Regency historical novels are definitely a favorite of mine, and I decided to give this a try since it was free through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Set in the year 1814 at a mansion in the English countryside, this book is the second in a series that follows a group of hunky intelligence officers who also happen to be members of the aristocracy. Recently widowed from a loveless marriage, Lily Mereworth decides to attend a week-long Christmas celebration at the home of her best friend, Rosalind. Among the guests invited to this gathering is newly ennobled Viscount Asher Rainham, who is also one of England’s most highly ranked intelligence officers. Lily, with the encouragement of Rosalind, has made a sort of bucket list of bold actions to take in order to be free from the oppressive rules set by her former husband. Having already marked off several of these actions, like burning the etiquette book that her former husband gave her, Lily is gradually re-gaining the confidence that she had before her marriage. There is one item on this list that is proving to be the most intimidating for Lily, and that one is to seduce a rogue.
What I Liked about this book:
The main characters, Lily and Asher were both so perfectly matched for each other, and their quirky personalities made them very likeable. I especially liked that they are both intelligent, especially with numbers and calculating odds. Lily has used her intelligence to make wise financial investments. Being a widow in the early 1800s means that she has more control over her finances, rather than having a husband making monetary decisions. Therefore, Lily is very reluctant to get involved with another man and risk having someone control her again.
I also liked that the main characters were older and had mature adult conversations. Fairly often in the historical romance genre, the main characters will be young and immature. This was not the case for Lily and Asher’s story. After being married for eleven unhappy years, Lily is old enough to know what she doesn’t want in a man. She longs to be the brave and fun person she once was, and is doing whatever she can to break free of the strict rules of etiquette that her husband set for her.
Asher is a not a typical hero of a historical romance in that he is incredibly intelligent, he is highly observant of others, and thus a great listener. This has served him well in his career as a spymaster. While not an overtly alpha male character, he is a tough guy with a heart of gold. He really is the total package, smart, strong, and gorgeous.
Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the Christmas setting. Everything is just a little bit more magical during this time of year, and the whole premise of a Christmas gathering is interesting. The hosts of the gathering, Rosalind and Lucas, decide to task each guest with choosing a fun activity for the group do do each night. Each of these activities provide a romantic backdrop as Lily and Asher get to know each other. This was such a fun idea, and it reminded me of how before modern times, people had to use their imagination to come up with their entertainment.
What I feel could have been better about the book:
The only aspect that I felt a bit lacking was that there could have been more information about Lily’s family background and more details about what her living situation was like both before her marriage and after. My other complaint is that the book is far too short at 180 pages. While this is the second book of the series, these characters aren’t mentioned that much in the other books. Asher, being the head of the intelligence agency does appear more than Lily.
How steamy is this?
Romance novels can range from the sweet and innocent, to downright filth. Each and every fan of this type of fiction has their own personal preference for how steamy they want the romance to be. In my opinion, this book had just the right amount, which is not too graphic. Don’t get me wrong, this book is steamy, but not overly so.
Would I recommend this book?
Overall, this is one of those historical romances that stands out for the interesting and entertaining characters that you will cheer for as they find love. The entire series is great, but this story was especially dear to me for the cozy Christmas setting and a great second chance love story.
My rating, is a five out of five stars for this lovely story, and I highly recommend this to all fans of historical romance.
