Series: Lords in Love, #2
Traits & Tropes: wallflower to courtesan; revenge; reformed rake; mistaken identity
Publication Date: 03.24.23
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; Hampshire, England, 1812/Summer 1817
Heat Level: 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Gladys Bell was a much disparaged wallflower whose parents were desperate for her to find a suitor. Just when she thought she’d found her perfect match and was anxiously awaiting his proposal, he never showed up. With her reputation ruined, Gladys was disowned by her family and stripped of her dowry and any chance at finding love and the notorious rake who ruined her didn’t even remember her name.
Five years later Gladys has become a successful and wealthy courtesan bent on revenge, so she returns to the Merrywell Matchmaking Festival to find Reuben Medford, win his heart and then break it just as he did to her.
This was an interesting twist on the revenge plot and Reuben certainly deserved the comeuppance. What I kept getting hung up on here was Gladys’ fixation on the wrongs he’d done to her, while completely dismissing those done to her by her family. Gladys blames Reuben for the loss of her parents’ love and, though she does have a point, it is also painfully obvious that she never truly had their love to begin with or at the very least that their love was extremely conditional. I really wanted to see her seek some sort of revenge on them as well. Reuben was likable in some scenes, but it always seemed like he did something to mess that up just when I was finding myself unwittingly charmed by him. I think this is a credit to Ridley’s writing skills. I did find the final resolution to be rushed (perhaps to be expected since this is a novella), but I wanted to see a bit more groveling from Reuben and more of a resolution of some sort or a retribution even for the way Gladys was treated by her parents. I also think it would’ve been nice to have a bit more examination of why Reuben had such a low self-worth instead of just repeatedly telling us that he did. Overall, this was a fun story and a unique twist on the revenge and reformed rake tropes.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5411978301
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/505602754
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