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The Merry Romances #1
A Perfect Match
Alicia Westlake longs for a man of faith to love. Her mother plots to secure her a titled husband. Mr Merry is neither.
London, 1788. Alicia Westlake makes her debut into fashionable society, launched by her ambitious matchmaking mother who is set on her marrying into the nobility.
But Alicia is more interested in character than connections. Despite being pursued by a viscount and the Duke of Wessex’s heir, she finds herself drawn to the witty Mr Merry – a member of the bluestocking circle to which her father had belonged.
Christopher Merry is not a man of title or faith. The black sheep of the family, he is tortured by his past and drinks to forget. Alicia’s intelligence and humour soon win his heart, but he fears he is no good for her.
How can he overcome the darkness in his past to become the man Alicia needs to save her from her mother’s matchmaking schemes?
Set in London and Weymouth, this clean historical romance has a Christian theme and plays out against the backdrop of the late Georgian period. A glossary of historical terms is included.
London, 1788. Alicia Westlake makes her debut into fashionable society, launched by her ambitious matchmaking mother who is set on her marrying into the nobility.
But Alicia is more interested in character than connections. Despite being pursued by a viscount and the Duke of Wessex’s heir, she finds herself drawn to the witty Mr Merry – a member of the bluestocking circle to which her father had belonged.
Christopher Merry is not a man of title or faith. The black sheep of the family, he is tortured by his past and drinks to forget. Alicia’s intelligence and humour soon win his heart, but he fears he is no good for her.
How can he overcome the darkness in his past to become the man Alicia needs to save her from her mother’s matchmaking schemes?
Set in London and Weymouth, this clean historical romance has a Christian theme and plays out against the backdrop of the late Georgian period. A glossary of historical terms is included.
388 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2015
71 people are currently reading
1000 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Knowles
8 books109 followersRachel writes faith-based Regency romance with rich historical detail.
Already addicted to happy endings, Rachel first read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice at the age of thirteen and fell in love, not only with Mr Darcy, but with the entire Regency period.
Since 2011, she has been blogging about her research on the Regency History blog. She writes historical non-fiction based on this research.
Rachel lives in the beautiful Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, with her husband, Andrew. They have four grown-up daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.
Already addicted to happy endings, Rachel first read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice at the age of thirteen and fell in love, not only with Mr Darcy, but with the entire Regency period.
Since 2011, she has been blogging about her research on the Regency History blog. She writes historical non-fiction based on this research.
Rachel lives in the beautiful Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, with her husband, Andrew. They have four grown-up daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 15, 2015
No one has greater knowledge of the Regency world than Rachel Knowles. This book shares that knowledge with an interesting plot and characters. However the author starts out with a typical Regency romance takes a sharp turn to the right with a foray in to Christian literature and ends with a mystery/thriller. Too many ideas. She has three books in here and the result is overlong and a little confusing. I will however continue to save my pennies and wait with baited breath for her next book. Although this book has flaws it ends up an enjoyable read.
October 26, 2015
I have thoroughly enjoyed this excellent story. From the very beginning, the author guides us right into the heart of Georgian high society, to the enlightened salons, the opera houses, the museums and of course the ballrooms that form the playground of the fashionable set.
Several well-known 18th century personages populate the story, and we hear them speak with either nonchalance or with the deepest passion of events that shape their daily lives. The flavour of the era is brought to us by means of a wealth of historical detail, which – while exquisitely informative – comes not in the form of a history lesson, but as delicious titbits of gossip, or as commonly acknowledged facts that the characters experience and take in their stride.
On this backdrop, the exciting life of the heroine begins to unfold. A well-dowered young lady, she is brought to London by her ambitious mother, in the hope that she would take the town by storm. That she does, in ways her mother had not necessarily anticipated, and she crosses paths with charming heroes, crushing bores and dastardly villains. And if she sometimes finds it difficult to ascertain the inner workings of their minds and hearts, this is because the skilfully developed characters are intricate and ever so human, with faults and dilemmas as well as touches of genius and valour.
There is humour, romance, mystery and danger, as well as the subtle hint that the story might continue. With any luck it does, and Rachel Knowles would lead us into new adventures. I for one am eager to find out.
Several well-known 18th century personages populate the story, and we hear them speak with either nonchalance or with the deepest passion of events that shape their daily lives. The flavour of the era is brought to us by means of a wealth of historical detail, which – while exquisitely informative – comes not in the form of a history lesson, but as delicious titbits of gossip, or as commonly acknowledged facts that the characters experience and take in their stride.
On this backdrop, the exciting life of the heroine begins to unfold. A well-dowered young lady, she is brought to London by her ambitious mother, in the hope that she would take the town by storm. That she does, in ways her mother had not necessarily anticipated, and she crosses paths with charming heroes, crushing bores and dastardly villains. And if she sometimes finds it difficult to ascertain the inner workings of their minds and hearts, this is because the skilfully developed characters are intricate and ever so human, with faults and dilemmas as well as touches of genius and valour.
There is humour, romance, mystery and danger, as well as the subtle hint that the story might continue. With any luck it does, and Rachel Knowles would lead us into new adventures. I for one am eager to find out.
February 20, 2022
Great read
This book is well written, and I enjoyed being able to fully immerse myself in the Georgian culture. I loved the hero and heroine, who were both thoughtful and mature, despite their mothers, who were meddlesome in their own ways.
I struggled with whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars, and in the end, I went with 5 because I couldn't fault the writing, which I thought was wonderful. I would have taken a star off for things that were matters of my own preference, and I don't like to ding an author for subjective issues. One thing was that I thought it was a little long. The other thing was the pivotal scene at the end. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I was literally angry with the hero over some dumb decisions he made, which did not seem to be in keeping with his past actions.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was interesting to learn more about the period and the way the upper echelons of society interacted with each other. I loved the banter between the main characters, and I loved the few swoony moments that were sprinkled here and there. It was a clean read and had some Christian elements, which I appreciated as well. I'll definitely read more by this author in the future.
This book is well written, and I enjoyed being able to fully immerse myself in the Georgian culture. I loved the hero and heroine, who were both thoughtful and mature, despite their mothers, who were meddlesome in their own ways.
I struggled with whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars, and in the end, I went with 5 because I couldn't fault the writing, which I thought was wonderful. I would have taken a star off for things that were matters of my own preference, and I don't like to ding an author for subjective issues. One thing was that I thought it was a little long. The other thing was the pivotal scene at the end. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I was literally angry with the hero over some dumb decisions he made, which did not seem to be in keeping with his past actions.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was interesting to learn more about the period and the way the upper echelons of society interacted with each other. I loved the banter between the main characters, and I loved the few swoony moments that were sprinkled here and there. It was a clean read and had some Christian elements, which I appreciated as well. I'll definitely read more by this author in the future.
Read
March 2, 2021I am going to leave this unrated as I only got 10% in. As I like and often use Knowles' blog, where she catalogues her research into Regency history, I was interested when I found out she had written a novel. A Perfect Match is an 18th century romance, and it's clean, and it's by someone whose ability to research the period I could not doubt. It was, well, a perfect match.
So what's the problem? Well...
Look, 10% in, it's not too much to ask to be given at least some sense of the protagonist and, ideally, some reason to care whether he or she lives or dies. Unfortunately, while I am sure Knowles intends to get to that at some point, four chapters in, Alicia is fairly passive, her mother's characterisation is one-note and extremely repetitive (yes, I get it, she is a social climber and shallow and stupid), and the dialogue is dull and housekeep-y: you know, the sort that goes "How are you?" "I'm well!" "You must miss your father!" "Oh very much." "Are you in town for long?" "I am here for the Season" "How wonderful!"
Look, I appreciate that for authors it's sometimes hard to put everyone where they need to be for the action to kick off, but... well, it's your job to make this at least somewhat compelling. Make it funny, make it dramatic, make it worth my time. If you can't, well, skip it. Just put me directly where the action is.
Anyway, I'm going to take a nap now.
So what's the problem? Well...
Look, 10% in, it's not too much to ask to be given at least some sense of the protagonist and, ideally, some reason to care whether he or she lives or dies. Unfortunately, while I am sure Knowles intends to get to that at some point, four chapters in, Alicia is fairly passive, her mother's characterisation is one-note and extremely repetitive (yes, I get it, she is a social climber and shallow and stupid), and the dialogue is dull and housekeep-y: you know, the sort that goes "How are you?" "I'm well!" "You must miss your father!" "Oh very much." "Are you in town for long?" "I am here for the Season" "How wonderful!"
Look, I appreciate that for authors it's sometimes hard to put everyone where they need to be for the action to kick off, but... well, it's your job to make this at least somewhat compelling. Make it funny, make it dramatic, make it worth my time. If you can't, well, skip it. Just put me directly where the action is.
Anyway, I'm going to take a nap now.
August 22, 2015
This is a book that’s well outside of my normal reading genres of science fiction and non-fiction religious works so I wasn’t expecting to think it wonderful. The closest I’ve come, aside from reading Austen, was a Georgette Heyer book I plodded through and eventually finished. I can remember nothing at all about it now. However, in attempting a piece of writing set amongst dilettante nobles of the far future I thought this would provide some inspiration and ideas. It fulfilled that aim in spades!
A Perfect Match isn’t quite a Regency novel as it is set just a little before, but it certainly has that feel. It is firmly placed within the tradition of the wealthy social classes of that era and their romances and intrigues. 1788 as we’re told on the first page although I managed to miss that until a couple of chapters in when I began wondering when exactly it was set. George III was still on the throne and the Regency proper wouldn’t start for a couple of decades although the regency era can be considered to start around 1795.
The story concerns one Mrs Westlake who wants her only daughter Alicia to marry well – by which she means into nobility and a title if at all possible. They’re already independently well-off so money isn’t the object. Her daughter has other ideas in wanting to marry someone she can love and respect, regardless of their position. The perfect match of the title. This is the conflict that drives the novel as various potential suitors enter the frame. All of them have their good points and all of them have their flaws. None of them suit both mother and daughter. The question is, are the flaws insurmountable or do the positives outweigh them? As we move between London and Weymouth and between several set piece events from the obligatory balls to the opening of Vauxhall Gardens, the inter-relationships are fluid and interesting and draw the reader along. For a book I started out of curiosity, I devoured it within a week on my daily commute which is a testament to its engaging narrative.
I was convinced by the characters, curious to know what would happen to them, and very quickly began fearing getting to the end and there being no more. Along the way there was romance and some wonderfully humorous moments. On at least one occasion I disturbed the other bus passengers attempting to stifle my chortles at scenes such as Mrs Westake’s shenanigans in accosting someone in a very public manner.
An aspect I was particularly impressed by was the way the author has captured the language I would expect from such a novel. Of course, my experience is limited, but it feels spot on. One example that grabbed me: “Mr Hampton immediately adopted a brotherly attitude and talked about commonplace matters until her equanimity was restored, putting Alicia quite in charity with him.” (end of chapter 27). The author also writes the well-respected Regency History blog (www.regencyhistory.net) so her near encyclopaedic knowledge of the period is perhaps unsurprising. The book is steeped in the customs, geography, society and yes, the language of that era but as background rather than obtrusively getting in the way of the storytelling. I particularly liked the way the political and religious environment were included and made relevant to the story in a way which, I understand from others, is often lacking in regency romances. The occasional known historical characters appearing in the book do so because it’s appropriate rather than merely to showcase the author’s knowledge or cleverness.
I also enjoyed the closely observed way in which the key characters spend their time thinking through, chewing over, dwelling on and wallowing in what’s happening or, more critically, what they think is happening. Perhaps it’s the human condition, but with too much time on their hands and too much pressure to marry correctly, I’m sure that would have been a very real feature of such stratified and strictured society. I was reminded of a close-knit, tightly ruled community I lived in for a couple of years and the story was made all the more real for its piquant capture of this. Sometimes I wanted to shout at the characters “just talk to each other for goodness’ sake”. A sign of how engrossing the novel is. But it is not all reflection and talking – or lack of talking – there is action as well in carriage crashes, near murders and wild horses caught up in a riot. So we’ll forgive the nicely drawn but rather unflattering librarian we encounter briefly!
Physically the book is a hefty paperback printed on good quality paper. It’s also available in Kindle format for those who would prefer an ebook. Physically it costs £8.99, electronically £3.99. The 381 pages include the novel itself with 49 relatively short chapters, a helpful glossary of period terms, and a short historical note from the author. The proof-reading is first class and although I’m slightly sensitive to such things, found no typos. On the one occasion I thought I’d found an error it turned out to be a subtle change in English usage across two hundred years that further demonstrates the author’s authentic use of period language. The cover is a pleasing blue overall, illustrated using a very attractive and appropriate ‘papercut’ by the author’s daughter.
Not wanting to include spoilers I won’t reveal the ending save to say that the carefully worked out plotting comes to fruition in ways you might predict but also in ways that surprised me at least. Does Alicia find her perfect match? Or does her mother? It’s worth finding out. It’s a gentle read; but a more than satisfying one and I look forward to more from the author.
A Perfect Match isn’t quite a Regency novel as it is set just a little before, but it certainly has that feel. It is firmly placed within the tradition of the wealthy social classes of that era and their romances and intrigues. 1788 as we’re told on the first page although I managed to miss that until a couple of chapters in when I began wondering when exactly it was set. George III was still on the throne and the Regency proper wouldn’t start for a couple of decades although the regency era can be considered to start around 1795.
The story concerns one Mrs Westlake who wants her only daughter Alicia to marry well – by which she means into nobility and a title if at all possible. They’re already independently well-off so money isn’t the object. Her daughter has other ideas in wanting to marry someone she can love and respect, regardless of their position. The perfect match of the title. This is the conflict that drives the novel as various potential suitors enter the frame. All of them have their good points and all of them have their flaws. None of them suit both mother and daughter. The question is, are the flaws insurmountable or do the positives outweigh them? As we move between London and Weymouth and between several set piece events from the obligatory balls to the opening of Vauxhall Gardens, the inter-relationships are fluid and interesting and draw the reader along. For a book I started out of curiosity, I devoured it within a week on my daily commute which is a testament to its engaging narrative.
I was convinced by the characters, curious to know what would happen to them, and very quickly began fearing getting to the end and there being no more. Along the way there was romance and some wonderfully humorous moments. On at least one occasion I disturbed the other bus passengers attempting to stifle my chortles at scenes such as Mrs Westake’s shenanigans in accosting someone in a very public manner.
An aspect I was particularly impressed by was the way the author has captured the language I would expect from such a novel. Of course, my experience is limited, but it feels spot on. One example that grabbed me: “Mr Hampton immediately adopted a brotherly attitude and talked about commonplace matters until her equanimity was restored, putting Alicia quite in charity with him.” (end of chapter 27). The author also writes the well-respected Regency History blog (www.regencyhistory.net) so her near encyclopaedic knowledge of the period is perhaps unsurprising. The book is steeped in the customs, geography, society and yes, the language of that era but as background rather than obtrusively getting in the way of the storytelling. I particularly liked the way the political and religious environment were included and made relevant to the story in a way which, I understand from others, is often lacking in regency romances. The occasional known historical characters appearing in the book do so because it’s appropriate rather than merely to showcase the author’s knowledge or cleverness.
I also enjoyed the closely observed way in which the key characters spend their time thinking through, chewing over, dwelling on and wallowing in what’s happening or, more critically, what they think is happening. Perhaps it’s the human condition, but with too much time on their hands and too much pressure to marry correctly, I’m sure that would have been a very real feature of such stratified and strictured society. I was reminded of a close-knit, tightly ruled community I lived in for a couple of years and the story was made all the more real for its piquant capture of this. Sometimes I wanted to shout at the characters “just talk to each other for goodness’ sake”. A sign of how engrossing the novel is. But it is not all reflection and talking – or lack of talking – there is action as well in carriage crashes, near murders and wild horses caught up in a riot. So we’ll forgive the nicely drawn but rather unflattering librarian we encounter briefly!
Physically the book is a hefty paperback printed on good quality paper. It’s also available in Kindle format for those who would prefer an ebook. Physically it costs £8.99, electronically £3.99. The 381 pages include the novel itself with 49 relatively short chapters, a helpful glossary of period terms, and a short historical note from the author. The proof-reading is first class and although I’m slightly sensitive to such things, found no typos. On the one occasion I thought I’d found an error it turned out to be a subtle change in English usage across two hundred years that further demonstrates the author’s authentic use of period language. The cover is a pleasing blue overall, illustrated using a very attractive and appropriate ‘papercut’ by the author’s daughter.
Not wanting to include spoilers I won’t reveal the ending save to say that the carefully worked out plotting comes to fruition in ways you might predict but also in ways that surprised me at least. Does Alicia find her perfect match? Or does her mother? It’s worth finding out. It’s a gentle read; but a more than satisfying one and I look forward to more from the author.
did-not-finish
July 1, 2025I may return to finishing this later, but my Kindle Unlimited subscript ran out, and I admit I was a little frustrated with the heroine. I only got about 20% through, so it probably got a lot better. The historical research was DIVINE, the prose was AMAZING, and I have rarely read a novel that felt so much like it was written in the Georgian era despite not actually having been written in the Georgian era. Like, truly perfect vibes. Truly perfect research. This feels beyond impressive - it feels masterful to me. (And maybe I've just been reading a lot of contemporary-feeling books, so that's why it had such an impact on me, but I loved it!)
That said (criticism coming, so skip this if you loved the book!), the heroine was not my favorite. She was inactive - no goal, no reasonable motivation. Accurate to the era? Maybe. But that doesn't make her fun. She was also what we call in today's world a "pick me." She's academic. She's clever. She doesn't like those "society things." She's Not Like Other Girls. She loved her father, but she HATES her mother, who represents everything she doesn't want in life. Academic/"bluestocking" women were not uncommon in this era, as this author so accurately portrays, but the main character doesn't seem to understand ... anything. Her position, her mother's goals (which are valid and interesting, at least), etc. are all things she seems to ... not fully understand?
She's dismissive of her mother, who would make a far more interesting heroine than she is and who is actually Right about 90% of the things that heroine complains about. Basically, she was "I'm a Disney princess & my job is Wanting More" combined with Georgian-era-accurate bluestocking-ness, and again, that was fun, but she's so ... bland. She doesn't even have conflict about her competing ideals with her mother (in the first tiny bit of the story that I read); she just silently judges literally everyone. No one is free of her judgment. But ... girl, it's not like you're winning any personality contests yourself? Your house is glass?
The guy she meets, though we haven't seen a ton of him yet, is also ... similar. Except I feel like his criticisms are more valid because he's seen the world and hasn't just judged it from inside her castle.
That said, do I think there was an interesting arc here? Absolutely. I think this could be great. And I totally would have finished or at least kept going to see where it went if my subscription hadn't run out. Maybe I'll pick it up again when I get Kindle Unlimited again!
Again, most people loved this book, so it's probably amazing once you finish it. Honestly, like I said, I was in awe of the research and writing, so even Alicia didn't ruin what I read for me. That said, I was kind of hoping Alicia would randomly get a chill and die and the rest would be her mother manipulating London society and remarrying to someone who suits her better than her academic, overbearing, jailkeeper husband did. (I worry about this woman.)
That said (criticism coming, so skip this if you loved the book!), the heroine was not my favorite. She was inactive - no goal, no reasonable motivation. Accurate to the era? Maybe. But that doesn't make her fun. She was also what we call in today's world a "pick me." She's academic. She's clever. She doesn't like those "society things." She's Not Like Other Girls. She loved her father, but she HATES her mother, who represents everything she doesn't want in life. Academic/"bluestocking" women were not uncommon in this era, as this author so accurately portrays, but the main character doesn't seem to understand ... anything. Her position, her mother's goals (which are valid and interesting, at least), etc. are all things she seems to ... not fully understand?
She's dismissive of her mother, who would make a far more interesting heroine than she is and who is actually Right about 90% of the things that heroine complains about. Basically, she was "I'm a Disney princess & my job is Wanting More" combined with Georgian-era-accurate bluestocking-ness, and again, that was fun, but she's so ... bland. She doesn't even have conflict about her competing ideals with her mother (in the first tiny bit of the story that I read); she just silently judges literally everyone. No one is free of her judgment. But ... girl, it's not like you're winning any personality contests yourself? Your house is glass?
The guy she meets, though we haven't seen a ton of him yet, is also ... similar. Except I feel like his criticisms are more valid because he's seen the world and hasn't just judged it from inside her castle.
That said, do I think there was an interesting arc here? Absolutely. I think this could be great. And I totally would have finished or at least kept going to see where it went if my subscription hadn't run out. Maybe I'll pick it up again when I get Kindle Unlimited again!
Again, most people loved this book, so it's probably amazing once you finish it. Honestly, like I said, I was in awe of the research and writing, so even Alicia didn't ruin what I read for me. That said, I was kind of hoping Alicia would randomly get a chill and die and the rest would be her mother manipulating London society and remarrying to someone who suits her better than her academic, overbearing, jailkeeper husband did. (I worry about this woman.)
July 6, 2017
In A PERFECT MATCH we discover that Mrs. Westlake not only wants her daughter to marry well, she wants her daughter to make a BRILLIANT match, something she was unable to do thirty years ago during her own Season. She tends to live in the past, reliving her successes and when she runs into the woman who married the Earl that she refused (to marry a man in trade - read that as wealthy as Croesus) the battle is on.
Alicia, a well-read woman, wants to marry for love and more to the point, marry a man who shares her faith. She is courted by two men. Mr. Merry, whom she is the most attracted to but he decries having any faith at all, and by Mr. Hampton, who is very gentle and courteous with her but fails to appreciate her humour and comes across as bit of a dud. What's a girl to do?
WHAT I LIKED:
I truly enjoyed the characters of Mrs. Westlake and her daughter Alicia. Their circumstances and the reason for attending London are clearly defined and believable. Some of the introductions were a tad implausible, however, this is fiction and therefore I can suspend my disbelief and go with the flow.
I thought the manners and descriptions of how the ton behaved were spot on, and meeting a few historical figures within the story line was a lot of fun. I'd love to meet Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, if only to see how high her hair could be styled.
The two gentleman vying for Miss Alicia's attention created a nice gentle friction, although we are left to wonder until the end of the book why Mr. Merry detests Mr. Hampton so much. Miss Westlake's mother surprised us all when she turned her attention from marrying off her daughter toward her own love interest and from there a whole new dynamic was introduced by way of an attempted murder and a suspicious death from a few years back being solved.
I admit to being frustrated with the length of time between encounters of Miss Westlake and the gentleman for which she has a tendré and a lot of their conflict could have been resolved with a simple conversation.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
We begin the novel in Mrs. Westlake's point of view. About half way down the first page, we read:
...She had chosen the colour herself and was very pleased with the result. Her only regret was the lack of a coat of arms on the door. But there was nothing she could do about that. She had made her choice a long time ago.
"It is a very comfortable ride, is it not? I do not suppose that my cousin has a vehicle this smart."
Considering the exorbitant amount of money that her money spent on the chaise, Alicia thought it unlikely indeed. (We are now in Alicia's point of view)
We stay in Alicia's point of view for most of Chapter One until the very last paragraph where we are abruptly jolted into Mrs. Westlake's POV.
She laid the letter down and sighed. "Ah, what it would be to be young again, surrounded by admirers, vying for a dance." For a while, she sat unseeing, lost in nostalgic thought, but gradually her thoughts drifted back to the present. It would not do to dwell on the past. All her ambitions were centred on Alicia now.
This became a familiar pattern throughout the whole book and I found it very distracting. My last few reviews have dealt with this issue and I'm not sure why authors think it's okay to bounce around within the POV. I know it's tempting to tell everybody's side of the story, however, there were times I had to go back because I'd be reading a passage and realize it was not Alicia's, or Mr. Merry's, or Mrs. Westlake's POV, but someone else. Anytime a reader is taken out of the story, or the flow is interrupted, it's not good.
Other than my bug-a-boo about POV switches I enjoyed this book. It had a nice story line, and a soft romance with a mystery threaded throughout. Ms. Knowles included actual historical facts into her story and for me, a history junkie, this added to my enjoyment. And I want to thank Ms. Knowles for allowing Mrs. Westlake her little act of vengeance against her arch nemesis when they were discussing the age of women and having children. Nicely done. I think I cheered a bit.
I was given this book to read by the author for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Alicia, a well-read woman, wants to marry for love and more to the point, marry a man who shares her faith. She is courted by two men. Mr. Merry, whom she is the most attracted to but he decries having any faith at all, and by Mr. Hampton, who is very gentle and courteous with her but fails to appreciate her humour and comes across as bit of a dud. What's a girl to do?
WHAT I LIKED:
I truly enjoyed the characters of Mrs. Westlake and her daughter Alicia. Their circumstances and the reason for attending London are clearly defined and believable. Some of the introductions were a tad implausible, however, this is fiction and therefore I can suspend my disbelief and go with the flow.
I thought the manners and descriptions of how the ton behaved were spot on, and meeting a few historical figures within the story line was a lot of fun. I'd love to meet Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, if only to see how high her hair could be styled.
The two gentleman vying for Miss Alicia's attention created a nice gentle friction, although we are left to wonder until the end of the book why Mr. Merry detests Mr. Hampton so much. Miss Westlake's mother surprised us all when she turned her attention from marrying off her daughter toward her own love interest and from there a whole new dynamic was introduced by way of an attempted murder and a suspicious death from a few years back being solved.
I admit to being frustrated with the length of time between encounters of Miss Westlake and the gentleman for which she has a tendré and a lot of their conflict could have been resolved with a simple conversation.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
We begin the novel in Mrs. Westlake's point of view. About half way down the first page, we read:
...She had chosen the colour herself and was very pleased with the result. Her only regret was the lack of a coat of arms on the door. But there was nothing she could do about that. She had made her choice a long time ago.
"It is a very comfortable ride, is it not? I do not suppose that my cousin has a vehicle this smart."
Considering the exorbitant amount of money that her money spent on the chaise, Alicia thought it unlikely indeed. (We are now in Alicia's point of view)
We stay in Alicia's point of view for most of Chapter One until the very last paragraph where we are abruptly jolted into Mrs. Westlake's POV.
She laid the letter down and sighed. "Ah, what it would be to be young again, surrounded by admirers, vying for a dance." For a while, she sat unseeing, lost in nostalgic thought, but gradually her thoughts drifted back to the present. It would not do to dwell on the past. All her ambitions were centred on Alicia now.
This became a familiar pattern throughout the whole book and I found it very distracting. My last few reviews have dealt with this issue and I'm not sure why authors think it's okay to bounce around within the POV. I know it's tempting to tell everybody's side of the story, however, there were times I had to go back because I'd be reading a passage and realize it was not Alicia's, or Mr. Merry's, or Mrs. Westlake's POV, but someone else. Anytime a reader is taken out of the story, or the flow is interrupted, it's not good.
Other than my bug-a-boo about POV switches I enjoyed this book. It had a nice story line, and a soft romance with a mystery threaded throughout. Ms. Knowles included actual historical facts into her story and for me, a history junkie, this added to my enjoyment. And I want to thank Ms. Knowles for allowing Mrs. Westlake her little act of vengeance against her arch nemesis when they were discussing the age of women and having children. Nicely done. I think I cheered a bit.
I was given this book to read by the author for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
November 5, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of (early) Regency Romance. 'A Perfect Match' is not your average love story. Rachel Knowles weaves a subtle plot which keeps you guessing right until the end...
The heroine is shuttled between London and Dorset as her mother schemes to get her married to the perfect gentleman, however, Alicia has ideas of her own about who that means!
The course of true love does not run smoothly in this novel and is all the better for it... Knowles describes the entertainments and attractions of late 18th Century London with style. The reader is whirled through soirees, parks and theatreland.
The central characters are well drawn, my only (minor) criticism is that I was able to identify the 'villain' quite easily fairly early on in the narrative. Other than that, it was a very pleasant and engaging read.
The heroine is shuttled between London and Dorset as her mother schemes to get her married to the perfect gentleman, however, Alicia has ideas of her own about who that means!
The course of true love does not run smoothly in this novel and is all the better for it... Knowles describes the entertainments and attractions of late 18th Century London with style. The reader is whirled through soirees, parks and theatreland.
The central characters are well drawn, my only (minor) criticism is that I was able to identify the 'villain' quite easily fairly early on in the narrative. Other than that, it was a very pleasant and engaging read.
November 19, 2015
Graham:
I casually picked up my wife's copy of this delightful book as I was attracted by the intriguing cover. I expected to have a quick flick through it and then to put it down but it did not end quite like that. The characters were so alive, so real in a setting which was so completely believable that I was hooked and read it at every conceivable moment until I had reached the end to discover whether... but I must not give away the conclusion. I learnt so much about the customs and language of the period of which, I discovered, I was totally unaware. In my view this was a very well written novel that transports you back in time. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to a sequel, for sequel there must be.
I casually picked up my wife's copy of this delightful book as I was attracted by the intriguing cover. I expected to have a quick flick through it and then to put it down but it did not end quite like that. The characters were so alive, so real in a setting which was so completely believable that I was hooked and read it at every conceivable moment until I had reached the end to discover whether... but I must not give away the conclusion. I learnt so much about the customs and language of the period of which, I discovered, I was totally unaware. In my view this was a very well written novel that transports you back in time. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to a sequel, for sequel there must be.
August 27, 2015
This was a very well researched and constructed book. I felt i was learning a lot about the culture at the time as well as being immersed into the plot and wanting to know what happens next. It was a fast moving plot but stayed true to the ethos of that era.The characters were believable and well drawn. I liked the contrast between Mrs Westlake and her daughter and the members of Mr Merry's family.I liked the inclusion of a glossary as wasn't sure what some of the regency language means.
November 19, 2015
This is a great book that I was given for my birthday. I couldn't put it down... The attention to detail regarding the style of language / clothes etc was excellent. I liked the aspect of the " who dunnit". The questions are what happened to the Duchesses' twins and did Alecia have children ? Excellent first novel.
November 25, 2015
You know what? I was really underwhelmed with the the book itself, but I did enjoy the storytelling aspect of the book itself.
The plot was predictable, the PoV was all over the place, and the characters were underdeveloped.
The plot was predictable, the PoV was all over the place, and the characters were underdeveloped.
Read
December 31, 2015DNF. Moves far too slowly and the characters seemed one-dimensional to me.
January 9, 2018
Waste of money
I very rarely give up on a book but I only got to chapter 7. Thank goodness I only paid 99p for it.
I very rarely give up on a book but I only got to chapter 7. Thank goodness I only paid 99p for it.
September 8, 2024
Hang in there!
This is a clean, standalone read which is well edited and historically accurate. It also has a lot of descriptive imagery, some interesting and others I could have done without. It is a long story, which is no problem if it holds your attention. Unfortunately, I often wondered, 'when is it going to end!'. For me, this story took a long time, a long time indeed, to get to the interesting part. The constant backwards and forwards of the same situations and misunderstandings, was tedious. Once it did start moving, so to say, there was enough action to hold my attention to the end, which was ok. It kind of wrapped everything up, though the outcome regarding the villain was not satisfying. Regardless of whether it was realistic to the times, that is not the outcome I want in a novel. Overall, this was high on historical accuracy and low on overall feeling or romance.
This is a clean, standalone read which is well edited and historically accurate. It also has a lot of descriptive imagery, some interesting and others I could have done without. It is a long story, which is no problem if it holds your attention. Unfortunately, I often wondered, 'when is it going to end!'. For me, this story took a long time, a long time indeed, to get to the interesting part. The constant backwards and forwards of the same situations and misunderstandings, was tedious. Once it did start moving, so to say, there was enough action to hold my attention to the end, which was ok. It kind of wrapped everything up, though the outcome regarding the villain was not satisfying. Regardless of whether it was realistic to the times, that is not the outcome I want in a novel. Overall, this was high on historical accuracy and low on overall feeling or romance.
September 23, 2025
I can’t believe I finished it.
So freaking long and slow. Everything happened but also felt like nothing was progressing. It was like a TV series in book form where you get a lot of filler conversations and side events so it can be an 8 episode series instead of a 2 hour movie.
There was a lot of telling not showing for plot movement.
The characters finally developed somewhat but it took forever.
I didn’t give much thought to like or dislike of third person until now. I don’t recall hating it as much as I did in this book. The same paragraph would jump from one person to the next and was all over the place.
I read this because I enjoyed the author’s contribution to the Cousins of Cavendish series so I might give another try but I’m not slogging through the whole thing again if it’s like this.
So freaking long and slow. Everything happened but also felt like nothing was progressing. It was like a TV series in book form where you get a lot of filler conversations and side events so it can be an 8 episode series instead of a 2 hour movie.
There was a lot of telling not showing for plot movement.
The characters finally developed somewhat but it took forever.
I didn’t give much thought to like or dislike of third person until now. I don’t recall hating it as much as I did in this book. The same paragraph would jump from one person to the next and was all over the place.
I read this because I enjoyed the author’s contribution to the Cousins of Cavendish series so I might give another try but I’m not slogging through the whole thing again if it’s like this.
January 11, 2022
Miss Alicia Westlake and her widowed mother have completely different ideas on who Alicia should marry.
.
Determined to be accepted into fashionable society of Georgian London and Weymouth, Mrs. Westlake schemes her way into securing the perfect match for her daughter, giving no thought to character whatsoever.
.
Alicia wants someone who shares her faith. Someone to love and respect. She is soon caught up in a whirlwind of rival suitors, an unexpected event, and a mysterious accident. Is there any hope for a perfect match?
.
The second half of the book turned into a real page-turner! So neat reading a clean Regency romance novel by an author who actually lives in England.
.
Determined to be accepted into fashionable society of Georgian London and Weymouth, Mrs. Westlake schemes her way into securing the perfect match for her daughter, giving no thought to character whatsoever.
.
Alicia wants someone who shares her faith. Someone to love and respect. She is soon caught up in a whirlwind of rival suitors, an unexpected event, and a mysterious accident. Is there any hope for a perfect match?
.
The second half of the book turned into a real page-turner! So neat reading a clean Regency romance novel by an author who actually lives in England.
June 15, 2024
Clean historical fiction romance!
A Perfect Match is a very enjoyable and clean Christian-based historical fiction romance! The characters are well developed and the world described well enough for me to see in my imagination. There are a surprising number of twists that I was not expecting which always keeps me interested. I am looking forward to reading book 2 of this series.
Kindle Unlimited
A Perfect Match is a very enjoyable and clean Christian-based historical fiction romance! The characters are well developed and the world described well enough for me to see in my imagination. There are a surprising number of twists that I was not expecting which always keeps me interested. I am looking forward to reading book 2 of this series.
Kindle Unlimited
November 6, 2024
Something isn’t right about that ending…
The epilogue was a little strange. In the story the Duchess was with child towards the end of the book. She had not given birth. her daughter and Mr. Merry married. Mr Merry went on to become a clergyman. Then it was said that the Duchess had twins. What’s so confusing is that a great length of time had passed and suddenly there were twins? What of the first baby?
The epilogue was a little strange. In the story the Duchess was with child towards the end of the book. She had not given birth. her daughter and Mr. Merry married. Mr Merry went on to become a clergyman. Then it was said that the Duchess had twins. What’s so confusing is that a great length of time had passed and suddenly there were twins? What of the first baby?
November 15, 2024
Two people have over ambitious mothers to deal with. Alicia wants to marry for love but this idea is not pertinent to her mother. Three men pursue her with only one doing so for the right reasons. Navigating this becomes a tricky proposition as Alicia’s attraction to a man lacking religious faith is a major stumbling block. Obstacles and surprising developments further cause Alicia discomfort. How all is resolved makes for an engaging story. ARC copy
September 12, 2024
Enjoyed this story about a young lady and her widowed mother’s entrance back into society after the death of her father. All the characters were well fleshed out and there was definitely underlying humor when it came to her mother’s point of view on things and actions.. All ends happily for both mother and daughter
Read
January 25, 2025This was a book that started off slowly and grew increasingly more interesting in the second half. Though the first half of the book seems like a standard historical romance, there's a thriller/mystery plot in the last part of the book that makes for gripping reading. I ended up enjoying the story overall, but I think tighter pacing could have improved the plot.
May 20, 2018
This author clearly knows her period (I've also read non-fiction by her), and has set a fairly light and frivolous story (well, apart from a possible murder...!) perfectly within it.
The details make the whole thing an enjoyable read.
The details make the whole thing an enjoyable read.
June 3, 2020
Very well written book. English is my second language but the enjoyment of the book was yet easily present. Lovely story. The author manage to keep you entertain until the end. A gifted writer! Well done Rachel and thank you for your book who made the lockdown days brighter!
November 27, 2023
A sweet couple!
I really liked this story. There were good characters, who were easy to become attached to, despicable characters, who were easy to dislike, and, as should be expected, wishy washy characters, just as there are in life.
I really liked this story. There were good characters, who were easy to become attached to, despicable characters, who were easy to dislike, and, as should be expected, wishy washy characters, just as there are in life.
June 17, 2024
Delightful and suspenseful!
Have found a new favorite author!
Enjoyed meeting and getting to know these ‘friends’, and look forward to following this series!
Thank you, Rachel (and Andrew)
Knowles!
Have found a new favorite author!
Enjoyed meeting and getting to know these ‘friends’, and look forward to following this series!
Thank you, Rachel (and Andrew)
Knowles!
May 26, 2025
A quick read with likable hero and heroines, annoying matchmaking mamas, an ineffectual fop and a really villainous villain. The villain is perhaps too villainous for a regency romance, but it does add to the drama. Interesting discussion of religion, though again a bit too extreme.
June 2, 2025
Just the right amount of conflict, mystery, and romance
Delightful characters, I really enjoyed the slow unfolding the story with its unexpected turns in the plot. It is a sweet romance.
Delightful characters, I really enjoyed the slow unfolding the story with its unexpected turns in the plot. It is a sweet romance.
November 27, 2017
Lots of fun; mystery, romance, and a bit of Christian history (Wilberforce and Hannah More), all rolled into one entertaining read!
March 27, 2020
READ THE COMMENT I LEFT
I don't want you all to think I normally read this kind of stuff
I don't want you all to think I normally read this kind of stuff
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