Series: The Somerton Scandals, #2
Traits & Tropes: reformed rake; house party
Publication Date: 11.21.19
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; England
Heat Level: 2
Rating: 4/5
Narration Rating: 3/5
Gloriana Blakely has turned down one too many suitors for her parents’ liking and now they’ve sent her off to spend some time with her cousin in remote Yorkshire. She’s decidedly less than thrilled at being banished from society and being forced to share the estate with her girlhood nemesis who is now her cousin’s sister-in-law.
Alex Somers has at last finished his Oxford degree, in much more time than it should have taken him, but now he must make a decision about what to do with his life. With nowhere else to go, he returns to his brother’s estate in Yorkshire to figure out his next move, only to discover that a lovely guest has entrenched herself in the family library and taken up his cause by planning an elaborate country house party to celebrate the completion of his studies.
Alex and Gloriana disagree at every turn, building a decidedly less than unfriendly tension between them. They find themselves thrown together at every turn, especially when they uncover a potentially treasonous plot unfolding during the party, and the two are brought together by a secret they’ve accidentally overheard, even as their mutual attraction begins to blossom into something more.
I was unsure about this one because I really couldn't stand Gloriana as a supporting character in the previous book and for a while at the beginning of this story, it seemed she still hadn’t matured. Thankfully, though she is still rather whimsical, this Gloriana at least demonstrates some growth and development. In fact, she and Alex both had some growing up to do and they seemed to be a good influence on each other as both demonstrated a good amount of development between the beginning and end of the book. I loved the house party setting here and I thought the tension between the two MCs was well-drawn. The mystery/spy element was a bit thin, but I think this twist sets the rest of the series up to be quite interesting, especially as secondary characters begin pairing off, and I’ll look forward to continuing.
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