Rating: 3 out of 5.

3 stars

Lady Madeline and her two sisters are entering the marriage mart and create a list of qualities for their prospective husbands to meet. As they navigate the balls and carriage rides, Madeline is drawn to MP Harry Stern. He’s a great dancer, his conversations are interesting and he makes her pulse pound, but he’s not a peer, and therefore, does not meet the one qualification her mother insists upon. Harry is insistent on his pursuit of Madeline. Will she let her feelings rule her decision or the husband list?

This book is well-written and is a great view into the intricacies and delicate dance of a marriage mart season in Regency England. It all sounds so exhausting – I don’t know how the ladies didn’t lose it. Seriously. I am definitely glad I was not born in that time. I do not have the temperment for that b.s.

While I liked both Madeline and Harry, the problem I had with the book is that it was all one note. I felt like I was reading a series of small vignettes or diary entries of the MCs days rather than an overarching story. I felt no sense of urgency, tension, or suspense as I read the book. There wasn’t anything wrong with the book, but for me, after the first 50-75 pages, it was just more of the same, so it became boring. I like books that have more action in them, so that’s probably why it didn’t resonate for me. I think others that enjoy Regency books will like this sweet story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from TLC Book Tours and Kensington Publishing Corp. All opinions are my own.