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Ladies Most Unlikely #3
The Bounce in the Captain's Boots
When Emma Chance met her best friend's elder brother, she knew instantly that he needed somebody to put the bounce back in his boots.
But it couldn't be her, of course. She wouldn't know where to start.
Against the odds, Emma Chance survived a childhood of cruelty and neglect. She's never had time for fairytales or Prince Charming and, as a young woman with a logical mind, her preference is for tidy facts over messy feelings. But with one glance from his dark eyes, Captain Guy Hathaway causes poor Emma a bundle of the latter and turns her cautious world on its head.
To him she is nothing more than his little sister's shy, awkward friend, and she wouldn't know what to do with herself, in any case, if he ever looked at her as anything more than that.
But there's something about Captain Hathaway...
* * * *
The charismatic captain has a reputation for trouble. Brawls, duels and dangerous women litter his past. With a mischievous sense of humor, a hot temper and a reckless impulse to leap in with both feet, he has always sailed along at a steady clip, determined never to be anchored too long in one place and never risking his heart. But lately he's felt a strange emptiness, a yearning for something he cannot identify. It began a few years ago, about the time he escorted his younger sister and two of her friends to a ball. Did he lose something there, or did he find it?
Until he gets to the bottom of this mystery, he knows he won't be whole again.
In the meantime, while he seeks out the source of this discontent, he can make himself useful, initiate some changes in his life and do a few good deeds for once. Why not? For instance—timid, plain little Miss Chance, his sister's droopy best friend, could surely benefit from a helping hand.
The first time he met her she was a mess of nerves, covered in a red rash and itching as if riddled with fleas. But he can't help feeling there is more to the strange creature than meets the eye.
Yes, indeed, there is something about Emma Chance...
But it couldn't be her, of course. She wouldn't know where to start.
Against the odds, Emma Chance survived a childhood of cruelty and neglect. She's never had time for fairytales or Prince Charming and, as a young woman with a logical mind, her preference is for tidy facts over messy feelings. But with one glance from his dark eyes, Captain Guy Hathaway causes poor Emma a bundle of the latter and turns her cautious world on its head.
To him she is nothing more than his little sister's shy, awkward friend, and she wouldn't know what to do with herself, in any case, if he ever looked at her as anything more than that.
But there's something about Captain Hathaway...
* * * *
The charismatic captain has a reputation for trouble. Brawls, duels and dangerous women litter his past. With a mischievous sense of humor, a hot temper and a reckless impulse to leap in with both feet, he has always sailed along at a steady clip, determined never to be anchored too long in one place and never risking his heart. But lately he's felt a strange emptiness, a yearning for something he cannot identify. It began a few years ago, about the time he escorted his younger sister and two of her friends to a ball. Did he lose something there, or did he find it?
Until he gets to the bottom of this mystery, he knows he won't be whole again.
In the meantime, while he seeks out the source of this discontent, he can make himself useful, initiate some changes in his life and do a few good deeds for once. Why not? For instance—timid, plain little Miss Chance, his sister's droopy best friend, could surely benefit from a helping hand.
The first time he met her she was a mess of nerves, covered in a red rash and itching as if riddled with fleas. But he can't help feeling there is more to the strange creature than meets the eye.
Yes, indeed, there is something about Emma Chance...
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2017
21 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 3, 2021
This put some bounce in my boots too, or perhaps I should say some spring in my sandals. There's a lot that I like about this book. Very little has to do with the sexual attraction between H and h. I could feel real love but I didn't get that lusty, sexual chemistry vibe (not meaning sexual encounters) between the couple here that I usually like in my romances. But then the love between the two becomes so heartwarming that I didn't necessarily miss that sexy vibe all that much. One more thing that keeps this particular romance from being a perfect 5 for me is that I didn't exactly appreciate the other "unlikely" ladies as presented here, much preferring them as they were in their own books.
But then, this story isn't about them. It's all about plain, shy, unassuming, inconspicuous Emma Chance, a very unlikely romance heroine, who turns out to be a very splendid human being. Her lonely, unhappy beginning in life in poverty and lovelessness is rewarded by a happy ending full of love and fulfillment with a captain whose boots she puts the bounce back in.
Fresina cleverly divides this story into stages of Emma's life: Child/Girl/Miss/Woman/Warrior. We watch Emma's growth from a young put-upon charity girl at the Particular Establishment for the Advancement of Respectable Ladies, whose headmistress uses her more as indentured servant than as student at the institution, to full realization as a person. Emma manages to get an education for herself in spite of evil Mrs. Julia Lightbody and is befriended by the other "unlikely" girls and fellow students Georgiana Hathaway and Melinda Goodheart. Emma is not beautiful like Georgiana. She's not gregarious and open like Melinda. But she has the most beautiful heart you could possibly imagine.
And I mustn't forget to speak about the captain whose boots get back their bounce. It's Guy Hathaway, Georgie's brother, who, on the surface, is a happy-go-lucky fellow. But, of course, that's just what he shows to everybody. Only Emma can read beyond his cover to see he's not the happy fellow he purports to be. Is it any wonder he is drawn to her and eventually falls in love? She makes him whole again. I can see him bouncing through life with Emma at his side as this story ends.
This is not a perfect book but I have a weakness for Fresina's clever writing style. She entertains me, satisfies my desire for good writing, and she makes me feel good. This book is worth 5 stars to me just for that reason.
But then, this story isn't about them. It's all about plain, shy, unassuming, inconspicuous Emma Chance, a very unlikely romance heroine, who turns out to be a very splendid human being. Her lonely, unhappy beginning in life in poverty and lovelessness is rewarded by a happy ending full of love and fulfillment with a captain whose boots she puts the bounce back in.
Fresina cleverly divides this story into stages of Emma's life: Child/Girl/Miss/Woman/Warrior. We watch Emma's growth from a young put-upon charity girl at the Particular Establishment for the Advancement of Respectable Ladies, whose headmistress uses her more as indentured servant than as student at the institution, to full realization as a person. Emma manages to get an education for herself in spite of evil Mrs. Julia Lightbody and is befriended by the other "unlikely" girls and fellow students Georgiana Hathaway and Melinda Goodheart. Emma is not beautiful like Georgiana. She's not gregarious and open like Melinda. But she has the most beautiful heart you could possibly imagine.
And I mustn't forget to speak about the captain whose boots get back their bounce. It's Guy Hathaway, Georgie's brother, who, on the surface, is a happy-go-lucky fellow. But, of course, that's just what he shows to everybody. Only Emma can read beyond his cover to see he's not the happy fellow he purports to be. Is it any wonder he is drawn to her and eventually falls in love? She makes him whole again. I can see him bouncing through life with Emma at his side as this story ends.
This is not a perfect book but I have a weakness for Fresina's clever writing style. She entertains me, satisfies my desire for good writing, and she makes me feel good. This book is worth 5 stars to me just for that reason.
January 29, 2018
I admit that I have doubts how Ms. Fresina would manage Emma's story and I was right...
I enjoyed the previous books because of the incredibly unusual heroines, but Emma was always a timid mouse of a girl and, obviously her story is much more sedate one.
I liked it, I cannot deny it, but I didn't loved it.
It's well written and very true to her nature, but I was expecting a small rebellion from her and some glimmer of mischief, something more in line with the other two heroines.
Instead I got a very sweet and almost fairy-tale-ish kind of love story.
I think if I read this book before the other two I would have enjoyed it more.
I enjoyed the previous books because of the incredibly unusual heroines, but Emma was always a timid mouse of a girl and, obviously her story is much more sedate one.
I liked it, I cannot deny it, but I didn't loved it.
It's well written and very true to her nature, but I was expecting a small rebellion from her and some glimmer of mischief, something more in line with the other two heroines.
Instead I got a very sweet and almost fairy-tale-ish kind of love story.
I think if I read this book before the other two I would have enjoyed it more.
September 12, 2025
This was a lovely story about Emma, the foundling who had a horrible childhood till she met the other 'Ladies Most Unlikely', and her slow-moving, beautiful romance with ship's Captain Guy Hathaway. Guy and Emma truly helped each other become themselves and find their places in the world.
There was something charming and uplifting about this book. In spite of horrible things and people in the world, Emma never despaired or lost her integrity. The pace of the story slowly builds as we follow our MCs across a period of years. The last section of the book was quite moving, as secrets were revealed, the romance drew to a head, and Guy and Emma had to deal with their pasts. A very nice read.
There was something charming and uplifting about this book. In spite of horrible things and people in the world, Emma never despaired or lost her integrity. The pace of the story slowly builds as we follow our MCs across a period of years. The last section of the book was quite moving, as secrets were revealed, the romance drew to a head, and Guy and Emma had to deal with their pasts. A very nice read.
September 18, 2018
Jayne Fresina has a gift for writing unique and deeply emotional turns of phrase that stay with you long after you've finished one of her wonderful books. I read The Bounce in the Captain's Boots some time ago, but lines of dialogue still resonate—specifically those spoken in a certain scene toward the end.
The heroine, Emma Chance, has experienced a life of cruelty and neglect. One night, when she is only a girl, she encounters the charismatic Captain Hathaway during “a London Particular” (i.e. a very heavy fog). Many years later, the pair finally earn their happily ever after. On their wedding night, Captain Hathaway asks Emma when she fell in love with him.
"I did not," came the drowsy reply.
His heart stopped for a beat. How strange it was that this small, quiet creature should be capable of conducting swift and merciless changes in the rhythm of his pulse.
But then she raised her head and he saw that she was smiling. "I did not have to fall, because I was always there in love with you. I think I was born that way."
"Really?"
She nodded and rested her chin on his chest. "I was simply waiting for you in the fog. And finally you came."
Every time I read this exchange, I get tears in my eyes. It's just so poignant and so beautiful. I read it again yesterday—and teared up again—and wondered why the heck I’d never shared my feelings about this wonderful historical romance. I’m not the most prolific reviewer, nor the best at articulating my feelings about stories I enjoy, but this book deserves five stars and more. I loved every bit of it.
January 19, 2021
3.5/5. Emma endured an abusive childhood, raised behind the cloistered doors of a boarding school for girls and repeatedly reminded by the cruel headmistress that she was a charitable case and hence must slave to pay for her board and education.
Never having ventured beyond the wall that enclosed the back yard and the water pump, she had begun to shrink further into the dimly lit passages she knew so well, taking her comfort from the familiar. After all, a creature that must live in the dark soon adapts its senses to survive, until, eventually, living in the sun would cause it pain.
Her only joy was when she was in the company of her two close friends - both trouble-makers while she was the brain and sensible voice trying her best to keep them in check. While the other two thrived in the light, she was content to be in the background. Even when after her tormentor had been sacked from the school and Emma is now earning her keep there as a teacher, she remains only a shadowy, barely visible presence.
Through all her years in the dark, the encouraging voice of a young man to her years earlier sustained her and kept her moving forward. He was the first person to see her person and her worth. He turns out to be her best friend's brother and the opportunity to spend a few days with him while attending a house party is too overwhelming for the sheltered Emma, who had until now never even left the boundaries of the school.
This strange, plain-looking young woman fascinated Guy Hathaway from day one. She computes complex numbers and spews random scientific facts instead of talking about bonnets and ribbons. She dresses in unflattering outfits and is completely ignorant in the art of flirting and yet, he cannot keep his eyes off her.
He saw her all along. To him she was never a spirit, a ghost but flesh and blood - and flesh.
But she is all wrong for him.
She is a gentle soul who would try to mend you."
"Am I too late for mending?"
"No. You're not ready for it. Some men never are."
"You make me sound quite hopeless, madam."
She looked at him wearily and shook her head. "You are only seven and twenty. There is a reason why dough is left to rise before it can be made into bread. There is also a reason why a firm hand is necessary to knead that dough. I daresay you have the potential to be a decent loaf. One day. At present you should be left under an oiled cheesecloth in a warm place, free of drafts.
And so this was a slow -burn or rather slow-rising sort of love story. The dough did take several years to rise adequately to the occasion. I liked that part and that both protagonists were able to 'see' the other and see through the other, in a way no other person had done before. Of course, I also liked Fresina's humorous style of story-telling. What annoyed me in the beginning was Emma's preachy way of compulsively regurgitating facts and figures in company. I get that she's shy and timid, but then shouldn't she just keep quiet. Being nerdy and knowledgeable does not mean you have to shove your knowledge down people's throats. I thought initially, aha, here's another heroine with Asperger's but she's not, because the social awkwardness was just due to her traumatic childhood and not part of a neurodivergent nature and she certainly did not display any other features of ASD. Her so-called friends were also quite condescending and teasing to the point of mocking. Why did they never see fit to help her, while he did?
Guy made for a lovely hero, instinctively aware of her needs from the start and solicitous and caring despite his rakish reputation. It's sweet how his attention was captured from the first moment even though he himself could not explain the pull. Emma had heightened awareness for Guy too. She saw him, saw through his cheerful smiles and jovial facade to the man within.
"You only pretend to leave your pages open, Captain, but what you show to the world is a painted scene and that polite smile. Your true story you guard as well as I do my own."
Emma stayed grey and meek and dull for far too long. She didn't start to blossom and grow in confidence until the halfway mark. There really too few interactions between the two for my liking. By 70%, I think they had conversed about 4 possibly 5 times . The romance was sweet when we were exposed to it, but I wanted more. Most of the plot took place with them apart and dealt with events not even related to their romance. For that, I have rounded down.
Never having ventured beyond the wall that enclosed the back yard and the water pump, she had begun to shrink further into the dimly lit passages she knew so well, taking her comfort from the familiar. After all, a creature that must live in the dark soon adapts its senses to survive, until, eventually, living in the sun would cause it pain.
Her only joy was when she was in the company of her two close friends - both trouble-makers while she was the brain and sensible voice trying her best to keep them in check. While the other two thrived in the light, she was content to be in the background. Even when after her tormentor had been sacked from the school and Emma is now earning her keep there as a teacher, she remains only a shadowy, barely visible presence.
Through all her years in the dark, the encouraging voice of a young man to her years earlier sustained her and kept her moving forward. He was the first person to see her person and her worth. He turns out to be her best friend's brother and the opportunity to spend a few days with him while attending a house party is too overwhelming for the sheltered Emma, who had until now never even left the boundaries of the school.
This strange, plain-looking young woman fascinated Guy Hathaway from day one. She computes complex numbers and spews random scientific facts instead of talking about bonnets and ribbons. She dresses in unflattering outfits and is completely ignorant in the art of flirting and yet, he cannot keep his eyes off her.
He saw her all along. To him she was never a spirit, a ghost but flesh and blood - and flesh.
But she is all wrong for him.
She is a gentle soul who would try to mend you."
"Am I too late for mending?"
"No. You're not ready for it. Some men never are."
"You make me sound quite hopeless, madam."
She looked at him wearily and shook her head. "You are only seven and twenty. There is a reason why dough is left to rise before it can be made into bread. There is also a reason why a firm hand is necessary to knead that dough. I daresay you have the potential to be a decent loaf. One day. At present you should be left under an oiled cheesecloth in a warm place, free of drafts.
And so this was a slow -burn or rather slow-rising sort of love story. The dough did take several years to rise adequately to the occasion. I liked that part and that both protagonists were able to 'see' the other and see through the other, in a way no other person had done before. Of course, I also liked Fresina's humorous style of story-telling. What annoyed me in the beginning was Emma's preachy way of compulsively regurgitating facts and figures in company. I get that she's shy and timid, but then shouldn't she just keep quiet. Being nerdy and knowledgeable does not mean you have to shove your knowledge down people's throats. I thought initially, aha, here's another heroine with Asperger's but she's not, because the social awkwardness was just due to her traumatic childhood and not part of a neurodivergent nature and she certainly did not display any other features of ASD. Her so-called friends were also quite condescending and teasing to the point of mocking. Why did they never see fit to help her, while he did?
Guy made for a lovely hero, instinctively aware of her needs from the start and solicitous and caring despite his rakish reputation. It's sweet how his attention was captured from the first moment even though he himself could not explain the pull. Emma had heightened awareness for Guy too. She saw him, saw through his cheerful smiles and jovial facade to the man within.
"You only pretend to leave your pages open, Captain, but what you show to the world is a painted scene and that polite smile. Your true story you guard as well as I do my own."
Emma stayed grey and meek and dull for far too long. She didn't start to blossom and grow in confidence until the halfway mark. There really too few interactions between the two for my liking. By 70%, I think they had conversed about 4 possibly 5 times . The romance was sweet when we were exposed to it, but I wanted more. Most of the plot took place with them apart and dealt with events not even related to their romance. For that, I have rounded down.
March 31, 2018
In the beginning, Guy is a rather passionate yet feckless young man attracted to women who are sure to do him wrong. He is the son of a newspaper magnate who is eternally disappointed in him for joining the Navy.
Emma's prologue reads like the start of a Dickens book or even Jane Eyre. She was given to an evil woman (JL) who runs a school for young ladies. Of course JL uses her as cheap labour rather than treating her as a student. Both her sorrowfully unloved upbringing and her sharp intelligence create a young woman who is quiet and observant but socially awkward.
This changes when she becomes fast friends at 15 with two new precocious students and they call themselves the 'Ladies Most Unlikely'. 'Unlikely', because they don't intend to marry and follow the usual humdrum expectations of women of that era (very early 1800's)
Emma and Guy meet yet don't meet for the first time when she is only a girl and he is sad because his mother has just passed away.
They don't meet again till she is 18 and it turns out he is the brother of one of her best friends. All things that could go wrong do, and yet they both cannot forget the other till they meet again 2 years later.
The story is unpredictable and yet so endearing. There are suggestions of strife to come, yet the author always chooses to not follow the expected formula (thank goodness!).
Guy and Emma seem to be surrounded by people who love them yet seem to do their damndest to keep them apart. Sometimes this was so frustrating!!! But never for too long.
Both characters grow and as they grow so does their affection for each other until they are like two peas in a pod.
Absolutely loved this book!!! There is even a wonderful epilogue.
(and yet I am in no way tempted to read the stories of her friends... hmmm)
Safety is good
Emma's prologue reads like the start of a Dickens book or even Jane Eyre. She was given to an evil woman (JL) who runs a school for young ladies. Of course JL uses her as cheap labour rather than treating her as a student. Both her sorrowfully unloved upbringing and her sharp intelligence create a young woman who is quiet and observant but socially awkward.
This changes when she becomes fast friends at 15 with two new precocious students and they call themselves the 'Ladies Most Unlikely'. 'Unlikely', because they don't intend to marry and follow the usual humdrum expectations of women of that era (very early 1800's)
Emma and Guy meet yet don't meet for the first time when she is only a girl and he is sad because his mother has just passed away.
They don't meet again till she is 18 and it turns out he is the brother of one of her best friends. All things that could go wrong do, and yet they both cannot forget the other till they meet again 2 years later.
The story is unpredictable and yet so endearing. There are suggestions of strife to come, yet the author always chooses to not follow the expected formula (thank goodness!).
Guy and Emma seem to be surrounded by people who love them yet seem to do their damndest to keep them apart. Sometimes this was so frustrating!!! But never for too long.
Both characters grow and as they grow so does their affection for each other until they are like two peas in a pod.
Absolutely loved this book!!! There is even a wonderful epilogue.
(and yet I am in no way tempted to read the stories of her friends... hmmm)
Safety is good
March 16, 2021
Another quirky, likeable offering by Ms Fresina. Without the same outright humorous tone the writing didn’t engage me quite as much this time round, plus I found a couple of aspects unconvincing.
Still, a sweet tale worth reading, with a lovely twist in the epilogue.
Still, a sweet tale worth reading, with a lovely twist in the epilogue.
October 18, 2019
"You are about the be properly introduced to the strange, unlikely heroine of this story.
It is not unusual, I know, for the reader to be warned in advance, but I fear you might miss her entirely if not sufficiently alerted. Your fancy could be taken with one of the lovely, rosy-cheeked, shining-eyes girls gathered in a knot upon the third-floor landing of this tall, narrow house on the end of a row, and you could be lured in by their tale instead."
What a fabulous way to grab the reader's attention right from the start! It's not my first time reading Jayne Fresina (but it's been a while) and I always thought that she have a unique way to tell a story. This one remind me of a Cendrillon retelling (but with the headmistress as the villain) in a Austen's universe. Her heroine, Emma Chance, an orphan who was treated as an outcast and spend the first part of her life at the Particular Establishment for the Advancement of Respectable Ladies, being the headmistress' scapegoat. The arrival of a new girl who became her friend improved Emma's life and meeting the friend's brother and becoming the governess for her other's siblings changed her existence.
The first time Emma met Guy Hathaway, they talked through a wall and didn't see each other. But what he said mattered and had an impact on her. But it's only a few years later that they'll meet again. Guy is far from an impressionable man, but Emma is like no other person he met before and arouse his curiosity.
I like how real this book felt. Like for example not everyone is too pretty and some characters come to be both annoying and lovable at the same time. I like how the author write the natural evolution of her heroine. When we met Emma, she's shy, for she doesn't know a lot about the world, not having experience much. But the more we know of her and the time pass, and the more we see she have an inner-strength and she gain confidence. Captain Guy Hathaway is a good guy 😉 and one of the coolest trait about him is how he use sarcasm like a weapon.
"Ah, to see inside your head, Captain."
"Mine, young lady, is an open book, simply written, badly misspelled and poorly illustrated."
For me, The Bounce in the Captain's Boots was a book that you don't hurry to read but take the time to savor all the different taste.
It is not unusual, I know, for the reader to be warned in advance, but I fear you might miss her entirely if not sufficiently alerted. Your fancy could be taken with one of the lovely, rosy-cheeked, shining-eyes girls gathered in a knot upon the third-floor landing of this tall, narrow house on the end of a row, and you could be lured in by their tale instead."
What a fabulous way to grab the reader's attention right from the start! It's not my first time reading Jayne Fresina (but it's been a while) and I always thought that she have a unique way to tell a story. This one remind me of a Cendrillon retelling (but with the headmistress as the villain) in a Austen's universe. Her heroine, Emma Chance, an orphan who was treated as an outcast and spend the first part of her life at the Particular Establishment for the Advancement of Respectable Ladies, being the headmistress' scapegoat. The arrival of a new girl who became her friend improved Emma's life and meeting the friend's brother and becoming the governess for her other's siblings changed her existence.
The first time Emma met Guy Hathaway, they talked through a wall and didn't see each other. But what he said mattered and had an impact on her. But it's only a few years later that they'll meet again. Guy is far from an impressionable man, but Emma is like no other person he met before and arouse his curiosity.
I like how real this book felt. Like for example not everyone is too pretty and some characters come to be both annoying and lovable at the same time. I like how the author write the natural evolution of her heroine. When we met Emma, she's shy, for she doesn't know a lot about the world, not having experience much. But the more we know of her and the time pass, and the more we see she have an inner-strength and she gain confidence. Captain Guy Hathaway is a good guy 😉 and one of the coolest trait about him is how he use sarcasm like a weapon.
"Ah, to see inside your head, Captain."
"Mine, young lady, is an open book, simply written, badly misspelled and poorly illustrated."
For me, The Bounce in the Captain's Boots was a book that you don't hurry to read but take the time to savor all the different taste.
Read
March 3, 2020Not sure what Goodreads did: I checked the page by never reviewed or rated that book.
May 26, 2019
“If you stand out here any longer, rhapsodizing about the moon, Hathaway, I shall buy you a big, frilly silk shirt, punch you in the face and send you to Italy.”
So far, so good
This is an angst-free, clean, mild and sweet read. I love me a traumatized and plain heroine, but that wasn’t a feature in the story really.
So far, so good
This is an angst-free, clean, mild and sweet read. I love me a traumatized and plain heroine, but that wasn’t a feature in the story really.
January 11, 2021
Wonderful story, beautifully written. Unlike many of the romance novels that I have read, there is actually a very good story here, without artificial misunderstandings, abductions, hero's or heroines suddenly leaving. Loved it. For a good review, see the first review of this novel by OLT.
April 5, 2025
Who is this about?
Guy is a captain and he used to be a huge scoundrel - gasp, he was even married once after a long, drunken night. Anyways, that was annulled. Ofc, Guy has changed. Georgiana‘s brother is finally ready to settle down.
But who is his chosen bride?
A Governess who used to be a mere slave to a disgusting woman. Thank god, she found Lady B and her two besties (who hardly play a role in this one) who helped her out of that dastardly place.
What now?
Well, Guy needs Lady B‘s approval and his lady? Well, her past does catch up to her again.
What did I like?
- the ending
- the writing style
- the years that pass and the time it takes for them to get married
I didn‘t like:
- that Guy was drunk when he proposed to her. Bad choice. Would have shown that he hasn‘t changed at all
Guy is a captain and he used to be a huge scoundrel - gasp, he was even married once after a long, drunken night. Anyways, that was annulled. Ofc, Guy has changed. Georgiana‘s brother is finally ready to settle down.
But who is his chosen bride?
A Governess who used to be a mere slave to a disgusting woman. Thank god, she found Lady B and her two besties (who hardly play a role in this one) who helped her out of that dastardly place.
What now?
Well, Guy needs Lady B‘s approval and his lady? Well, her past does catch up to her again.
What did I like?
- the ending
- the writing style
- the years that pass and the time it takes for them to get married
I didn‘t like:
- that Guy was drunk when he proposed to her. Bad choice. Would have shown that he hasn‘t changed at all
July 11, 2021
The Bounce in the Captain's Boots by Jayne Fresina is that rarity among Regency romances—one that does not deal exclusively with Mayfair ballrooms, titled men, and rampant explicit sex. I enjoy those but sometimes I yearn for something a little more true to life, and with some depth. The Bounce in the Captain's Boots combines two popular tropes: the persecuted heroine and the heedless rake who is nevertheless not as bad as he is painted. The characters develop believably over the course of the story, as they inch their way into change. This is the third in Ms. Fresina’s Ladies Most Unlikely series. I’ll be getting the first two as soon as I finish typing this.
January 11, 2021
What a refreshing change. The heroine slowly and realistically develops from a plain and shy —actually shrinking— girl into a woman who learns to appreciate herself and her strengths and become visible to the world. The hero is a lovely young man who appears to follow the rakish mold so often found in these books but who instead finds a different path via hearing rather seeing. Fressina breaks the book into stages and breaks the 4th wall a bit to add some intrigue into the telling. A lovely romance Written with wonderfully lighthearted humor and insight.
September 29, 2017
I love, love, love Jayne Fresina's books! I can always count on her for a delightful read full of engrossing, humorous, and sweetly unusual characters. The Bounce in the Captain's Boots is no exception. Her Twisted E published books are perfect for any romance reader and don't contain explicit love scenes.
August 28, 2018
An excessive amount time leaps made this my least favorite of the series. Including a point where the story time . Also, Guy is away A LOT on his ship and I just don't get how their relationship developed very well.
September 30, 2018
Every bit as good as the other 5-star reviews say
What an enthralling story! Jayne Fresina does it again. I've read her other books but this is my first book in this particular series so needless to say, it can stand alone. I do plan to read the first two eventually but this one will hold a special place in my heart because of the unique characters of the H and h. Loved it!
What an enthralling story! Jayne Fresina does it again. I've read her other books but this is my first book in this particular series so needless to say, it can stand alone. I do plan to read the first two eventually but this one will hold a special place in my heart because of the unique characters of the H and h. Loved it!
February 12, 2021
I struggled with this last book in the series. I didn't feel the connection between the H/h.
Sweet compelling story but something was lacking for me. I'm glad I read it but it would not be a reread.
Sweet compelling story but something was lacking for me. I'm glad I read it but it would not be a reread.
October 2, 2017
Excellent as always. Great H/h, well written, funny, just thoroughly enjoyable.
October 6, 2017
Well heck
I am teary writing this. A good read. Best of the series and on keeper shelf. Just a sweet love story.
I am teary writing this. A good read. Best of the series and on keeper shelf. Just a sweet love story.
January 11, 2018
Once again, Jayne Fresina writes the perfect novel about ordinary people who turn out to be extraordinary. And their slow love story is sweet and kind and strong, just like Emma herself.
August 8, 2021
Very well written. I like that there were no spoilers on the previous books. Hate that cover though.
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