clueless as to why Miss Larkin chose to write Barnaby's story in a novella. So much potential is simply wasted. And not only that, everything happens in Fed-Ex style. Merry knows she loves him after one day of knowing him. He knows he loves her after three days of knowing her.
There are certainly passages that could have been explored more thoroughly. But what saddens me the most is Merry. Where Charlotte was the star of the previous book, funny, perceptive, determined, Merry's character remains highly underdeveloped. She has all of Charlotte's qualities but there's no time to show it to me. Barnaby needs to be redeemed by a female main character, and Merry simply filled the spot. When the 'I love you's' are exchanged after only three days, I was taken aback.
One last thing I have to point out here, though. When I said I was allergic to novellas, I meant it...figuratively. I do not like romance novellas! I don't. Like some people don't like PNR's or Erotica. That's why I have also decided to give this three stars and not lower. I have certainly read worse novellas. I enjoyed the story when the focus wasn't on the romance but on the individuals, mainly Barnaby, and his friendship to Marcus.
That's it. Obviously, I'll continue with the series but I've learned my lesson. No binge-reading! So, I'll pause with the series for a little while.
The question is, what the heck am I going to read next? I have no clue whatsoever.
This is going to be awkward.
So I had no idea that this was rather a novella until I looked at my Kindle app and saw that Resisting Miss Merryweather was much shorter than the previous book. And, well, I'm a little allergic to novellas. In case I haven't said it a gazillion times before, novellas are, in my opinion, not the adequate format to showcase a developing relationship. Everything has to be packed into a limited amount of pages, and it's usually the emotional depth that suffers the most.
I really have no clue why the author didn't choose to write a full-length novel. The premise is highly interesting. Sir Barnaby Ware used to be life-long friends with Marcus Langford, Earl of Cosgrove, and hero of the previous book, until Cosgrove's late first wife, Lavinia, threw herself into Barnaby's arms, falsely accusing Marcus of beating her and asking for comfort. The sort of comfort that leads to sex. Lavinia, hating her husband for wanting to divorce her, uses Barnaby as a weapon and tells her husband of their affair, adding a few lies here and there, and thus destroying a friendship that had begun when they were children.
There's a poignant scene between Barnaby and Marcus in the first book, with Barnaby asking - begging - for forgiveness. Marcus, of course, lets him know that forgiveness is not the issue, but forgetting a whole different matter.
Barnaby has been full of shame and self-loathing from the moment he slept with his best friend's wife. Now, a bit over two years later, Marcus offers an olive branch and invites him to his new country estate and asks Barnaby to be the godfather to his newborn son.
A little explanation here: There's more to Lavinia's personality than meets the eye, but for that I advise to read the previous book.
Anyway, along comes Miss Anne 'Merry' Merryweather, a distant cousin of Charlotte, now Countess of Cosgrove, who will, upon her 25th birthday also be gifted by that ominous Faerie Grandmother with a gift of Merry's choosing. She's a little undecided yet.
And here we are again: Tortured hero in need of the forever positive heroine to be healed.
To go back to the point I made above, I am still a little clueless as to why Miss Larkin chose to write Barnaby's story in a novella. So much potential is simply wasted. And not only that, everything happens in Fed-Ex style. Merry knows she loves him after one day of knowing him. He knows he loves her after three days of knowing her.
There are certainly passages that could have been explored more thoroughly. But what saddens me the most is Merry. Where Charlotte was the star of the previous book, funny, perceptive, determined, Merry's character remains highly underdeveloped. She has all of Charlotte's qualities but there's no time to show it to me. Barnaby needs to be redeemed by a female main character, and Merry simply filled the spot. When the 'I love you's' are exchanged after only three days, I was taken aback.
One last thing I have to point out here, though. When I said I was allergic to novellas, I meant it...figuratively. I do not like romance novellas! I don't. Like some people don't like PNR's or Erotica. That's why I have also decided to give this three stars and not lower. I have certainly read worse novellas. I enjoyed the story when the focus wasn't on the romance but on the individuals, mainly Barnaby, and his friendship to Marcus.
That's it. Obviously, I'll continue with the series but I've learned my lesson. No binge-reading! So, I'll pause with the series for a little while.
The question is, what the heck am I going to read next? I have no clue whatsoever.
December 21, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed Unmasking Miss Appleby, the first book in Emily Larkin’s new
Baleful Godmother
series, and was curious about the secondary character of Sir Barnaby Ware, whom we learned had previously been the best friend of that book’s hero, Marcus, the Earl of Cosgrove. A couple of years earlier, Barnaby betrayed his friend in the worst way possible, by committing adultery with Marcus’ beautiful but manipulative wife. The two men had previously been like brothers, and it seemed that their friendship was irrevocably broken.
More than a year has passed since the events of the last book, and Barnaby is on his way to Marcus’ Devonshire estate, having accepted an invitation from his former friend and his new wife, who have recently become parents for the first time. Barnaby is understandably anxious; the last time he and Marcus met, things between them were barely civil, and he keeps telling himself this visit is not a good idea and that he should turn back. He is about to do that when he sees a young woman walking ahead of him; and when he stops to talk to her, discovers she is a friend of Marcus’ wife, also staying at Woodhuish Abbey. She asks Barnaby to escort her back there, and, as a gentleman, he can’t refuse, so now there is no question of retreat.
Anne Merryweather is Charlotte’s – now the Countess of Cosgrove – cousin, and like Charlotte, will be gifted with the magical ability of her choice upon her twenty-fifth birthday, which is only a few days away. But even without that, she has an uncanny facility for reading people and seeing beyond what someone says to the truth that lies behind their words. She knows what happened between Marcus and Barnaby, and knows that Barnaby is still eaten up with guilt and believes he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But the lovely, open-hearted Miss Merryweather – Merry to her friends – is determined to prove him wrong.
While the romance develops over just a few days, the author creates a genuinely strong connection between Barnaby and Merry, who is able to see past his guilt and self-loathing to the kind, compassionate man that he truly is. He has been resisting his attraction to her because of his belief that he’s not worthy of her, but when they are both trapped underground following a trip to explore some local caves, Barnaby steps up to the plate to become the man that Merry needs him to be.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is a lovely story of forgiveness and redemption, showing that’s it’s just as important to be able to forgive oneself as it is to obtain the forgiveness of others. While this is a novella, it doesn’t lack depth; the shame and despair Barnaby feels over his past actions is palpable, and the growing attraction between him and Merry is nicely done. The relationship between Barnaby and Marcus is very-well written, too – their interactions are infused with warmth despite the issues lying between them, and I liked the emphasis placed on going forward rather than looking back, the idea of Barnaby becoming an even better friend in the days to come.
The book can be read as a standalone, but works best as a companion piece to Unmasking Miss Appleby.
More than a year has passed since the events of the last book, and Barnaby is on his way to Marcus’ Devonshire estate, having accepted an invitation from his former friend and his new wife, who have recently become parents for the first time. Barnaby is understandably anxious; the last time he and Marcus met, things between them were barely civil, and he keeps telling himself this visit is not a good idea and that he should turn back. He is about to do that when he sees a young woman walking ahead of him; and when he stops to talk to her, discovers she is a friend of Marcus’ wife, also staying at Woodhuish Abbey. She asks Barnaby to escort her back there, and, as a gentleman, he can’t refuse, so now there is no question of retreat.
Anne Merryweather is Charlotte’s – now the Countess of Cosgrove – cousin, and like Charlotte, will be gifted with the magical ability of her choice upon her twenty-fifth birthday, which is only a few days away. But even without that, she has an uncanny facility for reading people and seeing beyond what someone says to the truth that lies behind their words. She knows what happened between Marcus and Barnaby, and knows that Barnaby is still eaten up with guilt and believes he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But the lovely, open-hearted Miss Merryweather – Merry to her friends – is determined to prove him wrong.
While the romance develops over just a few days, the author creates a genuinely strong connection between Barnaby and Merry, who is able to see past his guilt and self-loathing to the kind, compassionate man that he truly is. He has been resisting his attraction to her because of his belief that he’s not worthy of her, but when they are both trapped underground following a trip to explore some local caves, Barnaby steps up to the plate to become the man that Merry needs him to be.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is a lovely story of forgiveness and redemption, showing that’s it’s just as important to be able to forgive oneself as it is to obtain the forgiveness of others. While this is a novella, it doesn’t lack depth; the shame and despair Barnaby feels over his past actions is palpable, and the growing attraction between him and Merry is nicely done. The relationship between Barnaby and Marcus is very-well written, too – their interactions are infused with warmth despite the issues lying between them, and I liked the emphasis placed on going forward rather than looking back, the idea of Barnaby becoming an even better friend in the days to come.
The book can be read as a standalone, but works best as a companion piece to Unmasking Miss Appleby.
January 4, 2017
Sir Barnaby Ware made a mistake two and a half years ago letting himself be seduced by his best friend's wife. Now Barnaby has come to try to make amends with his old friend even though he feels that he may not deserve the forgiveness he's come to seek.
When Barnaby arrives he meets Miss Merryweather, the daughter of a dancing master and a noblewoman. The two are immediately drawn to one another but Barnaby doesn't believe he will ever be good enough for a nice young woman like Merry but when an accident happens the pair find themselves growing close.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is the second book in the Baleful Godmother series by Emily Larkin. Along with the first book in this series there is also a set of prequel novellas, The Fey Quartet series that also tie into this story. The entire series is a mix of historical, fantasy and romance. The main female characters in the Baleful Godmother series have received a gift upon each of their twenty fifth birthdays from a faerie who's story was told in the Fey Quartet novellas.
I've really enjoyed this series with it's interesting mix of genres. The one thing I found with Resisting Miss Merryweather was I found that I would have liked a bit more to remind me of what had happened earlier in the story since it had been a bit of time since I'd read the first book. Once I found myself caught up though it still found myself enjoying learning about Merry and her gift that she chose and her relationship developing with Barnaby in this edition of the series.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
When Barnaby arrives he meets Miss Merryweather, the daughter of a dancing master and a noblewoman. The two are immediately drawn to one another but Barnaby doesn't believe he will ever be good enough for a nice young woman like Merry but when an accident happens the pair find themselves growing close.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is the second book in the Baleful Godmother series by Emily Larkin. Along with the first book in this series there is also a set of prequel novellas, The Fey Quartet series that also tie into this story. The entire series is a mix of historical, fantasy and romance. The main female characters in the Baleful Godmother series have received a gift upon each of their twenty fifth birthdays from a faerie who's story was told in the Fey Quartet novellas.
I've really enjoyed this series with it's interesting mix of genres. The one thing I found with Resisting Miss Merryweather was I found that I would have liked a bit more to remind me of what had happened earlier in the story since it had been a bit of time since I'd read the first book. Once I found myself caught up though it still found myself enjoying learning about Merry and her gift that she chose and her relationship developing with Barnaby in this edition of the series.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
October 3, 2017
Barnaby, our hero, was introduced in Unmasking Miss Appleby as a friend of it's hero, Marcus. Their friendship was riuned because of an affair that broke up Marcus' marriage and destroyed a life-long friendship.
Barnaby is devastated when Marcus swore he could never forgive his disloyalty and rejected Barnaby's heartfelt appology.
This story begins when Barnaby receives an invitation to visit Marcus and his new wife. He's terrorized of what would happen, of how Marcus will treat him and he's still full of remorse for what he's done. He loaths himself and feels that he doesn't deserve to be simply forgiven as that is what seems would happen when Marcus welcomes him in his home.
Merry is Marcus wife's cousin. She's, just like her name says, a merry person, even if life was not easy for her. Her father was a dancing master who married a noblewoman in spite of her family wishes and she was disinherit. They loved each other and their daughter and were a happy, even if rather poor. When they died Merry went to live with Marcus and his wife Charlotte.
After meeting Barnaby, Merry, who know his history with Marcus and his treacherous late wife, is sadden when she realizes how much Barnaby is regretting what he's done. She knows that she needs to do something about it and tries to pull him out of his misery with intelligent conversation, fun activities and some light flirting.
Like the previous book, there's the baleful godmother involved because Merry too is one of the descendant who's due to get her wish granted on her birthday.
Their love story is not a difficult one, but just a romantic one. This story is more about redemption and I liked very much Merry with her easy way and her ability to read other people's state of mind and her generous heart!
Even if this is not a full novel, but a novella, it is a worthy read!
Barnaby is devastated when Marcus swore he could never forgive his disloyalty and rejected Barnaby's heartfelt appology.
This story begins when Barnaby receives an invitation to visit Marcus and his new wife. He's terrorized of what would happen, of how Marcus will treat him and he's still full of remorse for what he's done. He loaths himself and feels that he doesn't deserve to be simply forgiven as that is what seems would happen when Marcus welcomes him in his home.
Merry is Marcus wife's cousin. She's, just like her name says, a merry person, even if life was not easy for her. Her father was a dancing master who married a noblewoman in spite of her family wishes and she was disinherit. They loved each other and their daughter and were a happy, even if rather poor. When they died Merry went to live with Marcus and his wife Charlotte.
After meeting Barnaby, Merry, who know his history with Marcus and his treacherous late wife, is sadden when she realizes how much Barnaby is regretting what he's done. She knows that she needs to do something about it and tries to pull him out of his misery with intelligent conversation, fun activities and some light flirting.
Like the previous book, there's the baleful godmother involved because Merry too is one of the descendant who's due to get her wish granted on her birthday.
Their love story is not a difficult one, but just a romantic one. This story is more about redemption and I liked very much Merry with her easy way and her ability to read other people's state of mind and her generous heart!
Even if this is not a full novel, but a novella, it is a worthy read!
September 4, 2020
Another great installment in this series. This is a shorter novella but the writing is so well done I barely noticed. The characters were well developed but the "I love you's" came a little too fast in my opinion.
I wasn't sure I wanted to read about a man who would do what Barnaby did to his best friend. But the writing is so well done that we see his regret, anger at himself, feel his pain, and understand what really happened so that we can forgive him. I love that he makes no excuses and accepts full responsibility for his actions.
The Godmother portion of the story was a barely there element. I like that this is present, but doesn't take over the story. These books remain HRs and don't suddenly become PN.
I am really enjoying this series!
I wasn't sure I wanted to read about a man who would do what Barnaby did to his best friend. But the writing is so well done that we see his regret, anger at himself, feel his pain, and understand what really happened so that we can forgive him. I love that he makes no excuses and accepts full responsibility for his actions.
The Godmother portion of the story was a barely there element. I like that this is present, but doesn't take over the story. These books remain HRs and don't suddenly become PN.
I am really enjoying this series!
December 29, 2023
H betrayed his friend and cannot forgive himself. The sassy h challenges him but his guilt is overwhelming. She's very kind and saves his life. It's a short story with flawed people and I like the mutual friendships between the couples.
December 23, 2024
Sir Barnaby Ware slept with his best friend's wife 2.5 years ago. He feels bad. On his way to visit said bff, he's 2.5 seconds from turning around when he runs into Anne "Merry" Merryweather who needs a ride to that same destination. Will Merry be able to convince Barnaby to give forgiveness another go?
1. I appreciate that Larkin brings a certain amount of complexity to her books: her characters have relationships with other people and sometimes those relationships require attention and care. (Sometimes those relationships overset the romance, but sometimes, like in Resisting Miss Merryweather, they compliment it.)
In this particular book, Barnaby and Marcus need to forgive one another and learn how to move forward, and it's not as simple as bro-nods and handshakes. And that sense of self-worth directly ties into Barnaby's relationship with Merry, as he doesn't think he's capable of being anyone's husband since he cuckolded Marcus.
2. "Resisting" is potentially too strong a verb for the title of this book, though: Barnaby doesn't actually spend that much time resisting her; most of his time is spent in self-loathing cycles.
3. One pattern that I've noticed is the final proposal scene: Larkin's heroine's end up proposing to their heroes in the penultimate chapters. And the thing is I don't dislike the pattern, but I do with that it was slightly more...customized to each of the heroines? Instead of feeling identical? It removes some of the life from the relationships since the proposals do feel a little cut and paste.
4. Still enjoying the flare of magic in these books!
1. I appreciate that Larkin brings a certain amount of complexity to her books: her characters have relationships with other people and sometimes those relationships require attention and care. (Sometimes those relationships overset the romance, but sometimes, like in Resisting Miss Merryweather, they compliment it.)
In this particular book, Barnaby and Marcus need to forgive one another and learn how to move forward, and it's not as simple as bro-nods and handshakes. And that sense of self-worth directly ties into Barnaby's relationship with Merry, as he doesn't think he's capable of being anyone's husband since he cuckolded Marcus.
2. "Resisting" is potentially too strong a verb for the title of this book, though: Barnaby doesn't actually spend that much time resisting her; most of his time is spent in self-loathing cycles.
3. One pattern that I've noticed is the final proposal scene: Larkin's heroine's end up proposing to their heroes in the penultimate chapters. And the thing is I don't dislike the pattern, but I do with that it was slightly more...customized to each of the heroines? Instead of feeling identical? It removes some of the life from the relationships since the proposals do feel a little cut and paste.
4. Still enjoying the flare of magic in these books!
December 7, 2016
Sir Barnaby Ware was introduced in Unmasking Miss Appleby as the other man in an affair that broke up a marriage and destroyed a life-long friendship. He could have been easy to dislike, but his deep remorse showed there was much more to him. It’s a rare thing when a secondary character can steal a reader’s attention so much that you almost want to see their story more than the one in the book you’re reading but author Emily Larkin understood her readers enough to give Sir Barnaby his chance to find redemption – and a well-deserved happy ending – in Resisting Miss Merryweather.
Sir Barnaby immediately regretted his affair with the late Countess of Cosgrove after things escalated too far. What he hated more was how his weakness for the fairer sex had ruined his relationship with her husband. The last time that Sir Barnaby had met with the Earl of Cosgrove, the man threw Sir Barnaby’s mistake back in his face and swore he could never forgive his disloyalty. With those cruel words the last spoken between the two men it’s therefore a surprise when, a year later, Sir Barnaby receives an invitation to visit the earl’s estate in order to meet his new wife and child. Guilt and self-hatred claw at Sir Barnaby’s resolve to face Cosgrove one more time – so much so that he almost turns his carriage around – until he sets eyes on the beautiful woman loitering just inside the border of the estate.
Please read the full review at All About Romance
Sir Barnaby immediately regretted his affair with the late Countess of Cosgrove after things escalated too far. What he hated more was how his weakness for the fairer sex had ruined his relationship with her husband. The last time that Sir Barnaby had met with the Earl of Cosgrove, the man threw Sir Barnaby’s mistake back in his face and swore he could never forgive his disloyalty. With those cruel words the last spoken between the two men it’s therefore a surprise when, a year later, Sir Barnaby receives an invitation to visit the earl’s estate in order to meet his new wife and child. Guilt and self-hatred claw at Sir Barnaby’s resolve to face Cosgrove one more time – so much so that he almost turns his carriage around – until he sets eyes on the beautiful woman loitering just inside the border of the estate.
Please read the full review at All About Romance
December 11, 2016
As a general rule, I do not enjoy novellas, but as another general rule, I adore Emily Larkin aka Emily May, who is a writer of immense talent. I find novellas quite superficial and it's hard for me to really feel the characters and the story. Oh, and I'm not really into magical story lines, because I feel, I have outgrown them at my grand age. Ms Larkin defies my prejudices by giving us a moving story, with characters brimming with life and emotions, so much so that I was able to enjoy even the fantastical elements of the story. She manages to give us complexities not just to the hero and heroine but also that of the moving interactions between the hero and his best friend, as they tentatively re-establishes their bond after Barnaby wronged him dreadfully in the past.
This was a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
This was a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
August 20, 2020
Barnaby sighed again, and pushed away from the windowsill. He turned to the cheval mirror and looked at himself: red-brown hair standing on end, tired hazel eyes. That afternoon in the folly had turned him into someone he didn’t recognize. He didn’t know who he was anymore.
February 10, 2017
The book was just okay, I felt. While it was a cute romance that evolved, I thought the plot element of a Fairy Godmother was just too hokey. That and how the "gift" she bestowed on Miss Merryweather to, too easily resolve a conflict hurt the plot. I hate when authors make a conflict that's been slowly growing and building, quickly resolve it by a force that comes out of nowhere and miraculously saves the day. The whole Fairy Godmother thing just drove me nuts. Granted I didn't read book one, so I didn't have any context, but that was exactly the problem. Clearly the character must have been developed in book one, but there was very little set up for such a character in this book and it just killed the plot resolution, IMHO.
February 27, 2017
2.5 stars
Not nearly as good as the first book. Because it's shorter the romance has an odd pacing and there is no crime plot only a strange "lost in a cave" plot. Merry is just that... always laughing and happy, not very remarkable. Barnaby was nice, his guilt was so strong, but not as believable as I hoped because we didn't see much of his past with Marcus. I didn't understand their strong friendship, but I liked Marcus and Barnaby together, more than Merry and Barnaby.
Not nearly as good as the first book. Because it's shorter the romance has an odd pacing and there is no crime plot only a strange "lost in a cave" plot. Merry is just that... always laughing and happy, not very remarkable. Barnaby was nice, his guilt was so strong, but not as believable as I hoped because we didn't see much of his past with Marcus. I didn't understand their strong friendship, but I liked Marcus and Barnaby together, more than Merry and Barnaby.
June 6, 2025
Not exactly a fairytale. More like a story of endurance and overcoming. It was wonderfully distracting and fulfilling.
November 1, 2017
Oh, novellas. Why do I ever bother with them? They're rarely long enough to be really satisfying or contain the depth of character development I want, and this one was no exception. It's too bad, because I was interested in the hero when he appeared in the first book in the series. I wish his story had been more fleshed out.
Worst of all, the story had the hero and heroine meeting, falling in love, having sex, and getting engaged in two days. Literally two days. I can't even remotely buy that; insta-love is one of my biggest romance novel pet peeves.
Meh. Moving on in hopes that the third (and thankfully full-length) book in the series is better.
Worst of all, the story had the hero and heroine meeting, falling in love, having sex, and getting engaged in two days. Literally two days. I can't even remotely buy that; insta-love is one of my biggest romance novel pet peeves.
Meh. Moving on in hopes that the third (and thankfully full-length) book in the series is better.
March 7, 2017
Barnaby slept with Marcus's first wife (deceased). Marcus has forgiven him, but Barnaby hasnt forgiven himself. Merry is a distant relation of Charlotte's. She is staying with Charlotte and Marcus.
I really liked Merry. Her name fits her. She has a way of saying the right thing and is very direct. Through her conversations with Barnaby, he is finally able to forgive himself. I loved Merry's choice of gift. Practical and useful.
eARC courtesy of Red Adept Publishing/Emily Larkin/NetGalley
I really liked Merry. Her name fits her. She has a way of saying the right thing and is very direct. Through her conversations with Barnaby, he is finally able to forgive himself. I loved Merry's choice of gift. Practical and useful.
eARC courtesy of Red Adept Publishing/Emily Larkin/NetGalley
April 30, 2019
Nice. Not as good as the first one. But... nice. I don't think this got the deep character bits that I like for my characters. Maybe because it was a novella? But for whatever reason it felt a little surface and rushed.
I did like the reconciliation between Barnaby and Cosgrove though.
I did like the reconciliation between Barnaby and Cosgrove though.
May 19, 2020
Enjoyable but not nearly as good as the first one. I didn’t realize when I started that this was a novella and that I feel contributed to the lack I felt. Everything happened too fast insta love etc. There was little use of the fairy godmother spell which is what made he first book so wonderful.
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1572968006i%2F3840999._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 25, 2016
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts... for more, visit Punya Reviews...
With Resisting Miss Merryweather, Emily Larkin’s Baleful Godmother series continues to its second installment. I found this one much better than book 1, which wasn’t up to my expectation where romance was concerned.
The Baleful Godmother is a Regency-set series based on female characters who have special “gifts” or powers. But if you want to start from the very beginning, you can with The Fey Quartet. These are a set of novellas listed as “prologue” to this series. Set in Medieval-era England, this series explains exactly how our unique heroines come to inherit their “gifts”. I found The Fey Quartet absolutely delightful, couldn’t wait to find out how the protagonists’ descendants deal with their gifts, bestowed by a Fey in exchange of a favor done to her. Their female descendents were to have a ‘wish’ granted on their 25th birthday; wishes that’ll grant them to have some type of special power of their own.
In book 1, Unmasking Miss Appleby, we meet Charlotte Appleby; orphaned, confirmed spinster, living on the charity of her horrible uncle. She didn’t even know about her special gift because her mother never had the chance to explain anything before she passed away. But then our very own Bale Tongue (the Fey who grants the wish) drops by suddenly. Prior to that, Charlotte was desperate to escape this horrible family she was living with but with no prospect to speak of, she couldn’t think of a way. Bale Tongue’s appearance gave her opportunity she was looking for.
Charlotte chose shape-shifting, which would allow her to become any living creature on earth. But she needed to change into a man to apply for the job she was hoping to get. Lord Cosgrove, Marcus, was looking urgently for a secretary at the time and had advertised on the newspaper. He had some trouble chasing him and needed help ASAP. Charlotte was very determined to work under Lord Cosgrove because the pay would be good. She goes with her plan of transforming herself into a man to attend the interview. All goes well and she’s hired by Marcus. Together then, they start working on Cosgrove’s problem.
But Charlotte had her own problems to face. In midst, she finds herself so attracted to him that she devices a plan to sleep with him. And the whole scenario and thereafter was just........not good. Charlotte was deceiving Marcus, who had no idea about her identity until the very last moment. Everything backfired and I couldn’t even bring myself to feel bad for her. She made her bed and all that. :/ Needless to say, I didn’t like it at all, and it ruined quite a bit of my fun. So despite the fact that I liked the storyline because how well-written and intriguing it was, I didn’t love book 1.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is about Marcus’s friend Barnaby, whom we meet briefly in book 1. But they have a long history to share, both good and bad. And Anne Merryweather is Charlotte’s cousin. I don’t remember meeting her before this book.
In book 1, it was revealed that Marcus and Barnaby, who were best friends since childhood, came to a bad blow when Marcus’s deceased first wife Lavinia with Barnaby. In one word, he helped Lavinia cheat on Marcus. There have been other developments in between, which you’ll learn more of if you read book 1. Marcus wasn’t amenable to ever forgive Barnaby for this. Hell, even Barnaby didn’t forgive himself for this one-time transgression that ruined lives, and ruined his most treasured friendship pretty much.
Since then, lots have happened to change Marcus’s POV of why Barnaby did what he did. He had met and married Charlotte. Recently they had a baby boy named Charles. After much thought and chat with Charlotte, he’d decided he didn’t want this to go on. He wants his best friend back. With that in mind, Marcus invites Barnaby to attend Charles’s christening. Barnaby accepts... but he didn’t know if he could actually attend. He was so burdened with guilt that he felt sick to the stomach.
Despite everything, Barnaby decides to at least join Marcus in his country house and see what happens. But it was becoming harder as he got closer to his destination. He was feeling so bad that Barnaby almost turn back. Then suddenly, Anne Merryweather comes up on the path from somewhere, changing his whole perspective on the matter. Well, he didn’t know that at that time but it would change his life in more ways than Barnaby could ever imagine.
Anne, whom her loved ones call ‘Merry’, it seemed has seen Barnaby from afar some years ago in a ball. She was engaged at that time, but nevertheless was taken by Barnaby’s dancing skills. It’s because Merry’s father was a dancing master and she’d not only trained from him, but also helped him train other young men. She’d often partner with them while practicing. So when she saw superior dancing skill she knew it. Also Barnaby’s joie de vivre was quite infectious. He loved what he did and it showed.
Since then, lots have changed. Merry had lost her fiancé to the sea. Her parents passed away too and now, she’s living with Charlotte and Marcus. It wasn’t charity because both loved having her around and wanted her to be around as long as possible. Still, the whole matter made Merry uncomfortable. She didn’t want to impose on anyone longer than necessary. But no matter what, Merry saw what was for real; this Barnaby is so very different from the old Barnaby that it made her extremely sad. Suddenly, she felt that urge to try and bring the old, much happier, Barnaby back.
From her father, Merry also learned another thing. To read people. It’s not her special gift though. She just could read a person from their body language. This is how her father knew which pupil would be good and which one would be a troublemaker. Merry could see Barnaby wanted to reconcile too but burdened with guilt, he’d dug a hole so deep that it’d be a really difficult task to pull him out of that hole. She knew Marcus was looking forward to this meeting with hopes he can resolve whatever differences were between them. He wanted to start over... Merry only hoped Marcus was up to the challenge.
Merry found it heartbreaking that Barnaby would punish himself for so long. She heard what has occurred from Marcus and Charlotte and didn’t hold it over Barnaby. I didn’t either. But how can anyone get through to someone who is determined to punish themselves?
Merry’s birthday was also approaching in a few days. Unlike Charlotte, she was very aware of their legacy; the gift she was meant to have from Bale Tongue. She was prepared for it… or so she thought. It wasn’t as easy because whatever she chose, it’d be for a lifetime. She’d either thrive or go mad depending on which gift she chose and how she handles it. If she can handle it well. Bale Tongue won’t be back ever again to take it away so she’d be stuck.
While she contemplated on it, Marcus and Barnaby make an effort to work their differences. It’s true that Barnaby was way too deep into guilt and I hated the reminder of it in every few paragraphs because it seemed he liked punishing himself by reminding it ever so often. He questioned his own self and questioned his presence at Marcus’s son’s christening. He can’t very well be the child’s Godparent! Hell, he shouldn’t even be here!
But Merry tries her best to get through to Barnaby, to help him cope with his guilt and move forward. With that, we could see a budding relationship between them as well. Both liked each-other enough to think of something more intimate than just friends. Merry was beautiful and full of life, which attracted Barnaby to her in no time. Things also begin to shift in Barnaby-Marcus’s friendship, or whatever was left of it, when Barnaby begins understanding that he’s not entirely at fault in what happened 2 years ago. He had to have a painfully awkward talk with Marcus about the whole matter but it was necessary.
But chaos ensures when some of Marcus’s men discover some caverns while in search of 2 lost boys. He and Barnaby decide to check the caverns out to figure out how dangerous they are. When things go well in the first exploration, they decide to take Charlotte and Merry with them to have a look. And that would be a mistake. That day would forever be marked as something traumatizing for all of them...
But this incident will also solidify Merry and Barnaby’s relationship. And force Merry to reach a decision for an appropriate gift because time was of the essence. In short, it was running out when lives were at stake.
I’m glad that I can end my review on a positive note. I truly liked this story quite a lot. Can’t wait to find out who is getting the next book, which is titled Trusting Miss Trentham. 4 stars and recommended.
Complimentary copy received from the author, thanks Ms. Larkin!
With Resisting Miss Merryweather, Emily Larkin’s Baleful Godmother series continues to its second installment. I found this one much better than book 1, which wasn’t up to my expectation where romance was concerned.
The Baleful Godmother is a Regency-set series based on female characters who have special “gifts” or powers. But if you want to start from the very beginning, you can with The Fey Quartet. These are a set of novellas listed as “prologue” to this series. Set in Medieval-era England, this series explains exactly how our unique heroines come to inherit their “gifts”. I found The Fey Quartet absolutely delightful, couldn’t wait to find out how the protagonists’ descendants deal with their gifts, bestowed by a Fey in exchange of a favor done to her. Their female descendents were to have a ‘wish’ granted on their 25th birthday; wishes that’ll grant them to have some type of special power of their own.
In book 1, Unmasking Miss Appleby, we meet Charlotte Appleby; orphaned, confirmed spinster, living on the charity of her horrible uncle. She didn’t even know about her special gift because her mother never had the chance to explain anything before she passed away. But then our very own Bale Tongue (the Fey who grants the wish) drops by suddenly. Prior to that, Charlotte was desperate to escape this horrible family she was living with but with no prospect to speak of, she couldn’t think of a way. Bale Tongue’s appearance gave her opportunity she was looking for.
Charlotte chose shape-shifting, which would allow her to become any living creature on earth. But she needed to change into a man to apply for the job she was hoping to get. Lord Cosgrove, Marcus, was looking urgently for a secretary at the time and had advertised on the newspaper. He had some trouble chasing him and needed help ASAP. Charlotte was very determined to work under Lord Cosgrove because the pay would be good. She goes with her plan of transforming herself into a man to attend the interview. All goes well and she’s hired by Marcus. Together then, they start working on Cosgrove’s problem.
But Charlotte had her own problems to face. In midst, she finds herself so attracted to him that she devices a plan to sleep with him. And the whole scenario and thereafter was just........not good. Charlotte was deceiving Marcus, who had no idea about her identity until the very last moment. Everything backfired and I couldn’t even bring myself to feel bad for her. She made her bed and all that. :/ Needless to say, I didn’t like it at all, and it ruined quite a bit of my fun. So despite the fact that I liked the storyline because how well-written and intriguing it was, I didn’t love book 1.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is about Marcus’s friend Barnaby, whom we meet briefly in book 1. But they have a long history to share, both good and bad. And Anne Merryweather is Charlotte’s cousin. I don’t remember meeting her before this book.
In book 1, it was revealed that Marcus and Barnaby, who were best friends since childhood, came to a bad blow when Marcus’s deceased first wife Lavinia with Barnaby. In one word, he helped Lavinia cheat on Marcus. There have been other developments in between, which you’ll learn more of if you read book 1. Marcus wasn’t amenable to ever forgive Barnaby for this. Hell, even Barnaby didn’t forgive himself for this one-time transgression that ruined lives, and ruined his most treasured friendship pretty much.
Since then, lots have happened to change Marcus’s POV of why Barnaby did what he did. He had met and married Charlotte. Recently they had a baby boy named Charles. After much thought and chat with Charlotte, he’d decided he didn’t want this to go on. He wants his best friend back. With that in mind, Marcus invites Barnaby to attend Charles’s christening. Barnaby accepts... but he didn’t know if he could actually attend. He was so burdened with guilt that he felt sick to the stomach.
Despite everything, Barnaby decides to at least join Marcus in his country house and see what happens. But it was becoming harder as he got closer to his destination. He was feeling so bad that Barnaby almost turn back. Then suddenly, Anne Merryweather comes up on the path from somewhere, changing his whole perspective on the matter. Well, he didn’t know that at that time but it would change his life in more ways than Barnaby could ever imagine.
Anne, whom her loved ones call ‘Merry’, it seemed has seen Barnaby from afar some years ago in a ball. She was engaged at that time, but nevertheless was taken by Barnaby’s dancing skills. It’s because Merry’s father was a dancing master and she’d not only trained from him, but also helped him train other young men. She’d often partner with them while practicing. So when she saw superior dancing skill she knew it. Also Barnaby’s joie de vivre was quite infectious. He loved what he did and it showed.
Since then, lots have changed. Merry had lost her fiancé to the sea. Her parents passed away too and now, she’s living with Charlotte and Marcus. It wasn’t charity because both loved having her around and wanted her to be around as long as possible. Still, the whole matter made Merry uncomfortable. She didn’t want to impose on anyone longer than necessary. But no matter what, Merry saw what was for real; this Barnaby is so very different from the old Barnaby that it made her extremely sad. Suddenly, she felt that urge to try and bring the old, much happier, Barnaby back.
From her father, Merry also learned another thing. To read people. It’s not her special gift though. She just could read a person from their body language. This is how her father knew which pupil would be good and which one would be a troublemaker. Merry could see Barnaby wanted to reconcile too but burdened with guilt, he’d dug a hole so deep that it’d be a really difficult task to pull him out of that hole. She knew Marcus was looking forward to this meeting with hopes he can resolve whatever differences were between them. He wanted to start over... Merry only hoped Marcus was up to the challenge.
Merry found it heartbreaking that Barnaby would punish himself for so long. She heard what has occurred from Marcus and Charlotte and didn’t hold it over Barnaby. I didn’t either. But how can anyone get through to someone who is determined to punish themselves?
Merry’s birthday was also approaching in a few days. Unlike Charlotte, she was very aware of their legacy; the gift she was meant to have from Bale Tongue. She was prepared for it… or so she thought. It wasn’t as easy because whatever she chose, it’d be for a lifetime. She’d either thrive or go mad depending on which gift she chose and how she handles it. If she can handle it well. Bale Tongue won’t be back ever again to take it away so she’d be stuck.
While she contemplated on it, Marcus and Barnaby make an effort to work their differences. It’s true that Barnaby was way too deep into guilt and I hated the reminder of it in every few paragraphs because it seemed he liked punishing himself by reminding it ever so often. He questioned his own self and questioned his presence at Marcus’s son’s christening. He can’t very well be the child’s Godparent! Hell, he shouldn’t even be here!
But Merry tries her best to get through to Barnaby, to help him cope with his guilt and move forward. With that, we could see a budding relationship between them as well. Both liked each-other enough to think of something more intimate than just friends. Merry was beautiful and full of life, which attracted Barnaby to her in no time. Things also begin to shift in Barnaby-Marcus’s friendship, or whatever was left of it, when Barnaby begins understanding that he’s not entirely at fault in what happened 2 years ago. He had to have a painfully awkward talk with Marcus about the whole matter but it was necessary.
But chaos ensures when some of Marcus’s men discover some caverns while in search of 2 lost boys. He and Barnaby decide to check the caverns out to figure out how dangerous they are. When things go well in the first exploration, they decide to take Charlotte and Merry with them to have a look. And that would be a mistake. That day would forever be marked as something traumatizing for all of them...
But this incident will also solidify Merry and Barnaby’s relationship. And force Merry to reach a decision for an appropriate gift because time was of the essence. In short, it was running out when lives were at stake.
I’m glad that I can end my review on a positive note. I truly liked this story quite a lot. Can’t wait to find out who is getting the next book, which is titled Trusting Miss Trentham. 4 stars and recommended.
Complimentary copy received from the author, thanks Ms. Larkin!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2019
No so much of the faerie story. It was o.k., a little disappointing after reading book 1. Will still be reading #3 though. 3☆
December 12, 2017
DNF'd at 30%
Setting. April 1807, Devonshire, UK (might include other locations in England, but not in the part that I read).
My Review. You might think I didn't give it much of a chance if I only read 1/3 of the book, but it was enough to know it wasn't for me. I gave it two stars because the writing is good and it's not horrible, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
It's a short novel (not quite a novella, but almost), and maybe that's why Larkin used one of my most-hated tropes: instant-love. The quote below is where I finally decided I was throwing in the towel:
Making us as readers root for Barnaby and see him as our hero was definitely going to be a challenge, knowing what he did, and so I was looking forward to seeing how Larkin pulled it off (or not). In this, she did well, and we see how full of self-hatred and guilt Barnaby is—despite the fact that Marcus wants to mend the rift and has fully forgiven him.
So while I liked Barnaby and was excited about this being his story, where Larkin quickly lost me was with Merry. She's a snoozefest of a heroine and I had no real feel for her; she lost her fiancé at sea, but we don't see any of that sorrow or get any insight into how this has affected her. We learn a little about her background, but honestly she just felt like a Pollyanna character that got on my nerves quite early on. I finally threw in the towel, as I mentioned, when I read the above excerpt, because at this point, she's already in love with the hero even though they barely know each other and I barely know her? Didn't work for me, and the "too-many-books-too-little-time" reality kicked in and had me DNF it guilt-free.
Bottom Line. Hope you enjoy it more than I did if you read it—not hard, obviously, since I DNF'd at 30%.
Series / Recommendation. I do recommend Book 1, Unmasking Miss Appleby, which I had some issues with as well, but which overall was a good read. You can read my review for it here: POST LINK (GR is being uncooperative right now and page won't load).
Setting. April 1807, Devonshire, UK (might include other locations in England, but not in the part that I read).
My Review. You might think I didn't give it much of a chance if I only read 1/3 of the book, but it was enough to know it wasn't for me. I gave it two stars because the writing is good and it's not horrible, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
It's a short novel (not quite a novella, but almost), and maybe that's why Larkin used one of my most-hated tropes: instant-love. The quote below is where I finally decided I was throwing in the towel:
A country dance followed the minuet, and after that came a reel. Merry made her way through the figures, but her attention wasn’t on the dancing. She felt almost dizzy with astonishment, with wonder.I had been looking forward to reading Barnaby's story, because I was introduced to him in the first book in this series, Unmasking Miss Appleby . He slept with his best friend's (Book 1's hero) evil now-dead wife and is mired in guilt; she basically deceived him into thinking that Marcus was abusing her, and one thing led to another, which he regretted immediately after. This plot twist reminded me of the first two books in Mary Jo Putney's Fallen Angels series. Thunder & Roses is Book 1 (and one of my all-time favorite HRs!!), and the hero of that book also had a cheating, horrible wife, who complained to the hero's friend that he was abusing her and then had an affair with him; the friend is then the hero of his own romance in Book 5, Shattered Rainbows .
Have I fallen in love with Sir Barnaby?
When Henry had died, she’d thought she could never love another man, but her heart was telling her she loved Sir Barnaby, and her head was telling her she loved him, and she knew—knew—it was true.
She had fallen in love with Sir Barnaby Ware.
The speed of it dazed her—she’d met him only yesterday—but her parents had fallen in love within an hour of meeting each other, and their love had lasted the rest of their lives. As her mother had said, sometimes you just knew.
Making us as readers root for Barnaby and see him as our hero was definitely going to be a challenge, knowing what he did, and so I was looking forward to seeing how Larkin pulled it off (or not). In this, she did well, and we see how full of self-hatred and guilt Barnaby is—despite the fact that Marcus wants to mend the rift and has fully forgiven him.
So while I liked Barnaby and was excited about this being his story, where Larkin quickly lost me was with Merry. She's a snoozefest of a heroine and I had no real feel for her; she lost her fiancé at sea, but we don't see any of that sorrow or get any insight into how this has affected her. We learn a little about her background, but honestly she just felt like a Pollyanna character that got on my nerves quite early on. I finally threw in the towel, as I mentioned, when I read the above excerpt, because at this point, she's already in love with the hero even though they barely know each other and I barely know her? Didn't work for me, and the "too-many-books-too-little-time" reality kicked in and had me DNF it guilt-free.
Bottom Line. Hope you enjoy it more than I did if you read it—not hard, obviously, since I DNF'd at 30%.
Series / Recommendation. I do recommend Book 1, Unmasking Miss Appleby, which I had some issues with as well, but which overall was a good read. You can read my review for it here: POST LINK (GR is being uncooperative right now and page won't load).
January 3, 2018
Average. There was very little plot in this one. Even for a novella it moved too quickly with very little conflict. I felt like it just needed more weight. I’m not really sure why Larkin insists on writing so many novellas. If she just spent month writing she could have a good length and purposeful book. WARNING: there is sex in this book, it is not erotica, but enough to be a steamy & hot adult romance. Please do not read if you are looking for something PG.
Romance-3/5 Steaminess-3/5 Explicitness-3/5
Romance-3/5 Steaminess-3/5 Explicitness-3/5
June 21, 2020
A decent novella, but I prefer mine without any intimate scenes. Given the short length of this work, I'd thought that there wouldn't be any, but the author managed to fit in two. Aiya. Needless to say, I skipped over them.
I do like the reconciliation between the two best friends and the fact that the hero wasn't a man about town. He'd made a really big mistake and has been paying for it ever since. He didn't let it turn him into a huge rake. Yick. I can't stand those kind of stories. As it was, this was a solid addition to the series.
I do like the reconciliation between the two best friends and the fact that the hero wasn't a man about town. He'd made a really big mistake and has been paying for it ever since. He didn't let it turn him into a huge rake. Yick. I can't stand those kind of stories. As it was, this was a solid addition to the series.
December 31, 2016
This book starts as a sad read. Emily has given us a messy story line to try to figure it out. Barnaby was Marcus's best friend until Marcus's first wife lies to Barnaby and destroys their friendship. Marcus tells him to come to visit him. Barnaby knows he ruined their friendship and wants to turn around and leave. Here he meets Merry, gives her a ride to the house and realizes he isn't leaving. Merry and Charlotte want to see the cave that two boys fell into. Merry also knows that a Fey owes her to be given a gift of her choice when she turns 25. I would recommend this adult book to read. I like this series. I really hope you choose to read this book. Enjoy your reading! I volunteered to read and review this book.
February 21, 2017
Part of a series. While Resisting Miss Merryweather possibly could be read alone, I urge you to get you hands on Unmasking Miss Appleby first. Delightful. I'm on to book three: Trusting Miss Trentham.
September 15, 2017
I was skeptical when I found out the second book was a novella, and that Barnaby was the hero, due to the fact that the blurb makes it clear that guilt over his past indiscretion (as recounted in Unmasking Miss Appleby) forms a substantial part of his arc, and a novella means less time to devote to fleshing the story out. And I found myself proved correct, because while I felt that part of Barnaby’s story, including the resolution of the breach between him and Marcus, was resolved, this didn’t have a chance to be a “proper” romance due to the length.
One of the major problems is that the story feels like insta-love, with no real obstacles in the way of their being together, besides the guilt he has over his past mistake, and that is resolved a little too neatly by having Barnaby and Merry trapped together in a cave, with the possibility of it being life-or-death, leading to them getting together.
But Barnaby’s character is well-written, with his arc focusing on his guilt. I love the friendship between Barnaby and Marcus: that Marcus was able to come to terms with what happened, and reach out to Barnaby, and Barnaby found redemption and felt like he deserved to be Marcus’s friend again.
One of the major problems is that the story feels like insta-love, with no real obstacles in the way of their being together, besides the guilt he has over his past mistake, and that is resolved a little too neatly by having Barnaby and Merry trapped together in a cave, with the possibility of it being life-or-death, leading to them getting together.
But Barnaby’s character is well-written, with his arc focusing on his guilt. I love the friendship between Barnaby and Marcus: that Marcus was able to come to terms with what happened, and reach out to Barnaby, and Barnaby found redemption and felt like he deserved to be Marcus’s friend again.
November 2, 2017
WARNING - ENTIRE PLOT SUMMARY AHEAD (used for me to keep track of series events)
REALLY - DON'T READ THIS; IT SUMMARIZES BOOK.
some content may be copied from other reviews
late entry
Sir Barnaby Ware, whom we learned had previously been the best friend of that book’s hero, Marcus, the Earl of Cosgrove. A couple of years earlier, Barnaby betrayed his friend in the worst way possible, by committing adultery with Marcus’ beautiful but manipulative wife. The two men had previously been like brothers, and it seemed that their friendship was irrevocably broken.
More than a year has passed since the events of the last book, and Barnaby is on his way to Marcus’ Devonshire estate, having accepted an invitation from his former friend and his new wife, who have recently become parents for the first time. Barnaby is understandably anxious; the last time he and Marcus met, things between them were barely civil, and he keeps telling himself this visit is not a good idea and that he should turn back. He is about to do that when he sees a young woman walking ahead of him; and when he stops to talk to her, discovers she is a friend of Marcus’ wife, also staying at Woodhuish Abbey. She asks Barnaby to escort her back there, and, as a gentleman, he can’t refuse, so now there is no question of retreat.
Anne Merryweather is Charlotte’s – now the Countess of Cosgrove – cousin, and like Charlotte, will be gifted with the magical ability of her choice upon her twenty-fifth birthday, which is only a few days away. But even without that, she has an uncanny facility for reading people and seeing beyond what someone says to the truth that lies behind their words. She knows what happened between Marcus and Barnaby, and knows that Barnaby is still eaten up with guilt and believes he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But the lovely, open-hearted Miss Merryweather – Merry to her friends – is determined to prove him wrong.
While the romance develops over just a few days, the author creates a genuinely strong connection between Barnaby and Merry, who is able to see past his guilt and self-loathing to the kind, compassionate man that he truly is. He has been resisting his attraction to her because of his belief that he’s not worthy of her, but when they are both trapped underground following a trip to explore some local caves, Barnaby steps up to the plate to become the man that Merry needs him to be.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is a lovely story of forgiveness and redemption, showing that’s it’s just as important to be able to forgive oneself as it is to obtain the forgiveness of others. While this is a novella, it doesn’t lack depth; the shame and despair Barnaby feels over his past actions is palpable, and the growing attraction between him and Merry is nicely done. The relationship between Barnaby and Marcus is very-well written, too – their interactions are infused with warmth despite the issues lying between them, and I liked the emphasis placed on going forward rather than looking back, the idea of Barnaby becoming an even better friend in the days to come.
Find cave on property; Barnaby, Merry, and Charlotte trapped in cave-in. Charlotte escapes by changing into monkey, then bird. ILYs in cave, Merry proposes, then coaxes him into sex in case they are going to die.
Another cave-in. Barnaby basically killed (broken skull, neck, etc). Merry chooses healing as her gift, heals him. Barnaby finally accepts that Marcus forgives him; best friends again. Will get married asap.
REALLY - DON'T READ THIS; IT SUMMARIZES BOOK.
some content may be copied from other reviews
late entry
Sir Barnaby Ware, whom we learned had previously been the best friend of that book’s hero, Marcus, the Earl of Cosgrove. A couple of years earlier, Barnaby betrayed his friend in the worst way possible, by committing adultery with Marcus’ beautiful but manipulative wife. The two men had previously been like brothers, and it seemed that their friendship was irrevocably broken.
More than a year has passed since the events of the last book, and Barnaby is on his way to Marcus’ Devonshire estate, having accepted an invitation from his former friend and his new wife, who have recently become parents for the first time. Barnaby is understandably anxious; the last time he and Marcus met, things between them were barely civil, and he keeps telling himself this visit is not a good idea and that he should turn back. He is about to do that when he sees a young woman walking ahead of him; and when he stops to talk to her, discovers she is a friend of Marcus’ wife, also staying at Woodhuish Abbey. She asks Barnaby to escort her back there, and, as a gentleman, he can’t refuse, so now there is no question of retreat.
Anne Merryweather is Charlotte’s – now the Countess of Cosgrove – cousin, and like Charlotte, will be gifted with the magical ability of her choice upon her twenty-fifth birthday, which is only a few days away. But even without that, she has an uncanny facility for reading people and seeing beyond what someone says to the truth that lies behind their words. She knows what happened between Marcus and Barnaby, and knows that Barnaby is still eaten up with guilt and believes he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But the lovely, open-hearted Miss Merryweather – Merry to her friends – is determined to prove him wrong.
While the romance develops over just a few days, the author creates a genuinely strong connection between Barnaby and Merry, who is able to see past his guilt and self-loathing to the kind, compassionate man that he truly is. He has been resisting his attraction to her because of his belief that he’s not worthy of her, but when they are both trapped underground following a trip to explore some local caves, Barnaby steps up to the plate to become the man that Merry needs him to be.
Resisting Miss Merryweather is a lovely story of forgiveness and redemption, showing that’s it’s just as important to be able to forgive oneself as it is to obtain the forgiveness of others. While this is a novella, it doesn’t lack depth; the shame and despair Barnaby feels over his past actions is palpable, and the growing attraction between him and Merry is nicely done. The relationship between Barnaby and Marcus is very-well written, too – their interactions are infused with warmth despite the issues lying between them, and I liked the emphasis placed on going forward rather than looking back, the idea of Barnaby becoming an even better friend in the days to come.
Find cave on property; Barnaby, Merry, and Charlotte trapped in cave-in. Charlotte escapes by changing into monkey, then bird. ILYs in cave, Merry proposes, then coaxes him into sex in case they are going to die.
Another cave-in. Barnaby basically killed (broken skull, neck, etc). Merry chooses healing as her gift, heals him. Barnaby finally accepts that Marcus forgives him; best friends again. Will get married asap.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2023
Swoony, Tormented Hero
I absolutely adored this story! The hero, as the book opens, is quite a troubled soul. Two and a half years after the event, he continues to punish himself for his actions, becoming a shadow of his former self. His best friend, the man he aggrieved, wants them to start anew, but our hero cannot imagine doing so. The author takes a little time to tease out precisely what happened, which I think was the right thing to do because if we knew immediately what he did, we might be prejudiced against him. But his struggle is so agonizing and heartfelt that when we finally learn what started it all, we already see him as a sympathetic character, despite what he did in the past. The heroine is an unusual young lady, and she is very perceptive about people, something taught to her by her dance master father. The hero is so raw in his pain and how he's so self-deprecating that you want him to work beyond his issues so he and the charmingly insightful heroine can have a future. He proves his mettle more than once, keeping a cool head when things fall apart, always acting with prudence and compassion. This is one of the Baleful Godmother series by this author, and in this book, the heroine has yet to claim the magical power she desires, though her fateful birthday is coming up soon. What she chose and how she used it was simply perfect. This is still a relatively new author for me, and I'm really enjoying her books. The way she writes descriptions of settings makes you feel like you are there. I used to live on the ocean, and the way she describes the shoreline—including the weather, how it makes you feel, and what is perceived by the senses—is all spot on. I like how she reveals character through action, speech, and interior monologue. The book is extremely well written and tugs at the heartstrings. Highly recommended.
I received a free digital copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
I absolutely adored this story! The hero, as the book opens, is quite a troubled soul. Two and a half years after the event, he continues to punish himself for his actions, becoming a shadow of his former self. His best friend, the man he aggrieved, wants them to start anew, but our hero cannot imagine doing so. The author takes a little time to tease out precisely what happened, which I think was the right thing to do because if we knew immediately what he did, we might be prejudiced against him. But his struggle is so agonizing and heartfelt that when we finally learn what started it all, we already see him as a sympathetic character, despite what he did in the past. The heroine is an unusual young lady, and she is very perceptive about people, something taught to her by her dance master father. The hero is so raw in his pain and how he's so self-deprecating that you want him to work beyond his issues so he and the charmingly insightful heroine can have a future. He proves his mettle more than once, keeping a cool head when things fall apart, always acting with prudence and compassion. This is one of the Baleful Godmother series by this author, and in this book, the heroine has yet to claim the magical power she desires, though her fateful birthday is coming up soon. What she chose and how she used it was simply perfect. This is still a relatively new author for me, and I'm really enjoying her books. The way she writes descriptions of settings makes you feel like you are there. I used to live on the ocean, and the way she describes the shoreline—including the weather, how it makes you feel, and what is perceived by the senses—is all spot on. I like how she reveals character through action, speech, and interior monologue. The book is extremely well written and tugs at the heartstrings. Highly recommended.
I received a free digital copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
March 9, 2017
Resisting Miss Merryweather?
Who could resist her?
Merry is the one you want to have around when you feel low, the one you want to have around when you are upset and when you lost hope.
And Merry is the one who is around when Sir Barnaby needs someone who helps him to forgive himself when he comes to the christening of the son of his childhood friend Marcus who some readers might remember from the wonderful "Unmasking Miss Appleby". Those who remember will also remember that Barnaby made indeed a big mistake. Big - yes. Unforgivable - maybe. It all depends on his ability to forgive himself.
With someone like Merry around, well, it might be possible at last!
Oh, and guess what - Merry and Marcus' wife Charlotte have also something in common: A very frightening and irritating godmother.
Remember?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Faerie godmothers do not exist."
Don't they?
Well, we are about to find out about that - again and let's just say that right then time is of the essence and, well, this godmother can't come too soon to grant her goddaughter her wish!
Once more Emily Larkin has done it: "Resisting Miss Merryweather" is another wonderful book in the "Baleful Godmother"-Series! I loved Miss Appleby and her story, I loved Miss Trentham and Miss Merryweather is irresistible as well. Just the right amount of magic to spice it up, a wonderful story with amazing, complex characters and a heroine and a hero that are just loveable and who simply belong together.
Who could resist her?
Merry is the one you want to have around when you feel low, the one you want to have around when you are upset and when you lost hope.
And Merry is the one who is around when Sir Barnaby needs someone who helps him to forgive himself when he comes to the christening of the son of his childhood friend Marcus who some readers might remember from the wonderful "Unmasking Miss Appleby". Those who remember will also remember that Barnaby made indeed a big mistake. Big - yes. Unforgivable - maybe. It all depends on his ability to forgive himself.
With someone like Merry around, well, it might be possible at last!
Oh, and guess what - Merry and Marcus' wife Charlotte have also something in common: A very frightening and irritating godmother.
Remember?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Faerie godmothers do not exist."
Don't they?
Well, we are about to find out about that - again and let's just say that right then time is of the essence and, well, this godmother can't come too soon to grant her goddaughter her wish!
Once more Emily Larkin has done it: "Resisting Miss Merryweather" is another wonderful book in the "Baleful Godmother"-Series! I loved Miss Appleby and her story, I loved Miss Trentham and Miss Merryweather is irresistible as well. Just the right amount of magic to spice it up, a wonderful story with amazing, complex characters and a heroine and a hero that are just loveable and who simply belong together.
September 12, 2018
I thought this was the second book in this series but it turned out it was just a novella in between the two main novels.
In this book, we come back to Barnaby, Cosgrove's friend from the first book, as he deals with the fact that his friend has forgiven him but he hasn't forgiven himself. Then Charlotte's cousin, Merry, shows up and they start to fall in love.
There are a few authors who can develop a romantic relationship throughout a novella, but in order to do so you can't have too many other plotlines going on or have character arcs that would take more than 50,000 words to develop properly. Unfortunately, this book did not follow these rules. Merry and Barnaby fell in love after three days of adrenaline-inducing encounters as someone was in danger or something happened, and it did not give me a very good feeling for their end relationship.
With this book, I was far more interested in Barnaby and Marcus' relationship as they work on building up their damaged relationship and learn to put the past behind them. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of that or Barnaby going from having panic attacks at the thought of seeing Marcus again to being completely okay to be .
I think I would have enjoyed this book far more if it had been a full-length novel and really got the depth on the relationship and Barnaby's character arc (Merry really didn't have an arc to speak of, unless you count deciding on what magical power she would want as an arc).
3 stars!
In this book, we come back to Barnaby, Cosgrove's friend from the first book, as he deals with the fact that his friend has forgiven him but he hasn't forgiven himself. Then Charlotte's cousin, Merry, shows up and they start to fall in love.
There are a few authors who can develop a romantic relationship throughout a novella, but in order to do so you can't have too many other plotlines going on or have character arcs that would take more than 50,000 words to develop properly. Unfortunately, this book did not follow these rules. Merry and Barnaby fell in love after three days of adrenaline-inducing encounters as someone was in danger or something happened, and it did not give me a very good feeling for their end relationship.
With this book, I was far more interested in Barnaby and Marcus' relationship as they work on building up their damaged relationship and learn to put the past behind them. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of that or Barnaby going from having panic attacks at the thought of seeing Marcus again to being completely okay to be .
I think I would have enjoyed this book far more if it had been a full-length novel and really got the depth on the relationship and Barnaby's character arc (Merry really didn't have an arc to speak of, unless you count deciding on what magical power she would want as an arc).
3 stars!
March 23, 2018
Amazon Kindle - 3.5 stars
Barnaby Ware- childhood friend of Marcus
Anne Merryweather (Merry)- cousin of Charlotte
This was a shorter read than Unmasking Miss Appleby, but I still enjoyed it. In some ways it got straight to the drama and lovestory. Barnaby was introduced in book 1, and this book takes place a year after book 1 ends.
People can fall in love quite quickly, but when you read about it in books, it's easy to scoff that it can't happen that fast. I felt even with the timelines involved it felt believable. The situation they found themselves in was quite scary to imagine, nothing like examining your feelings to know what's important in life!
I quite liked Merry's perceptiveness, her ability to read people is amazing.
Barnaby's joy of dancing - I can only imagine how his face would light up!
Barnaby Ware- childhood friend of Marcus
Anne Merryweather (Merry)- cousin of Charlotte
This was a shorter read than Unmasking Miss Appleby, but I still enjoyed it. In some ways it got straight to the drama and lovestory. Barnaby was introduced in book 1, and this book takes place a year after book 1 ends.
People can fall in love quite quickly, but when you read about it in books, it's easy to scoff that it can't happen that fast. I felt even with the timelines involved it felt believable. The situation they found themselves in was quite scary to imagine, nothing like examining your feelings to know what's important in life!
I quite liked Merry's perceptiveness, her ability to read people is amazing.
Barnaby's joy of dancing - I can only imagine how his face would light up!
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