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Effingtons #6
Love With the Proper Husband
Distressed over the current widespread disinterest in matrimony among their eminently marriageable offspring, the formidable matriarchs of the ton have taken matters into their own meddling hands with the formation of The Ladies' Society for the Betterment of the Future of Britain. Their first challenge: the Earl of Pennington.
Miss Gwendolyn Townsend has seen her late father's estate go to a distant cousin she can't abide ... leaving her well-educated, able to make a perfect curtsy -- and penniless. So imagine her shock when it's discovered that a match had been arranged between herself and Marcus Holcroft, the Earl of Pennington -- one of the most eligible members of London society. Marcus constantly leaves her breathless and confused ... and though she's hesitant to marry a man she's just met, in the end she has no choice. But she makes some conditions first ...
Marcus cannot believe that the bride who has been foisted upon him is insisting on rules to their wedding ... and bedding! He's a man who has never had to tempt any woman into his arms. But even more surprising is that Gwendolyn is clearly hiding something -- and it shocks him to think that their exquisite kisses -- followed by his lessons in passionate lovemaking -- wouldn't be enough to make his wife tell him her every secret. After all, he's promised to be a proper husband -- isn’t it fair to also expect a proper wife?
Miss Gwendolyn Townsend has seen her late father's estate go to a distant cousin she can't abide ... leaving her well-educated, able to make a perfect curtsy -- and penniless. So imagine her shock when it's discovered that a match had been arranged between herself and Marcus Holcroft, the Earl of Pennington -- one of the most eligible members of London society. Marcus constantly leaves her breathless and confused ... and though she's hesitant to marry a man she's just met, in the end she has no choice. But she makes some conditions first ...
Marcus cannot believe that the bride who has been foisted upon him is insisting on rules to their wedding ... and bedding! He's a man who has never had to tempt any woman into his arms. But even more surprising is that Gwendolyn is clearly hiding something -- and it shocks him to think that their exquisite kisses -- followed by his lessons in passionate lovemaking -- wouldn't be enough to make his wife tell him her every secret. After all, he's promised to be a proper husband -- isn’t it fair to also expect a proper wife?
358 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
56 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Alexander
64 books1,324 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!
Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.
They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
April 20, 2021
England 1820. This story had too many coincidences.
Marcus (non-rake, non-nerd), an earl, & Gwen, dtr of a
viscount, were fated to be together, per their late fathers
(true?). Gwen tended toward assumptions+ impulses +
distrust. She needed to learn how to weigh a decision.
Marcus had never fallen in love. Gwen learned her 3 nieces
were orphaned, but thought Marcus only wanted sons.
The lust and love came too quickly for these 2. Marcus was
a 'keeper' but Gwen needed to grow up,& just chill at times
& avoid leaping to conclusions.
Revised 04/21.
Marcus (non-rake, non-nerd), an earl, & Gwen, dtr of a
viscount, were fated to be together, per their late fathers
(true?). Gwen tended toward assumptions+ impulses +
distrust. She needed to learn how to weigh a decision.
Marcus had never fallen in love. Gwen learned her 3 nieces
were orphaned, but thought Marcus only wanted sons.
The lust and love came too quickly for these 2. Marcus was
a 'keeper' but Gwen needed to grow up,& just chill at times
& avoid leaping to conclusions.
Revised 04/21.
March 10, 2019
3,5 stars.
It was a nice story with good secundairy characters.
It was a nice story with good secundairy characters.
October 4, 2021
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : De ideale echtgenoot - Candlelight Historische roman 482 .
Hè hè .. Victoria A. begint eindelijk een beetje op stoom te komen met dit 6e deel in de serie ( alhoewel de connectie met de Effington familie maar minimaal is ) .
Het begin van het verhaal vond ik qua geloofwaardigheid niet erg goed maar wanneer je de rest van het verhaal leest besef je waarom het nodig was . Het verklaart de houding en gedrag van Gwendolyn . Marcus was een verademing , nu eens een x geen vrouwenverslinder die er maar op los leeft maar een man die zijn verantwoordelijkheden serieus neemt ( zonder meteen een monnik te zijn 😉 )
De lichte humor maakte dit verhaal zeer plezierig om te lezen .
Hè hè .. Victoria A. begint eindelijk een beetje op stoom te komen met dit 6e deel in de serie ( alhoewel de connectie met de Effington familie maar minimaal is ) .
Het begin van het verhaal vond ik qua geloofwaardigheid niet erg goed maar wanneer je de rest van het verhaal leest besef je waarom het nodig was . Het verklaart de houding en gedrag van Gwendolyn . Marcus was een verademing , nu eens een x geen vrouwenverslinder die er maar op los leeft maar een man die zijn verantwoordelijkheden serieus neemt ( zonder meteen een monnik te zijn 😉 )
De lichte humor maakte dit verhaal zeer plezierig om te lezen .
January 31, 2013
I'd say this is a 3.5 (I'd also like to say that I loathe goodreads' inability to have us give half stars.)
Anywho- I've read a fair amount of Victoria Alexander and I like her. I don't love her with the burning passion I have for JQ but she's generally consistent so that when I need a romance fix, I can pick her up and be content with the result.
This feeling remained status quo for this novel. The beginning of the novel scared me a bit because Gwendolyn Townsend was a rather stubborn creature with an independent streak as wide as the Grand Canyon. She also came off as mercenary when after years working as a governess in America, she goes back home to find out she stands to inherit some money. And even more if she marries an Earl!
The Earl of Pennington, Marcus, found out this news shortly after Gwen did and reacted in much the same manner- with a sense of trepidation and inevitable dread. A sentimental streak quite as wide as Gwen's independence streak, Marcus was always determined to marry for love and he felt that chance evaporate with his fortune at stake.
I'm a fan of arranged marriage plot lines and this one turned out quite well. I found Marcus to be incredibly likable and he balanced Gwen's pessimism so that I could tolerate her too. Alexander also add a lovely subplot that bolstered the story up until the end; 2 chapters from the epilogue Alexander includes an unexpected conflict that sends Gwen running for the hills which very much angered me. Clearly, my sentimental streak matched Marcus's and I did not care for Gwen's behavior in this last chapter. However, Alexander provided a decent ending and I was able to put the book down feeling ok.
Anywho- I've read a fair amount of Victoria Alexander and I like her. I don't love her with the burning passion I have for JQ but she's generally consistent so that when I need a romance fix, I can pick her up and be content with the result.
This feeling remained status quo for this novel. The beginning of the novel scared me a bit because Gwendolyn Townsend was a rather stubborn creature with an independent streak as wide as the Grand Canyon. She also came off as mercenary when after years working as a governess in America, she goes back home to find out she stands to inherit some money. And even more if she marries an Earl!
The Earl of Pennington, Marcus, found out this news shortly after Gwen did and reacted in much the same manner- with a sense of trepidation and inevitable dread. A sentimental streak quite as wide as Gwen's independence streak, Marcus was always determined to marry for love and he felt that chance evaporate with his fortune at stake.
I'm a fan of arranged marriage plot lines and this one turned out quite well. I found Marcus to be incredibly likable and he balanced Gwen's pessimism so that I could tolerate her too. Alexander also add a lovely subplot that bolstered the story up until the end; 2 chapters from the epilogue Alexander includes an unexpected conflict that sends Gwen running for the hills which very much angered me. Clearly, my sentimental streak matched Marcus's and I did not care for Gwen's behavior in this last chapter. However, Alexander provided a decent ending and I was able to put the book down feeling ok.
July 16, 2017
Leído en Noviembre de 2009
Una lectura entretenida. Para pasar el rato!!
Una lectura entretenida. Para pasar el rato!!
June 23, 2011
The only reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5 out of 5 is because the ending wasn't what I wanted! LOL However I really loved how the Mothers decided in the beginning to 'help' their children along to getting married, and I absolutely ADORED how Lady Pennington got her son to marry. VERY clever and I didn't see it for what it was until she admitted it. I really enjoyed how open Marcus was an how he didn't fight tooth an nail his feelings like most male romance characters do. Instead Gwen was the one to fight it and I enjoyed watching her fall! Great read! (Also for those who like to read books in order it is listed as Effington #6 however I've never read any others in the series and wasn't confused or thought I was missing anything. So definitely could be a stand alone book.)
December 22, 2022
Amazing series
I love the authors from the80s, 90s, and early 2000s. To be blunt they were not so worried about being whatever the newest politically correct was and instead wrote more realistically.
This one isn't one of the most realistic even though this author has several that are. It is a very enjoyable lighter read though and it is a series that will get you hooked because this author knows how to write. I would recommend to read this one when one wants to read a lighter novel without so much drama by an author that writes so well you enjoy anything they write.
I love the authors from the80s, 90s, and early 2000s. To be blunt they were not so worried about being whatever the newest politically correct was and instead wrote more realistically.
This one isn't one of the most realistic even though this author has several that are. It is a very enjoyable lighter read though and it is a series that will get you hooked because this author knows how to write. I would recommend to read this one when one wants to read a lighter novel without so much drama by an author that writes so well you enjoy anything they write.
July 10, 2017
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Six books into Victoria Alexander’s Effington Family & Friends series, I can say that I’ve found some enjoyment in each of the books so far, but I’ve also found weaknesses that have kept all but one of the books from receiving keeper status from me. Love with the Proper Husband is one of the better books in that I really liked the hero, generally liked the heroine, except for one unwise decision she makes, and found their love to be sweet and heartfelt, if a little quick in coming about. However, on the downside, the plot certainly could have been stronger, especially in the details, and some of Ms. Alexander’s writing quirks that can be a bit annoying were also present in this story. That said, though, I did mostly enjoy the book, in part, because I could feel a connection between the hero and heroine. So while it was far from perfect, when compared to the other books in the series, I felt that a four-star rating made sense, because I liked it about as well as the one other book I gave four stars to, and slightly better than the ones I gave 3.5 stars to.
Love with the Proper Husband begins with a group of aristocratic mamas meeting to discuss their children’s seeming disinterest in marrying, particularly their male children, who need to find wives to carry on the family lines. They agree to work together to change this state of affairs, even if they have to meddle in their children’s lives to do it. Our hero’s mother is among them, so we know that when both he and the heroine receive unexpected news that their fathers had arranged years ago for them to be married if the hero hadn’t chosen a bride by his thirtieth birthday, it’s obvious that his mama somehow had a hand in this revelation. However the hero and heroine are both oblivious to this fact until the end of the story, and we don’t know exactly how she pulled it off until then either.
Gwendolyn has been out of the country for a few years. The only family she had left was her father, but he died when she was sixteen and since he had no male heirs, a very distant cousin took over the title and the estate that she’d called home all her life. She was bitter that as a woman she couldn’t inherit, and her father’s solicitor told her she was basically left penniless, so she decided to simply run away from her problem, a tact that she’s continued to use for most of her adult life. She managed to find a position as a governess in America, but she’s not particularly fond of children and wasn’t very good at it. Not to mention, some of her charges’ fathers made unwanted advances toward her, so in four short years, she’s held several different positions. When Gwen receives word from her father’s solicitor, she returns to England immediately to find, much to her surprise, that a mistake was made and that her father did indeed make provisions for her. She has a house and a modest income on which she could live for the rest of her life, and if she’s willing to marry a man she’s never met, she will come into a fortune. After watching her mother die trying to give her father the desired heir and having married men pawing at her, Gwen has little use for the institution of marriage, so simply taking the house and the income sounds good to her, until she also discovers that she’s been placed in charge of her three nieces who’ve just lost their parents. After meeting the girls she can’t leave them with her distant cousin who clearly doesn’t want them around. She knows what it feels like to be unwanted as a female, so she’s compelled to give them a loving home. Unfortunately, the modest income won’t be enough to support four people, so she reluctantly agrees to the marriage.
Overall, I liked Gwen and felt like I understood her most of the time. The men in her life failed her by not valuing her for no other reason than because she’s female, so it made sense that she would have trouble trusting Marcus at first. She takes quite a while before revealing the existence of the girls to him, but I understood that it was out of fear that he wouldn’t accept them or would make them feel “less than.” I did like that she gradually comes around, though, and that she recognizes that Marcus is indeed a good man. I also like that while Gwen was a little trepidatious on their wedding night and things started out pretty humorously that she warmed up to her new husband very quickly and that she was always welcoming of his love-making, especially when she found out how enjoyable it could be. However, she’s extremely reluctant to say that she’s fallen in love with him. Again, though, she slowly comes around. So the only thing about her that gave me pause is when she decided to run away again when problems arise near the end of the book. When characters have issues like this, I like to see them change and grow throughout the story, so when she reverted back to her old MO, I found myself a little disappointed in her.
I really loved Marcus. He’s been hurt in the past by a couple of women who broke off their relationship with him when they became involved with someone else, so he hasn’t been particularly eager to give his heart to someone again. Not to mention, he’s always been something of a romantic, who thought he would marry for love. However, when he receives the news that he must either marry Gwen by his thirtieth birthday, which is mere months away, or forfeit his fortune, he tries to put things in perspective. If it were just himself, he didn’t really care if he lost his money, but since he has his mother and his tenants to look after, he figures he’d better do as he’s been told. After meeting Gwen, he knows he could do a lot worse, so even though the lady is reluctant, Marcus vows to persuade her before the deadline. He’s just surprised when she’s the one who comes back to him. He eventually begins to wonder why that is but doesn’t think too much of it until his best friend spots her entering the dowager house on his estate with another man. Then the lovers who jilted him come back to haunt him a little as he wonders if she’s stepping out on him. Luckily his reservations don’t last long, though. Generally speaking, Marcus is a very trusting and understanding man who gives Gwen a great deal of latitude with her independence. He’s also the first to say, “I love you” and is quite patient while waiting for her to return his affection. Overall, he was pretty much the perfect man, so I had absolutely no issues with him at all.
Since I loved the hero and mostly liked the heroine, the main reason I knocked off a star is for the plotting and the writing. The plot of the story is on the weak side. For as long as the book is, I felt like there wasn’t enough actual story to fill the pages. It probably could have been pared down quite a bit and still hit all the major plot points, and that’s because there’s a lot of filler dialogue that doesn’t really advance the plot like it should. Although I could definitely feel the love connection between Marcus and Gwen, it comes about with little thought or fanfare. They just happen to be quite well-suited and don’t encounter a whole lot of problems in this area, which is OK, albeit a bit bland. The sexual tension is well done, though, as are the couple of love scenes. However, the other thing that really drove me to distraction was the author’s extreme overuse of the phrase, “blew a long breath” or some derivative thereof to indicate someone sighing. Also she has a penchant for having the characters ask two word rhetorical questions such as, “Am I?,” “Did I?,” “Are you?,” etc. I think they were meant to be cute, but they just about drove me batty. I could have played a drinking game with these phrases and gotten quite foxed.;-)
Overall, since the characters were pretty likable and I could feel the romantic connection between the hero and heroine, I generally liked Love with the Proper Husband. It may not have been perfect, but I’ve read far worse. I liked Gwen’s nieces who each had their own age-appropriate personalities, as well as her two good friends Madames Freneau and de Chabot, who are like older sisters, offering her unconditional love, support and sage advice. Marcus's best friend, Reggie, came off in a much better light in this story than he did in one of the previous books of the series in which he appeared. He’ll become the hero of book #8, The Pursuit of Marriage. While some things could have been better, I liked the book overall and will probably continue with the series for now.
Six books into Victoria Alexander’s Effington Family & Friends series, I can say that I’ve found some enjoyment in each of the books so far, but I’ve also found weaknesses that have kept all but one of the books from receiving keeper status from me. Love with the Proper Husband is one of the better books in that I really liked the hero, generally liked the heroine, except for one unwise decision she makes, and found their love to be sweet and heartfelt, if a little quick in coming about. However, on the downside, the plot certainly could have been stronger, especially in the details, and some of Ms. Alexander’s writing quirks that can be a bit annoying were also present in this story. That said, though, I did mostly enjoy the book, in part, because I could feel a connection between the hero and heroine. So while it was far from perfect, when compared to the other books in the series, I felt that a four-star rating made sense, because I liked it about as well as the one other book I gave four stars to, and slightly better than the ones I gave 3.5 stars to.
Love with the Proper Husband begins with a group of aristocratic mamas meeting to discuss their children’s seeming disinterest in marrying, particularly their male children, who need to find wives to carry on the family lines. They agree to work together to change this state of affairs, even if they have to meddle in their children’s lives to do it. Our hero’s mother is among them, so we know that when both he and the heroine receive unexpected news that their fathers had arranged years ago for them to be married if the hero hadn’t chosen a bride by his thirtieth birthday, it’s obvious that his mama somehow had a hand in this revelation. However the hero and heroine are both oblivious to this fact until the end of the story, and we don’t know exactly how she pulled it off until then either.
Gwendolyn has been out of the country for a few years. The only family she had left was her father, but he died when she was sixteen and since he had no male heirs, a very distant cousin took over the title and the estate that she’d called home all her life. She was bitter that as a woman she couldn’t inherit, and her father’s solicitor told her she was basically left penniless, so she decided to simply run away from her problem, a tact that she’s continued to use for most of her adult life. She managed to find a position as a governess in America, but she’s not particularly fond of children and wasn’t very good at it. Not to mention, some of her charges’ fathers made unwanted advances toward her, so in four short years, she’s held several different positions. When Gwen receives word from her father’s solicitor, she returns to England immediately to find, much to her surprise, that a mistake was made and that her father did indeed make provisions for her. She has a house and a modest income on which she could live for the rest of her life, and if she’s willing to marry a man she’s never met, she will come into a fortune. After watching her mother die trying to give her father the desired heir and having married men pawing at her, Gwen has little use for the institution of marriage, so simply taking the house and the income sounds good to her, until she also discovers that she’s been placed in charge of her three nieces who’ve just lost their parents. After meeting the girls she can’t leave them with her distant cousin who clearly doesn’t want them around. She knows what it feels like to be unwanted as a female, so she’s compelled to give them a loving home. Unfortunately, the modest income won’t be enough to support four people, so she reluctantly agrees to the marriage.
Overall, I liked Gwen and felt like I understood her most of the time. The men in her life failed her by not valuing her for no other reason than because she’s female, so it made sense that she would have trouble trusting Marcus at first. She takes quite a while before revealing the existence of the girls to him, but I understood that it was out of fear that he wouldn’t accept them or would make them feel “less than.” I did like that she gradually comes around, though, and that she recognizes that Marcus is indeed a good man. I also like that while Gwen was a little trepidatious on their wedding night and things started out pretty humorously that she warmed up to her new husband very quickly and that she was always welcoming of his love-making, especially when she found out how enjoyable it could be. However, she’s extremely reluctant to say that she’s fallen in love with him. Again, though, she slowly comes around. So the only thing about her that gave me pause is when she decided to run away again when problems arise near the end of the book. When characters have issues like this, I like to see them change and grow throughout the story, so when she reverted back to her old MO, I found myself a little disappointed in her.
I really loved Marcus. He’s been hurt in the past by a couple of women who broke off their relationship with him when they became involved with someone else, so he hasn’t been particularly eager to give his heart to someone again. Not to mention, he’s always been something of a romantic, who thought he would marry for love. However, when he receives the news that he must either marry Gwen by his thirtieth birthday, which is mere months away, or forfeit his fortune, he tries to put things in perspective. If it were just himself, he didn’t really care if he lost his money, but since he has his mother and his tenants to look after, he figures he’d better do as he’s been told. After meeting Gwen, he knows he could do a lot worse, so even though the lady is reluctant, Marcus vows to persuade her before the deadline. He’s just surprised when she’s the one who comes back to him. He eventually begins to wonder why that is but doesn’t think too much of it until his best friend spots her entering the dowager house on his estate with another man. Then the lovers who jilted him come back to haunt him a little as he wonders if she’s stepping out on him. Luckily his reservations don’t last long, though. Generally speaking, Marcus is a very trusting and understanding man who gives Gwen a great deal of latitude with her independence. He’s also the first to say, “I love you” and is quite patient while waiting for her to return his affection. Overall, he was pretty much the perfect man, so I had absolutely no issues with him at all.
Since I loved the hero and mostly liked the heroine, the main reason I knocked off a star is for the plotting and the writing. The plot of the story is on the weak side. For as long as the book is, I felt like there wasn’t enough actual story to fill the pages. It probably could have been pared down quite a bit and still hit all the major plot points, and that’s because there’s a lot of filler dialogue that doesn’t really advance the plot like it should. Although I could definitely feel the love connection between Marcus and Gwen, it comes about with little thought or fanfare. They just happen to be quite well-suited and don’t encounter a whole lot of problems in this area, which is OK, albeit a bit bland. The sexual tension is well done, though, as are the couple of love scenes. However, the other thing that really drove me to distraction was the author’s extreme overuse of the phrase, “blew a long breath” or some derivative thereof to indicate someone sighing. Also she has a penchant for having the characters ask two word rhetorical questions such as, “Am I?,” “Did I?,” “Are you?,” etc. I think they were meant to be cute, but they just about drove me batty. I could have played a drinking game with these phrases and gotten quite foxed.;-)
Overall, since the characters were pretty likable and I could feel the romantic connection between the hero and heroine, I generally liked Love with the Proper Husband. It may not have been perfect, but I’ve read far worse. I liked Gwen’s nieces who each had their own age-appropriate personalities, as well as her two good friends Madames Freneau and de Chabot, who are like older sisters, offering her unconditional love, support and sage advice. Marcus's best friend, Reggie, came off in a much better light in this story than he did in one of the previous books of the series in which he appeared. He’ll become the hero of book #8, The Pursuit of Marriage. While some things could have been better, I liked the book overall and will probably continue with the series for now.
June 27, 2019
Îndrăgostită de soțul potrivit-Victoria Alexander
Ducesa de Roxborough înființează în anul 1820 "Societatea Doamnelor pentru Îmbunătățirea Viitorului Angliei" alături de alte 12 vicontese,contese, deoarece tot mai multi tineri refuzau să se căsătorească, trecandu-le astfel vremea de căsătorie..
Lady Pennington astfel își oferă fiul pentru indeplinirea acestui proiect ,cu conditia ca din acest proiect sa nu reiasă implicarea familiei.
Gwendolyn,in ciuda descendetei sale ( fiica
de viconte),este o guvernantă să întoarce in Anglia,in urma biletului primit de la avocatul tatălui său. In urma cu 5 ani,casa , pământul,titlul le pierduse,deoarece averea se mosteneape linie masculină(rămăsese fără nimic), ea fiind nevoită să se întrețina singura.
Ajunsă în fața avocatului, afla ca din cauza unei erori, ea este moștenitoarea unei mici case la tara si a unei alocații modeste suficiente sa nu mai muncească, dar mai afla si ca tatăl ei a facut o înțelegere privind viitorul acesteia,o căsătorie aranjată .
Dacă ea refuză cu vehemență căsătoria, Marcus se vede nevoit să încerce să o convingă, deoarece necasatorirea lui,ducea la pierderea întregii averi.
Atunci cand afla ca sora ei decedata,a lăsat 3 fete ,se hotărăște să se îngrijească de ele,pt ca ele sa nu aiba aceasi soarta ca si ea,iar atunci accepta cererea de căsătorie a lui Marcus ,punând câteva clauze contractuale (pt a le asigura fetelor un trai decent,dar ascunde de el acest lucru).
Lucrurile se mai complica puțin,dar eu zic ca merita sa o citiți....
Imi place perioada acțiunii, personajele, povestea foarte bine închegată, dialogul....
Ducesa de Roxborough înființează în anul 1820 "Societatea Doamnelor pentru Îmbunătățirea Viitorului Angliei" alături de alte 12 vicontese,contese, deoarece tot mai multi tineri refuzau să se căsătorească, trecandu-le astfel vremea de căsătorie..
Lady Pennington astfel își oferă fiul pentru indeplinirea acestui proiect ,cu conditia ca din acest proiect sa nu reiasă implicarea familiei.
Gwendolyn,in ciuda descendetei sale ( fiica
de viconte),este o guvernantă să întoarce in Anglia,in urma biletului primit de la avocatul tatălui său. In urma cu 5 ani,casa , pământul,titlul le pierduse,deoarece averea se mosteneape linie masculină(rămăsese fără nimic), ea fiind nevoită să se întrețina singura.
Ajunsă în fața avocatului, afla ca din cauza unei erori, ea este moștenitoarea unei mici case la tara si a unei alocații modeste suficiente sa nu mai muncească, dar mai afla si ca tatăl ei a facut o înțelegere privind viitorul acesteia,o căsătorie aranjată .
Dacă ea refuză cu vehemență căsătoria, Marcus se vede nevoit să încerce să o convingă, deoarece necasatorirea lui,ducea la pierderea întregii averi.
Atunci cand afla ca sora ei decedata,a lăsat 3 fete ,se hotărăște să se îngrijească de ele,pt ca ele sa nu aiba aceasi soarta ca si ea,iar atunci accepta cererea de căsătorie a lui Marcus ,punând câteva clauze contractuale (pt a le asigura fetelor un trai decent,dar ascunde de el acest lucru).
Lucrurile se mai complica puțin,dar eu zic ca merita sa o citiți....
Imi place perioada acțiunii, personajele, povestea foarte bine închegată, dialogul....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2023
This book has been sitting on my shelves for years untouched and somehow I only just picked it up and WOW! This book blew my socks off! The most perfect marriage of convenience (my catnip) love story and everyone needs to jump on this book ASAP.
Our heroine was left penniless upon the death of her father which lead to her leaving the country and becoming a governess. Years later she gets word from a lawyer with the promise of money from her father’s estate. When she makes her way back to London she also finds out that along with the money her father promised her to a young handsome lord.
I love marriage of convenience tropes so that you get to see the couple really come into the relationship and this doesn’t disappoint. These two are so yummy together- their chemistry is fantastic and the push and pull with a strong outspoken heroine is 👌🏻👌🏻. I honestly can’t recommend this book enough!
Our heroine was left penniless upon the death of her father which lead to her leaving the country and becoming a governess. Years later she gets word from a lawyer with the promise of money from her father’s estate. When she makes her way back to London she also finds out that along with the money her father promised her to a young handsome lord.
I love marriage of convenience tropes so that you get to see the couple really come into the relationship and this doesn’t disappoint. These two are so yummy together- their chemistry is fantastic and the push and pull with a strong outspoken heroine is 👌🏻👌🏻. I honestly can’t recommend this book enough!
November 24, 2019
I actually really liked this nook. Fun plot. Great supporting characters. Funny dialogue. IR would have gotten a higher rating except for 1 thing - I didn’t like the heroine at all ;-(. I found her so tiresome. Otherwise, good book, and I’d like to read more.
January 24, 2019
O poveste de dragoste amuzantă, cu dialoguri spumoase și personaje interesante. Am scris mai multe pe blog https://dorinadanila.com/2019/01/24/i...
July 14, 2020
Just ordered some boo from Victoria Alexander as I'm looking forward to reading more of her!!!
September 16, 2014
The Ladies’ Society for the Betterment of the Future of Britain has been formed to force marriageable aged children to actually marry and continue with there lines. Their first challenge: the Earl of Pennington. This book starts off with Gwen being called back by her late father’s solicitor from America where she has been working as a Governess. She fled England when the day after her father death she was told she was penniless and her home was going to her distant cousin who has inherited the title. It turns out that Gwen is not penniless at all but has a modest inheritance left by her father and the solicitor has been trying to track her down and tell her this. Gwen learns that a match has been arranged by her late father and between her and Marcus Holcroft, the Earl of Pennington. Marcus has also been called by the same solicitor to advise him that if he does not marry Gwen before his 30th birthday then he forfeit his inheritance. Marcus decided to marry Gwen, not because he’s greedy but because people depend on him and I think that Gwen intrigues him alot. Some of the Marcus’s and Reggie’s lines when they are discussing the predicament are hilarious.
“Perhaps that’s been our problem all along.We are simply not rakes or rogues or scoundrels”
“Still, there are no end of things you could do. Adopt a wicked grin and a wickeder look in your eye……be aloof. Dangerous. be forbidden fruit”
“Forbidden fruit?” “I daresay, as I am pursuing her and it is my fortune at stake, I am scarcely the stuff forbidden fruit is made of. Rather I am too readily available and ripe for the picking”
Gwen refuses until she learns she also has 3 nieces who need her support (and money) because he estranged sister and husband drowned and died. She does not tell Marcus about he nieces and makes conditions of Marcus to keep her own inheritance. Marcus agrees to all her conditions. This is where their relationship starts to grow you can see Marcus falling in love. It was different to read a book where the hero loves the heroine and she is reluctant to love him. My niggle with this book is Marcus does everything for Gwen that she asks, supports her and he gives her no reason not to share things with him or trust him but she still is reluctant to. Really? I do not understand why? Gwen is a good character though, I wanted her to have a happy ending.
What I love about Marcus is he’s not that tall, dark, dangerous rake but is rather a sweet guy even if he doesn’t show everyone this. Words fail me on how sweet and supportive he actually was, his wit was brilliant and I loved how he appreciated his relationships such as friendships. I know he has his moments but he always tries to trust Gwen no matter what. *Sighs*. All the characters in this book were well developed and I liked then all, Gwen’s nieces were lovable and you just wanted to solve all their problems. Reggie was an awesome character, I hope he has his own book. Ofcouse you cannot forget Marcus’s mother Lady Pennington who is brilliant.
“Perhaps that’s been our problem all along.We are simply not rakes or rogues or scoundrels”
“Still, there are no end of things you could do. Adopt a wicked grin and a wickeder look in your eye……be aloof. Dangerous. be forbidden fruit”
“Forbidden fruit?” “I daresay, as I am pursuing her and it is my fortune at stake, I am scarcely the stuff forbidden fruit is made of. Rather I am too readily available and ripe for the picking”
Gwen refuses until she learns she also has 3 nieces who need her support (and money) because he estranged sister and husband drowned and died. She does not tell Marcus about he nieces and makes conditions of Marcus to keep her own inheritance. Marcus agrees to all her conditions. This is where their relationship starts to grow you can see Marcus falling in love. It was different to read a book where the hero loves the heroine and she is reluctant to love him. My niggle with this book is Marcus does everything for Gwen that she asks, supports her and he gives her no reason not to share things with him or trust him but she still is reluctant to. Really? I do not understand why? Gwen is a good character though, I wanted her to have a happy ending.
What I love about Marcus is he’s not that tall, dark, dangerous rake but is rather a sweet guy even if he doesn’t show everyone this. Words fail me on how sweet and supportive he actually was, his wit was brilliant and I loved how he appreciated his relationships such as friendships. I know he has his moments but he always tries to trust Gwen no matter what. *Sighs*. All the characters in this book were well developed and I liked then all, Gwen’s nieces were lovable and you just wanted to solve all their problems. Reggie was an awesome character, I hope he has his own book. Ofcouse you cannot forget Marcus’s mother Lady Pennington who is brilliant.
October 13, 2013
I give up. When you get 2/3 of the way through a book and you just really don't care what happens and you happen to be bored out of your mind, it's time to move on to something else. There was no chemistry between the characters--you only knew they were supposed to be in love because the text said so, but there was no evidence to support it. The hero was so perfect he was flat and unbelievable, while the heroine was so stubborn and distrustful it was downright stupid. I often feel this way about Victoria Alexander books. I either love them and want to keep them forever or I cannot finish them. As you can probably guess, this was one of those books of hers I just could not finish.
September 27, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This is the 6th book of the Effington series. I had not read the previous books and it can be read as a standalone. I do not think this book had any characters or talked about events that were in the other books, other than Reggie, Marcus’ friend.
Gwendolyn, or Gwen, and Marcus find out that their fathers had planned for them to marry if they did not find spouses. In Marcus’ case, if he does not marry by the time he is 30, he must marry Gwen or lose his fortune. In Gwen’s case, she has a choice about marrying him, but the small stipend she would receive as an alternative is at the discretion of her lawyer.
Gwen has been acting as a governess and has lived in the United States. Since her father’s death, she has become self-reliant and independent. I enjoyed the pushback that she gives Marcus. She is not interested in marrying and turns Marcus down until she finds out that her sister has died, and her nieces need to be cared for. Though Gwen negotiates being able to keep her inheritance she does not bring up her nieces before the marriage. This is explained but it is a somewhat weak reason. It creates a somewhat artificial problem between them, but I did not ding the book for it as I enjoyed the overall story.
Marcus is a charmer and is disbelieving that Gwen would turn him down. Before he met her, he decided to marry her regardless and to continue his life at his pleasure including mistresses. However, because Gwen has turned him down, he takes a second look at her. He begins to fall for her immediately and is very likeable. He is also a decent and honorable man.
I thought the author did a good job at developing the relationship between Marcus and Gwen. They each came to the relationship with baggage and learned to trust each other.
I really liked the friendship between Marcus and his friend, Reggie. Reggie is a main character in another book in the series. I also liked the friendship between Gwen and her former teacher and her sister-in-law. It was interesting to watch the relationship between Gwen and her nieces develop.
I almost dinged the book a star at the very end. I did not like the way Gwen reacts to a surprising piece of news at the end of the book. The surprise was not handled well (trying not to give spoilers) and the people involved acted in a way that I did not think was realistic. It was done to create the climactic moment. However, it was resolved in a satisfactory way. I also thought the age difference between Marcus and Gwen could have been a bit less.
The dialogue was excellent: entertaining and sometimes funny.
I liked this book.
This is the 6th book of the Effington series. I had not read the previous books and it can be read as a standalone. I do not think this book had any characters or talked about events that were in the other books, other than Reggie, Marcus’ friend.
Gwendolyn, or Gwen, and Marcus find out that their fathers had planned for them to marry if they did not find spouses. In Marcus’ case, if he does not marry by the time he is 30, he must marry Gwen or lose his fortune. In Gwen’s case, she has a choice about marrying him, but the small stipend she would receive as an alternative is at the discretion of her lawyer.
Gwen has been acting as a governess and has lived in the United States. Since her father’s death, she has become self-reliant and independent. I enjoyed the pushback that she gives Marcus. She is not interested in marrying and turns Marcus down until she finds out that her sister has died, and her nieces need to be cared for. Though Gwen negotiates being able to keep her inheritance she does not bring up her nieces before the marriage. This is explained but it is a somewhat weak reason. It creates a somewhat artificial problem between them, but I did not ding the book for it as I enjoyed the overall story.
Marcus is a charmer and is disbelieving that Gwen would turn him down. Before he met her, he decided to marry her regardless and to continue his life at his pleasure including mistresses. However, because Gwen has turned him down, he takes a second look at her. He begins to fall for her immediately and is very likeable. He is also a decent and honorable man.
I thought the author did a good job at developing the relationship between Marcus and Gwen. They each came to the relationship with baggage and learned to trust each other.
I really liked the friendship between Marcus and his friend, Reggie. Reggie is a main character in another book in the series. I also liked the friendship between Gwen and her former teacher and her sister-in-law. It was interesting to watch the relationship between Gwen and her nieces develop.
I almost dinged the book a star at the very end. I did not like the way Gwen reacts to a surprising piece of news at the end of the book. The surprise was not handled well (trying not to give spoilers) and the people involved acted in a way that I did not think was realistic. It was done to create the climactic moment. However, it was resolved in a satisfactory way. I also thought the age difference between Marcus and Gwen could have been a bit less.
The dialogue was excellent: entertaining and sometimes funny.
I liked this book.
June 30, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️love with the proper husband by Victoria Alexander
Enter Ms Gwendolyn Townsend and Marcus the Earl of Pennington. I am truly jealous of Gwen, she snatched the perfect guy!!!! Marcus is smart, witty, sensitive to her needs, by all accounts great in bed, i mean what else can a girls for? oh wait, he is also super rich which never hurts. I have a penchant for sassy, take-no-bullshit heroines and Gwen is that and so much more. These two were detained for one another and I loved every minute of their relationship. This is a love story, there is no secondary twits and turns, no tubby-turvy underground spy or assassin club. This is the story of how two independent people who were not looking for love found it with the help of meddlesome busybodies who actually DO belong to a club “The Ladies’ Society for the Betterment of Britain”. The only thing I have against this book is that is lacking my favorite kink. Marcus is no rake, no scoundrel and for that my emotionally mature self is applauding, but my 17 year old self still recovering from bad-boy syndrome is NOT.
Ratings
Sexy times:🌶 🌶 🌶 /5 these two were having sexy times from chapter 1 ( almost) I loved it
Romance: ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Enter Ms Gwendolyn Townsend and Marcus the Earl of Pennington. I am truly jealous of Gwen, she snatched the perfect guy!!!! Marcus is smart, witty, sensitive to her needs, by all accounts great in bed, i mean what else can a girls for? oh wait, he is also super rich which never hurts. I have a penchant for sassy, take-no-bullshit heroines and Gwen is that and so much more. These two were detained for one another and I loved every minute of their relationship. This is a love story, there is no secondary twits and turns, no tubby-turvy underground spy or assassin club. This is the story of how two independent people who were not looking for love found it with the help of meddlesome busybodies who actually DO belong to a club “The Ladies’ Society for the Betterment of Britain”. The only thing I have against this book is that is lacking my favorite kink. Marcus is no rake, no scoundrel and for that my emotionally mature self is applauding, but my 17 year old self still recovering from bad-boy syndrome is NOT.
Ratings
Sexy times:🌶 🌶 🌶 /5 these two were having sexy times from chapter 1 ( almost) I loved it
Romance: ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
August 7, 2021
L'autrice anche se usa un espediente già visto, ovvero quello del matrimonio di convenienza tra due sconosciuti, ho trovato il romanzo molto bello sotto tutti i punti di vista.
Scritto in maniera scorrevole, dialoghi frizzanti e che coinvolge il lettore pagina dopo pagina senza mai annoiare.
Il livello di sensualità è perfetto per cui niente di eccessivo e anche i personaggi sono ben delineati.
Prediligo molto il fatto che il lettore sia messo al corrente sia dei pensieri di lui che quelli di lei.
Il romanzo è denso di umorismo ed è davvero un piacere leggerlo.
A questo bisogna aggiungere un'ambientazione ottocentesca ma senza soffermarsi molto sull'alta società, nonostante i personaggi vi appartengono, prediligendo, invece, le situazioni in cui sono coinvolti i personaggi.
Grande cura del dettaglio anche per quanto riguarda i personaggi minori. Tutto giocato sugli equivoci e i segreti.
Scritto in maniera scorrevole, dialoghi frizzanti e che coinvolge il lettore pagina dopo pagina senza mai annoiare.
Il livello di sensualità è perfetto per cui niente di eccessivo e anche i personaggi sono ben delineati.
Prediligo molto il fatto che il lettore sia messo al corrente sia dei pensieri di lui che quelli di lei.
Il romanzo è denso di umorismo ed è davvero un piacere leggerlo.
A questo bisogna aggiungere un'ambientazione ottocentesca ma senza soffermarsi molto sull'alta società, nonostante i personaggi vi appartengono, prediligendo, invece, le situazioni in cui sono coinvolti i personaggi.
Grande cura del dettaglio anche per quanto riguarda i personaggi minori. Tutto giocato sugli equivoci e i segreti.
August 3, 2025
Victoria Alexander‘s novels are always a delight to read. She weaves in a lot of humor in every story, so every book is enjoyable.
This one is part of a series. I read the one before and a few of the Effingtons.
The plot is interesting: the hero and heroine are ‚forced‘ by an understanding of both their late fathers, that they need to marry each other in order to both gain financial security (basically!). They agree to marry, each for his/her own reasons which is werd the fun starts. The heroine has a secret to hide, which contributes to the enjoyment of this book.
There was a tiny bit of imperfection in the story, I didn’t like: the heroine was rather distrusting and pessimistic. It was frustratingly annoying.
This one is part of a series. I read the one before and a few of the Effingtons.
The plot is interesting: the hero and heroine are ‚forced‘ by an understanding of both their late fathers, that they need to marry each other in order to both gain financial security (basically!). They agree to marry, each for his/her own reasons which is werd the fun starts. The heroine has a secret to hide, which contributes to the enjoyment of this book.
There was a tiny bit of imperfection in the story, I didn’t like: the heroine was rather distrusting and pessimistic. It was frustratingly annoying.
September 26, 2025
2.5 stars
pros:
- great premise of meddling mothers setting up their kids
- liked Gwendolyn and Marcus for the most part
- like Gwen’s protectiveness of her nieces
- like Gwen and Marcus’s practical approach to giving things a go
cons:
- writing was super waffly
- not much of a plot
- ending was highly unsatisfactory with Gwen giving up and not trusting hubs
In short a good premise that was poorly executed
pros:
- great premise of meddling mothers setting up their kids
- liked Gwendolyn and Marcus for the most part
- like Gwen’s protectiveness of her nieces
- like Gwen and Marcus’s practical approach to giving things a go
cons:
- writing was super waffly
- not much of a plot
- ending was highly unsatisfactory with Gwen giving up and not trusting hubs
In short a good premise that was poorly executed
January 31, 2019
Great story! The main character, Miss Gwendolyn is left penniless after her father’s death and then the shocking news that her father arranged a match for her with the Earl of Pennington. She is shocked and confused. So, she believes that she must spend some time with him and she has some conditions. It is at times funny how the two think and react to situations. I enjoyed it all!
September 17, 2019
Una historia hermosamente escrita, es la primera novela de Victoria Alexander y no me ha defraudado. No tiene todas las estrellas solo porque la protagonista me sacó de quicio al final de la historia, solo para justificar el final. Pero aparte de ello, es una muy linda historia que sin duda me hará comprar apenas vea un libro con su nombre
April 8, 2021
3.5 Stars
Quick, easy, and an ok read.
I like the h's nieces storyline, their parents were killed by cannibals from the Friendly Islands in the Pacific. I was born and raised in the Friendly Islands (we're called the Friendly Islands because this is how unsuspecting sailors were lured onshore for 'dinner' lol).
Quick, easy, and an ok read.
I like the h's nieces storyline, their parents were killed by cannibals from the Friendly Islands in the Pacific. I was born and raised in the Friendly Islands (we're called the Friendly Islands because this is how unsuspecting sailors were lured onshore for 'dinner' lol).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2022
Nunca había leído a esta autora, sin embargo me gusto, es una historia rápida y muy predecible, es buena sacarte de un bloque lector que es donde estaba, si m vuelvo a topar esta autora si leeré una novela de ella sin problema, pero de eso que busque novelas de ella no creo la verdad.
Por lo tanto 2.5
Por lo tanto 2.5
January 4, 2022
2.5 stars.
I felt like Gwen was super abrasive and rude for 95% of this. Marcus fell hella fast and you just feel like kind of sorry for him because she’s being awful. And the conflict could have all been avoided by trusting him… and she didn’t.
I felt like Gwen was super abrasive and rude for 95% of this. Marcus fell hella fast and you just feel like kind of sorry for him because she’s being awful. And the conflict could have all been avoided by trusting him… and she didn’t.
January 30, 2022
I would say I expect stronger conflict. I love the idea and it is funny, but it becomes boring in the middle. The hero and heroine fall in love too fast and I'm not even surprise with the plot twist. Overall its quite enjoyable
April 9, 2022
The ending (guardian in question) was stupid. Didn’t make sense.
You pretty much have to believe in coincidences and suspend logic to get through this book.
Oh, and the solicitor’s nephew was creepy.
You pretty much have to believe in coincidences and suspend logic to get through this book.
Oh, and the solicitor’s nephew was creepy.
November 16, 2022
A very mediocre book with an outstanding male protagonist and an insufferably foolish female protagonist. Her level of ridiculous is 12 on a 10 point scale. The book is redeemed by all the other elements being fantastic!
July 23, 2017
3+ stars
January 19, 2018
Enjoyed this light reading book - story a bit predictable but still worth a read when there is little else around at the time.
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