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Seasons of Change #3

The Last Eligible Bachelor

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A ruse can only last so long…
Tillie Sherbrooke was born a lady, but lost her place in society by her father’s folly. Quiet, resourceful, and loyal, she now makes the perfect lady’s maid for her mistress Sophia. When Sophia's parents give her no choice but to travel across England to be matched with a mysterious young bachelor, Mr. Hill, she has no interest, especially since there are several other ladies vying for him. Who better to send in her place than Tillie? What gentleman would notice a maid, even one disguised as a lady? So when Sophia asks this favor of Tillie, or rather—threatens her into it, Tillie must rely on her past, the life of a proper lady, if she hopes to keep her position at Sedgwick Manor.

Disguised as her mistress, Tillie takes a coach across the country to a new place, one both unfamiliar and frightening. With so much at stake, she does all she can to stay quiet and invisible. But when she inadvertently catches Mr. Hill’s attention, she realizes she may have more to lose than her livelihood. She may very well lose her heart.

The Last Eligible Bachelor is a sweet/clean regency romance stand-alone novel, book two in the Seasons of Change series.

Other books in the series include:

Book One: The Road Through Rushbury by Martha Keyes

Book Two: A Forgiving Heart by Kasey Stockton

Book Three: (Coming soon) The Last Eligible Bachelor by Ashtyn Newbold

Book Four: (Coming soon) A Well-Trained Lady by Jess Heileman

Book Five: (Coming soon) from Deborah M. Hathaway

Book Six: (Coming soon) A Haunting at Havenwood from Sally Britton

Book Seven: (Coming soon) His Disinclined Bride from Jennie Goutet

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2020

904 people are currently reading
1248 people want to read

About the author

Ashtyn Newbold

33 books1,069 followers

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5 stars
1,365 (51%)
4 stars
843 (31%)
3 stars
340 (12%)
2 stars
73 (2%)
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21 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
August 14, 2020
This Book Made Me Happy

Oh, I really enjoyed this book! It was so very sweet. The interactions between Tillie and Mr. Hill made me smile. I could feel the growing chemistry and attraction which I loved. Tillie's heart is kind and genuine. I adored her. The ending made me so happy. It was the perfect romantic diversion for me today.
Profile Image for Camille.
Author 35 books562 followers
July 6, 2020
Ooh, this was wonderful! Ashtyn Newbold is one of my favorite Regency authors and I thoroughly enjoy her stories, but The Last Eligible Bachelor is one of my new favorites from her! I was so looking forward to reading it and, as I hoped, I absolutely adored it! The plot of a maid being forced to assume her mistress’s identity and impersonate her is one I love (hence I used it in my Goose Girl retelling), and the way this one unfolded was absolutely delightful.

Tillie—a former lady who’s lost her place in society—is forced to take Miss Sophia’s place at a matchmaking party for Mr. Frederick Hill, a charming, handsome, and thoroughly eligible bachelor. As a maid disguised as a lady, Tillie wants nothing more than to remain invisible throughout the charade, but when she inadvertently catches Mr. Hill’s attention, her plans quickly change to doing all in her power to keep herself from losing her heart…a task that proves quite impossible with Mr. Hill’s increasing interest in her.

I loved the plot’s premise of Tillie being forced to impersonate her mistress and all the mishaps that follow as she struggles to navigate the masquerade forced upon her, all while resisting falling in love. The plot was thoroughly engaging and her interactions with Mr. Hill wonderful; the scenes with them together were definitely the highlight of the story. The rest of the plot was fun too, especially as several other women were competing for Mr. Hill’s affections, adding some great tension. Normally I struggle with ‘mean girl’ characters, but this aspect was done subtly enough that it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the plot.

Tillie was a wonderful character and I really enjoyed her first-person narration. While she appears entirely average according to society’s dictates—she’s no great beauty and lacks in the usual lady-like accomplishments—her strength lies in her character. I so admired her kindness, willingness to make the best of her circumstances, and her gratitude for the blessings she still has in her life. She dealt with her circumstances and challenges in strong yet realistic ways and I really admired her.

And Mr. Hill…oh my goodness, I thoroughly adored him! He was thoroughly charming, the embodiment of a true gentleman, with a wonderful sense of humor. Their interactions were such a delight, filled with witty banter, terrific chemistry, great humor, and the loveliest, sweetest romance. It was magical, making this feel very much like the fairy tale it reminded me of, The Goose Girl.

With all the humor and sweetness, I found myself smiling the entire way through this wonderful story. The Last Eligible Bachelor is definitely one of Ashtyn Newbold’s best works and a new favorite Regency of mine, one I’ll definitely purchase for my own collection and reread many times over the years.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kremena Koleva.
396 reviews91 followers
July 24, 2022
The Last Eligible Bachelor ми достави огромно удоволствие! Такова, в което скоро не съм се къпала!
Женското общество в тази книга приличаше на гнездо с гърмящи змии, поканени от пепелянка. А повода - да се състезават за вниманието и, евентуално, за сърцето на един виден ерген в целия район. Жалка групичка млади дами от висшето общество, които имат в изобилие завист, коравосърдечие, лицемерие и алчност. Все благословии! А младежът, избран за съблазнителна плячка , си имаше ценности, критерии, ум и съвсем никакво желание да бъде уреден с някоя от студенокръвните гостенки. И по прекрасен начин им правеше вятър до последния момент. Интелигентно. Учтиво. Завоалирано. Деликатно. Като истински джентълмен! И това беше другата част от удоволствието. Живият пример до къде може да се падне, само и само да се открои една пепелянка /ах, пардон! дама / от останалите, особено когато намръщеното чело, безличните разговори и показността са единствените й достойнства - това беше следващото забавление. А когато сред всички присъстващи се появи жена, която ни най - малко нямаше желание да участва в гладиаторски борби за нечие внимание и с естественото си поведение се открои над останалите - е , тогава дойде цялото удовлетворение от сюжета! Не помня по - задоволено да е било желанието ми за справедливост. И докато четях страница след страница за ширещите се лицемерие, демагогия и егоизъм, си мислех, че е чудесно, че в един момент всички си намират майстора!
Пък било то и в книга!

* " ... момента, в който спрем да се учудваме на неща като дъга или люлка... оставяме детството си зад гърба. Оставяме нашата невинност и нашата доброта, която се е родила в нас."
* " ... вярвам, че истинската доброта на един човек се определя от това, което прави, когато няма какво да спечели."
* " Ако всеки човек в света дава приоритет на добрите качества пред несериозните занимания, нямаше да има толкова много лоши чувства сред хората. "
Profile Image for Lisa  (Bookworm Lisa).
2,240 reviews207 followers
December 1, 2020
4.5 stars

Oh my goodness! This book is soooo good. The banter, the romance, and the characters were all that I would wish for.

The best way to describe this book is like a season of The Bachelor. Only it is set in Regency England. The backstabbing, false personalities, and everyone vying for the attention of one man. They all happen to be staying in the same home. I must say that I admired Mr Hill for not playing into some of the games. Tillie was a down to earth character with a good heart. Of course any man with real values would see who the better catch was.

This is a fun book to read. It's clean with many laughs out loud moment.

Source: Kindle Unlimited
Profile Image for Alisha.
1,234 reviews141 followers
July 4, 2020
This was literally a Regency-era version of The Bachelor. :P Like even more blatantly than your usual Regency house-party plot. It was a little...uncomfortable, I guess, to have it so overtly spelled out within the dialogue that all these women are vying for this one guy, but I really liked Mr. Hill and Tillie and thought they were very sweet together! If you're looking for a sweet escape read, this is probably it.
Profile Image for Jennifer Fluegge.
400 reviews
August 9, 2020
Unique plot, believable and well developed characters, and laugh out loud moments all
combined to make a very enjoyable book to read, one I didn’t want to put down. The author has an interesting way of writing - I can’t really describe it, maybe it was something related to her using the first person pov which can be difficult to do but I would say she did it very well. All in all, well-written book that I definitely recommend.
Profile Image for Melissa.
2,547 reviews269 followers
April 28, 2022
I liked this sweet romance. The characters were fun. The leading lady so tortured! Poor girl made me feel so bad for her the whole time. This had a little too much angst. I thought the idea was a little out there. 1 guy for 5 woman. That was never going to end well.
Sweet with no religion.
Profile Image for Rebecca Lange.
Author 35 books231 followers
October 8, 2024
Simply wonderful…

A story for the romantic heart. I absolutely loved and adored the story. The ending was beyond satisfying, and I can go to sleep with a happy smile on my lips.
Profile Image for Yara.
127 reviews
February 3, 2023
Wow wow wow wow wow. This was absolutely adorable. Probably one of my favourite books, if not my favourite book, of all time. I read a lot of Regency romance, and I gotta say that this is probably the best one. The chemistry was absolutely amazing. The banter, the cute teasing from Mr. Hill, the plot, everything was amazing. It had an actual reason why they couldn't be together and it kept me wondering how it was going to be resolved. Mr.Hill is probably my favourite hero in all of literature because of how swoon worthy he is. He has literally everything; the teasing, the wit, the protectiveness, etc. It was also funny at some parts which is a great add-on to a Regency romance. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. It was just so happy the whole way and it's a perfect romance book. Ashtyn Newbold might be becoming my favourite Regency romance author. Definitely something I would re-read over and over again.
Profile Image for Sarah Monzon.
Author 27 books773 followers
July 31, 2020
As another reviewer said, pretty much a Regency “The Bachelor” which is kind of funny to say out loud and just imagine for a minute.
I liked the writing and author voice.
Profile Image for Susan Snodgrass.
2,002 reviews273 followers
August 1, 2022
nice

Very nice and clean regency novel. I enjoyed it very much. A case of pretending ends well. I will read more by the author.
Profile Image for Bryn Whitlock.
29 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2025
I’m just sad that this had to end! Such a fun read!!!!!
Profile Image for Lauryn Hixon.
132 reviews
November 9, 2023
Seriously so good! I read it in like 48 hours and couldn’t put it down! The best!!
Profile Image for azurebllue.
479 reviews6 followers
July 22, 2021
this was amazing
Mr. Hill and Tillie are so in love 😭

i couldn't put this one down
it was so nice to have a book where there isn't a huge misunderstanding where one of them questions the other and their love. (ifykyk) don't get me wrong, there were several misunderstandings but they weren't long or drawn out which was suuuper nice.
the plot twist was nice! i did sort of expect it but i was still surprised
oh and almost forgot how funny it was! Mr. Hill's teasing and Tillie's wit had me smiling literally every time they were together.
loved the happy ending and happy tears bc- let's face it- i'm lonely with a problem and desperately need a story like this 😙✌🏻
this is the first book i've read from Newbold but needless to say i'll read more
10/10 would recommend
Profile Image for HR-ML.
1,273 reviews55 followers
October 29, 2020
Regency? My interest waxed & waned.

Tillie had 1 social season and then her family fell on hard
times. Her Dad was in gaol, awaiting trial. She became
maid to Sophia. Who pressured her to attend a house
party, pretending to be Sophia.

A lady/ matchmaker Mrs. O (mostly obnoxious) held a
house party introducing wealthy Frederick to 5 single
women, 1 being Tillie as Sophia. Sophia's instructions
to the h : blend in & don't be too elegant.

The hero flirted a fair amount-was this a game to him?
Tillie acted changeable at the party- nearly invisible to
start and then insistent & bold. The 4 colorless OW became
mean girls. Was anyone genuine? Frederick, though charm-
ing, didn't have a title. I doubt 4 women would've competed
to this degree for his attention, unless he had a title. The OW
made some cruel comments to the h: guess who overheard
them?
Profile Image for Cathy.
1,968 reviews71 followers
July 7, 2020
Oh. My. Goodness. This book by Ashtyn Newbold is one you need to pick up! I would have never thought of a plot kind of like The Bachelor set in Regency times. But that is what this book is. And it’s the best!

The main female character of this one is Tillie. But for most of the book she’s known as Sophia. I had to laugh when the young lady that Tillie is a lady’s maid for insisted she go to a house party in her place. The sneaky girl figured out a way for her to be elsewhere. And to have Tillie pretend to be her, but not well enough to have the gentleman there fall in love.

But Tillie is constantly getting herself into trouble. In her first two minutes at the house party, she manages to spill tea and tarts all over the floor and the gentleman in question. And make herself, well Sophia really, look like a fool. This scene was hilarious! And she’s constantly doing things like this.

I really liked Mr Hill. It takes just the right kind of gentleman to overlook the beauty and grace of the other 5 girls and focus on Tillie, even though she tries to avoid him. The scenes with these two together were my favorite scenes in this book.

If you like Regency romance, you really should grab this one right away!

I was sent an e-copy of The Last Eligible Bachelor as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Book of the Universe.
243 reviews6 followers
February 6, 2022
I must say that I really enjoyed this book and I found in it a lot of warm, humor and sweetness !

Although I have read a few books from Ashtyn Newbold, this one is my favorite so far.
I love storylines inspired by The Goose Girl, so I'm not surprised that I liked this book.

The plot was simple but really enjoyable. The book told the story of a maid who was forced by Miss Sophia to swap places between them. This is how Tilie - our main character - has to pretend to be a lady (more precisely Miss Sophia) and take part in a matchmaking party for Mr. Hill.
As for me, the whole plot was really engaging, interesting and fun. I enjoyed reading the chapters from Tilie's perspective, and it helped me better understand the whole story. However, I wish the book was a bit longer and expand the plot a bit more, but I really enjoyed reading it without this extra chapters.

Additionally, I really liked our two main characters. Tilia was a lovely, humble and friendly character, and I was glad to read the chapters from her perspective - the book is written in first-person narration. Despite the situation in which she found herself, she was still good, bold and bravely faced the consequences of the choices she made.
And Mr. Hill was thoroughly charming, lovely and genuine. I loved the chemistry between him and Tillie.

If you like stories inspired by The Goose Girl or cute romances, then this book will be perfect for you! I sincerely recommend it to you!
1,328 reviews59 followers
June 27, 2020
A fun and engaging Regency romance, this book had a great amount of romantic tension and buildup between Mr. Hill and Tillie I could not put it down until I knew how things would turn out. Fans of author Ashtyn Newbold’s Mischief and Manors will probably also enjoy this book; I felt like the two novels had a similar tone or feel to them, though they are two distinct stories and works. The feeling I had when I read Mischief and Manors resonated with me again in this book as the hero and chemistry reminded me a bit of the other (again, two unique stories, just a similar vibe I enjoyed). I loved Mr. Hill and all his interactions with Tillie. The anticipation was very well done in the romance and man that first kiss! Swoony! I enjoyed the growth as Tillie struggled with her feelings while pretending to be Sophia and her loyalty to her family, Mr. Hill, and her heart. Content is witty, romantic, and clean. Definitely one of my favorite books by this particular author.
Profile Image for Natasha.
Author 11 books39 followers
July 26, 2020
I do enjoy a good Regency house party. This was a sweet story that never became as ratchet as it could have been due to the deception and the fact that the ladies were all competing for one man. Everything ended happily for the heroine and her parents. I would have liked an epilogue in which I got to see the parents restored to their former station and Tillie enjoying married life with Mr. Hill.
Profile Image for Deborah.
676 reviews52 followers
June 26, 2020
I adored this book. The main H/h were so darn likable! The banter was amazing and the tension at times make me hold my breath. It was witty, fun and sigh worthy. I simply loved it!!! Read. It.

(If you loved Edenbrooke, you’ll love this one. Very similar feel).
Profile Image for Pamela.
1,827 reviews39 followers
February 15, 2021
This book was a sweet story about a young woman of means, whose father's temper leads to him being jailed, and them losing their home, and money. A neighbor hires the mother on as her lady's maid, and her daughter on as her daughter's Sophie, lady's maid. Sophie is bossy, and conceited, and has no problem reminding Tillie, that she is no longer a lady, like herself. Tillie is grateful that her mother, and her are together, and have food, and a place to stay. They could have just as easily been out in the streets. She is ordered to impersonate the daughter at a country estate for a month. Sophie thinks the month in the country will be boring, and makes other plans. Tillie gets dropped off at the estate, and must pretend to be her mistress. Mr Hill is the only young man, among five marriageable young ladies. He only has eyes for one. Tillie is more down to earth, and funny, and knows she can never form an attachment, so she keeps her distance. Mr. Hill is handsome, well built, and dressed fine, and a pleasant gentleman. He has had enough of young girls flirting, and giggling, and tripping over each other for a marriage, and good income. I love the banter between Tillie, and Mr. Hill. It has some problems along the way due to the wealthy daughters, including the one she serves. I loved how it ended, and I really enjoyed the book. Tillie may not have been as beautiful in the Cast off gowns of her one time friend, but her kindness, and caring personality was like a pearl among ladies who were spoiled, full of gossip, and at times mean, and full of envy. A spirit filled with thankfulness, and kindness to others will always shine brighter than those who simply pretend to care. I gave this regency delight a five star rating.
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews144 followers
July 7, 2020
The Old Switcheroo💃💋

SWEET Regency Romance with Switched Identity💃💋

Tillie💃, A young lady's maid, was once a lady herself before a downturn in circumstances forced her into employment. She is coerced into taking on her lady's identity so Sophia💃💋, the young lady, can avoid going to a house party thrown for an eligible bachelor.

Sophia💃💋, the young lady, wants to go see her friend instead of attending the house party for Mr Hill🐺 to peruse five eligible young ladies. Sophia💃💋 gets Tillie💃💋 to take her place.

Sophia's father is going to choose a husband for her if she doesn't find her own this year. After three seasons he is done promoting her. So she figures out a way to defy him.

The book, however, follows Tillie💃💋 to the house party, and the story is completely hers and Mr. Hill's.

The book is well written and very different from most Regency Romance novels I have read.
Profile Image for Megan  (messybun.bookishfun).
379 reviews41 followers
March 7, 2021
The Last Eligible Bachelor
@ashtyn_newbold_author

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was drawn in by this beautiful cover, and have been wanting to read it for several months. I struggled at first because it is written in a first person point of view. I missed being able to “see” others point of views. But besides that, the story was very clever - kind of like “the bachelor” but in regency times. Only, the bachelor in question is not “in” the matchmaking mood.

And the leading lady, well, she once was a lady but fell on hard times and had to become a lady’s maid. She doesn’t want to be at this “party” either, but is forced to go or else her family may receive a backlash from it. So much deception and secrets, but cute moments as well.
Profile Image for Laura.
404 reviews
June 29, 2020
What many people need right now is an easy enjoyable romantic read and The Last Eligible Bachelor measures up. The story follows a traditional romantic pattern but it is original enough that it has a few surprises. While reading I was hoping to find out more about Frederick Hill, (the male protagonist) early in the book it is hard to see exactly why Tillie is interested in him. Since Tillie is the sole narrator it left Frederick a little bit of a mystery. The plot included many different obstacles that forced Tillie and Mr. Hill together but some felt rather contrived. Overall the characters were really likable and the story was an enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Becky.
752 reviews44 followers
August 20, 2020
The Last Eligible Bachelor is like comfort food; there's nothing pretentious or high class about it, but it totally hits the spot. It's an easy, fairly predictable, comforting read, and it leaves you both satisfied and wanting more.

The set-up is sort of like The Bachelor set in Regency England. (I love me some [older seasons] Bachelor, and I adore Regency romances, so this is basically the perfect combo.) I loved how Tillie and Mr. Hill fell for each other, and their chemistry was off the charts! I do enjoy a good secret identity story (even though I'm always anxious the whole time about what will happen when the other person learns the truth), and this one is done really well. No spoilers, but I loved Mr. Hill's reaction to the truth.

The Last Eligible Bachelor was my first Ashtyn Newbold novel, and I think I've now found another go-to author for clean Regency romance! 4-1/2 stars.

Profile Image for Our Book Confessions.
643 reviews16 followers
August 6, 2020
I loved Tillie’s selflessness, Ashtyn Newbold wrote Tillie with such a purity and altruism that you instantly love her. Both her and Mr. Hill are innately selfless people, and it made the story feel like a breath of fresh air.

Tillie and Frederick’s romance is definitely a slow burn and done wonderfully well.

The familial connections gave the book an added depth that pulled you even more into each of the characters’ lives and hearts.

The book as a whole had a really good balance between character and plot and I enjoyed it immensely from start to finish.
290 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2020
So happy to find another good Regency author! Unusual storyline with both upstairs and downstairs represented in the same character. Also appreciated the Regency version of the prodigal son story from the other son’s viewpoint. Looking forward to reading more of this author.
Profile Image for mikaela (spinebreaker).
1,377 reviews58 followers
May 23, 2022
i didn't really connect with any of the characters and the whole premise wasn't my favorite anyway. lots of backbiting girls and not a lot of character development for anyone, so it all felt a bit flat. much prefer her series of companion novels
Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews

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