Series: Playful Brides, #11
Tropes & Traits: damaged hero; virgin hero; friends to lovers
Publication Date: 04.30.19
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England
Heat Level: 3/5
Rating: 4 stars
Lady Delilah Montebank has enjoyed six seasons of merry matchmaking for others but now her mother, who has zero faith in her, has decreed she must marry. If Delilah can't make a better match before her 23rd birthday, she'll be forced to marry the portly and dull earl's son who her mother believes to be the best Delilah can hope for. Delilah is determined to prove her mother wrong and make a better match so she sets her sights on the catch of this year's season, the Duke of Branville, except he's hardly even aware of her existence. She's not worried though; she's charming enough, notorious matchmaker Lucy Hunt is her best friend, and her cousin has found an elixir of love she can use to further her cause.
Lord Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley, finds his best friend Delilah's crusade for the Duke of Branville to be preposterous. Thomas was forced to grow up very quickly and take over the responsibilities of his dukedom at a young age, but he's been a great success. Extremely loyal, Thomas values his friendship with Delilah above all else and doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize their relationship; moving their friendship to the next level must be her own idea, or at least she needs to think it's her idea. He's always been adamantly opposed to the lifelong commitment of marriage, but that's only because he's been waiting for Delilah to be ready to see him as more than a friend. When Delilah accidentally gives him her love potion, he thinks this may serve as the perfect excuse to confess his true feelings for her.
Naturally, when Delilah's friend Lucy suggests matchmaking Thomas with this season's diamond of the first water, Delilah finally begins to notice him as a man. But in typical flighty heroine fashion, she attempts to quash these feelings; she longs for her mother's approval and she promised an engagement to the Duke of Branville, specifically. And yet, as other ladies flock to her very eligible best friend, Delilah finds herself dealing with a new emotion: jealousy, which Thomas notices and hopes to use to his favor.
Delilah is so big-hearted and it was so frustratingly relatable to see her mother's treatment of her and lack of faith in her. I just wanted to beat Delilah over the head and get her to open her eyes to the lovely man who's been by her side all along. She was very immature, especially for her age and her single-minded focus on a man who was clearly not interested in her, whilst ignoring the man who was perfect for her, was just so cringeworthy and frustrating. For much of the time, I was just thinking Delilah didn't deserve Thomas and yet I could see why he was drawn to her and her caring nature. Also her random slips into French were annoying and didn't make much sense.
This was quite a whimsical book with the characters trying to make matches to all the wrong people, very much similar to the play they are putting on, though they of course do not notice the similarities themselves. It's all very much a farce with many oblivious characters but of course it all works out in the end. It just takes a very long time to get there and while it was entertaining and amusing at first, I began to lose patience with it after a bit and wanted everyone, especially naive Delilah, to just get on with it. It's yet another plot driven much by the lack of or poor quality of communication, also not quite as significantly as many of the books I've read lately. It's not your typical historical romance, but more like a romantic comedy, and much of it was at least whimsically amusing before I began losing patience and finding it tiresome. I enjoyed it, but I definitely wish Thomas and Delilah got more time to actually be together.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lord Thomas Hobbs, the Duke of Huntley, finds his best friend Delilah's crusade for the Duke of Branville to be preposterous. Thomas was forced to grow up very quickly and take over the responsibilities of his dukedom at a young age, but he's been a great success. Extremely loyal, Thomas values his friendship with Delilah above all else and doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize their relationship; moving their friendship to the next level must be her own idea, or at least she needs to think it's her idea. He's always been adamantly opposed to the lifelong commitment of marriage, but that's only because he's been waiting for Delilah to be ready to see him as more than a friend. When Delilah accidentally gives him her love potion, he thinks this may serve as the perfect excuse to confess his true feelings for her.
Naturally, when Delilah's friend Lucy suggests matchmaking Thomas with this season's diamond of the first water, Delilah finally begins to notice him as a man. But in typical flighty heroine fashion, she attempts to quash these feelings; she longs for her mother's approval and she promised an engagement to the Duke of Branville, specifically. And yet, as other ladies flock to her very eligible best friend, Delilah finds herself dealing with a new emotion: jealousy, which Thomas notices and hopes to use to his favor.
Delilah is so big-hearted and it was so frustratingly relatable to see her mother's treatment of her and lack of faith in her. I just wanted to beat Delilah over the head and get her to open her eyes to the lovely man who's been by her side all along. She was very immature, especially for her age and her single-minded focus on a man who was clearly not interested in her, whilst ignoring the man who was perfect for her, was just so cringeworthy and frustrating. For much of the time, I was just thinking Delilah didn't deserve Thomas and yet I could see why he was drawn to her and her caring nature. Also her random slips into French were annoying and didn't make much sense.
This was quite a whimsical book with the characters trying to make matches to all the wrong people, very much similar to the play they are putting on, though they of course do not notice the similarities themselves. It's all very much a farce with many oblivious characters but of course it all works out in the end. It just takes a very long time to get there and while it was entertaining and amusing at first, I began to lose patience with it after a bit and wanted everyone, especially naive Delilah, to just get on with it. It's yet another plot driven much by the lack of or poor quality of communication, also not quite as significantly as many of the books I've read lately. It's not your typical historical romance, but more like a romantic comedy, and much of it was at least whimsically amusing before I began losing patience and finding it tiresome. I enjoyed it, but I definitely wish Thomas and Delilah got more time to actually be together.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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