The Perfect Fiancé

Matchmaking for Wallflowers #0.5

by Bianca Blythe

The Perfect Fiancé is a short prequel novella to Bianca Blythe's Matchmaking for Wallflowers series. Rosamund Amberly is overjoyed.

And soon, she's certain, she'll start feeling the emotion.

Rosamund prides herself on her matchmaking skills. After meeting Marcus Worthing, Earl of Somerville and her older sister's childhood best friend, she knows she's found the perfect fiancé . . . for her reclusive sister.

Unfortunately, she's spending far too much time thinking about the man.
Bonus: Includes the first chapter of How to Capture a Duke which starts at the 80% point.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Novella, Regency, Regency Romance, Historical Fiction

75 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2016

Reviews

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3 "sweet" stars from me***

This was a really sweet and lovely story, but damn, it was too small!!!

I think i needed a little bit more... but it was a pleasant company to my evening!!!

A man that wanted to be for a while outside the ton and to made some scientistic work...
A woman used to live in countryside and who loves to play the matchmaker, especially for her suitors...
A day in the forest...
An unneeding rescuing...

Two hearts that beating very fast in the presence of the other...
A stubborn girl that is trying to ignore her heart and give some happiness in her sister...
and Marcus and Rosamund's lives get very perplexed!!!


I liked Rosamund!!! She was feisty and a little bit untamed. She was stubborn as hell, and she was insisting to take care of her sister with a marriage.

And what better choice from beauiful Marcus Worthing, Earl of Somerville???
This will be the perfect match for Fiona and for any woman out there...
The only thing that she had to do is to ignore her trembling heart...


Marcus is intrigued with Rosamund from the first time, but a big surprise full of disappointment is expecting him... That wasn't what he wanted. So what will he do???

So what will happen with Rosamund and Marcus???
Will be seperated forever and go on with their lives, or there is a chance for them???

As i told you before, this was an interesting and sweet story...
I honestly can't wait to read the next books of the "Matchmaking for Wallflowers" series!!!


***Arc kindly provided via Netgalley for the exchange of an honest review***

[Norah Una Sumner · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Cute little regency story. The story is quirky and fun but the characters lack actual development. I've read many short stories which felt like actual novels so I can say from experience that this one lacked character development. It was cute though. Those last scenes were really adorable.

Before reading:

What a gorgeous cover!



*E-copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.*

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
This is book three in the "Matchmaking for Wallflowers' series by Bianca Blythe. This is a Novella book that is about 75 pages. I found that it was a easy read and that this book can be a standalone book.
Rosamund thinks herself a matchmaker and when she meets Marcus Worthing, Earl of Somerville again (they played some together when they were younger) after he tries to 'save' her from some shooting that was going on near where she was. Rosamund thinks he would be perfect for her older sister. But things don't always turn out the way you think they should.
A really sweet, easy read that I so enjoyed having the chance to read.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

After seeing several Bianca Blythe books appearing on my newsfeed and thinking the covers were absolutely stunning, I decided to check out the novella to determine if the author's writing style was as delicious as the cover art.

This was my first sample of Bianca Blythe's work, and unless I can access another book for free, I won't be purchasing more by this author. The storyline is an oft-used childhood friends to lovers theme, which was fine by me. I love sweet, simple storylines if the character development is good. In this case, the character development was almost non-existent. I read a lot of novellas and I know to give them a little more leeway in the depth department, but this story focused more on abstract feelings and the setting at the expense of the characters.

I felt like the storytelling style meandered and used limited punctuation, which required me to re-read sections to grasp their meaning. Despite these, I thought that the hero, Marcus, had potential. I liked how he was physically described and his awkwardness was endearing. However, that was all I learned about him. There was limited discussion about his work, his past, or what drew him to the heroine aside from her beauty and artistic skills. As for the heroine, Rosamund, she was not fleshed out at all. My impression of her was that she was a silly young girl who wanted to play matchmaker and then became a martyr and pushed away a man even though she wanted him. I guess this is a bit like Austen's Emma, which is not my favorite trope so perhaps it is my fault I couldn't connect to her.

Aside from the weird first meeting of the characters, most of the development of the characters' relationship is relayed in a few paragraphs while Marcus is reflecting before he proposes. I understand the story is short, but the story skipped the entire relationship foundation building process so the only things I saw as a reader were Rosamund's childish matchmaking antics and Marcus' awkwardness. It didn't convince me of an everlasting HEA.

Overall, I found the writing style to be very wordy and hard for me to follow. There are glimmers of good writing in there, but I had to wade through too much abstract descriptions or setting and time passing to understand the story.

It is a free story so I encourage other readers who like more quirky writing to still check it out. It is a short read and an easy way to tell if the author is for you.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a wordy story (really too wordy in my opinion), it lacked depth. The cover is gorgeous though.
2 stars

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voice for historical romance . . .
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 07-06-18

Rosalyn Landor has the voice for narrating historical romance. She makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time.

Rosamund was a matchmaker. She felt she had the perfect person for everyone. After meeting Marcus Worthing, Earl of Somerville again she believes that he will make a perfect match for her sister. What she didn't expect happened and this turned in to more than a match for her sister.

A nice quickie to see some of the character from the series. Knowing the outcome from book one, getting a quick recap was nice.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I read book one first. This was like an after thought.

Rosamund was a matchmaker. She felt she had the perfect person for everyone. After meeting Marcus Worthing, Earl of Somerville again she believes that he will make a perfect match for her sister. What she didn't expect happened and this turned in to more than a match for her sister.

A nice quickie to see some of the character from the series. Knowing the outcome from book one, getting a quick recap was nice.

[Cordelianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast and enjoyable read!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet, but a nice story with a HEA. 3☆

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yorkshire - 1814

Marcus Worthing, the sixth Earl of Somerville, is staying at the home of Sir Seymour, Baron of Elm Hall, and heir to Cloudbridge Castle. Marcus is out looking for a quiet spot to sit and simply enjoy nature and do some bird watching. The man is a scientist and has written a book on zoology.

But, his respite is disturbed not only by Sir Seymour who is out shooting, but he also spies a young lady running through the forest. Fearing she could get accidentally shot, Marcus chases and stops her. Although she is taken aback by him grabbing her, she is also grateful for his help when he explains why he detained her.

The young lady is Rosamund Amberly and is the niece of Sir Seymour. As it turns out, Rosamund and Marcus remember playing together when they were children.

Rosamund fancies herself a matchmaker. She has a pamphlet entitled “Matchmaking for Wallflowers” and is happy that she has matched up six couples so far and is looking forward to matching up more. Rosamund has decided that Marcus would make an ideal husband for her sister, Fiona. But the hard part will be in getting Fiona interested in even seeing Marcus. Fiona has stated many times that she is not interested in marriage.

Rosamund schemes to plan a play for them to act in hoping to bring Fiona and Marcus together. Neither are interested, but agree to participate.

But Rosamund soon learns that she cannot “dictate” whom one will fall in love with. Will her plans come to naught or will she find a different ending?

A clever little novella that is story number 3 of the Matchmaking for Wallflowers series.

Copy provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Avid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every now and then I forget why I hate novellas, and then I’ll pick up one that sounds intriguing, only to be brutally reminded yet again why I hate them. Literally, if you read the blurb for this book, you get the same info as if you spent time reading he novella itself. There’s no actual character, plot or romance development. It’s apparently a love at first sight novel. Then she worries about how to hook the earl up with her sister while fighting her own attraction to him. Then he proposes. That’s it. There’s no intriguing plot to make the romance a subplot. This is the novel. Full stop. So annoying and unbelievable.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - A really quick read just 60 pages. If you are the mood for a sweet short story this was cute. Too short but held my interest.

Content: Clean
Source: Netgalley

[Shirley Debono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light-hearted Regency Romp

Sisters Fiona and Rosamund have very diverse interests. Fiona has no interest in marriage or London, while Rosamund would like a season to meet and fall in love with a wonderful man. Enter Lord Marcus, a natural scientist who wants to escape the London scene to carry out research.
Rosamund has matched several of her friends to good men, and thinks that if she can make a match for Fiona, she will be free to find her own mate. Rosamund believes that Marcus and her sister would be a perfect match, but fails to consider her own attraction to Marcus!
I think it is hard to develop characters in a short story. Rosamund, Fiona and Marcus are interesting, but the reader does not see enough of the romantic interactions to make the subsequent events more believable. The secondary characters come across as mere caricature instead of amusing.
I certainly enjoy reading about strong women, so I do look forward to discovering Fiona's story.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aug 06, 2020Candy Briggs rated it really liked it
Marcus Worthing, Earl of Summerville, was staying at Sir Seymour's home. His book on Zoology had
been lauded by Oxford's intellectuals. So he took a quiet retreat in Yorkshire. He heard bullets and lots of noise. A woman in grey walked across the ground. Then another woman but in green following the woman in grey. He yelled because bullets were still being fired. he finally caught her. He remembered her from his childhood along with her sister. I thought it was a wonderful novella. I will anxiously be waiting for the next segment. The characters were warm and engaging. It flowed well and was easy to read.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it. (less)

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcus Worthing, Earl of Summerville, was staying at Sir Seymour's home. His book on Zoology had
been lauded by Oxford's intellectuals. So he took a quiet retreat in Yorkshire. He heard bullets and lots of noise. A woman in grey walked across the ground. Then another woman but in green following the woman in grey. He yelled because bullets were still being fired. he finally caught her. He remembered her from his childhood along with her sister. I thought it a wonderful novella. I will anxiously be waiting for the next segment. The characters were warm and engaging. It flowed well and was easy to read.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Deb Diem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Perfect Fiance by Bianca Blythe is an entertaining quick read. This is a perfect choice for those with limited time for reading. Ms Blythe has given us a well-written book. The characters are lovable. Rosamund and Marcus' story is sprinkled with drama and humor. I enjoyed reading The Perfect Fiance and would happily read more from Bianca Blythe in the future. The Perfect Fiance is book 0.5 of the Matchmaking For Wallflowers Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow I didn't realize the length, and so when the book ended I was caught off guard. As I unwittingly approached the end, I had been thinking that the hero and heroine came together quickly and had been wondering what impediments there would be to the relationship as the book continued. The characters were likable, and this was an enjoyable read. I wish it were longer, and I look forward to reading the full length books in the series. This was just way too short.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed reading this short and light-hearted story, in fact I read it twice within six months. Marcus is enjoying a visit to the Yorkshire countryside he'd known as a child. He gets roped into performing in an amateur play, a scheme to bring him and Fiona together. The evening of the performance is the funniest part.

[Crazychriss889 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... I am not really impressed. Guess it was okay. Everything is of course rushed and the characters aren't that well developed. I never felt the connection... Plus the ending was not very satisfactory. You have no clue what will happen to them, how and where they will live, what will happen to the heroine leaving her sis etc...

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy clean and sweet stories and I have read many of Bianca Blythe books. In this one I enjoy the humor of her characters and the simplicity and easy read that takes me away from life and stress. Her hero and heroine in the book need to overcome some misunderstandings and then a sweet romance ends happy

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a sweet, quick read about Rosamund who is determine serve as a matchmaker for her sister, Fiona. But, things get complicated when Rosamund develops feelings for the man she thinks is perfect for her sister.

[Laila Viking · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regency novels how can you not love them :)
The storyline is a often used theme but the novel has still got some special to it.
Fun, witty and you believe in the characters in the way they are described.
Short but worth reading time.

[Debora Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

This book was delightful and funny, charming and unexpected. It took a look at women out of what society said they should do and showed women who showed their own strengths.

[pmatch1104 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this free ebook. I did feel the characters lacked a little development and it felt a little wordy but well written. It is extremely short which might contribute to the lack of character depth. The heroine in the story made me think of Jane Austen's Emma.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was trying to match her sister to the man who loved her

I liked the way the story switched the sisters so they could be together. It worked out right in the end for them all to be happy.

[Dianne Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short entertaining story of Marcus and Rosamund. Rosamund tries to match her sister and Marcus as a couple. Her sister Fiona does not wish to marry. Marcus falls for Rosamund. When he proposes, Rosamund turns him down though she loves him. Can they get together again?

[☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly just read this since it’s a short prequel book to the one I was excited for (Fiona hits some of my favorite tropes). But it was cute and I really enjoyed it, even though I’m generally not a fan of instalove

[Laura Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging Novella

There's just enough story that people will probably read another one in the series. Main characters good,glad Fiona story next.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young woman with a big heart has been successful in her matchmaking machinations. She's doing the perfect candidate to be groom. However, she miscalculates the bride.