Book Summary (Amazon): Leorah Langdon has no patience for Regency society’s shallow hypocrisy and unnecessary rules, especially for women. She’s determined to defy convention by marrying for grand passion instead of settling for a loveless union like her parents—or wedding a stuffy, pompous gentleman like Edward, the Viscount Withinghall. But when a chance meeting in the countryside leads to Leorah and Withinghall being discovered in his overturned carriage—alone and after dark—the ensuing gossip may force them together.
Withinghall has his reasons for clinging to propriety; his father perished in a duel with his mistress’s husband, and Edward must avoid scandal himself if he wants to become prime minister. He certainly has no time for a reckless hoyden like Miss Langdon. But soon the two discover that Withinghall’s coach “accident” was no such thing: the vehicle was sabotaged.
Can the culprit be brought to justice? Strong-willed Leorah and duty-driven Withinghall will have to work together if they have any hope of saving her reputation, his political career—and his life.
My thoughts... Many readers my recognize Melanie Dickerson by her Young Adult fairytale retellings, but her Regency spy series is equally enjoyable. In this second book in the series, Leorah and the Viscount have been, literally, thrown together in an unexpected way and have to navigate through what is expected of them and what they feel.
This story reminded me so much of Pride and Prejudice, which is a long time favorite. Edward has the appearance of being very prideful and withdrawn, while Leorah is passionate about life. I loved Leorah's spunk. She wouldn't just "settle" for any man, even if the match was a advantageous one. Edward, the Viscount, masked his true feelings to most people, mainly as a result of hardships in his past. Both characters went through transformations as they began to think more of each other than themselves.
Melanie Dickerson does a great job at writing novels set in England, and I've really enjoyed her Regency series so far. There are elements of mystery, some danger, and a steady pace to the plot that kept me from wanting to put it down. This novel is also very clean, but I loved that it still has the beautiful romantic tension that kept it fun. Personally, I can never get enough of the broody male character. They always have lots of layers to peel back, which make them interesting. I love how Melanie balanced that with Leorah's character, which added lightheartedness and humor to the story. Here are a few of my favorite lines:
"Calling him a pirate was a compliment, and one he didn't deserve, for it indicated there was some passion beneath that cold façade."
"You have every right to be free, Miss Langdon. No one is denying you that. But freedom is only valuable if you can use your freedom wisely."
If you love a Pride and Prejudice-style story that has Christian faith woven through it, you will love this! I would definitely recommend it!
*I received a free copy of this novel to honestly share my thoughts and opinions, which I did.*
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