Month: February 2023

A Pretend Betrothal by Lana Williams

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A Pretend Betrothal (The Mayfair Literary League, #2)A Pretend Betrothal by Lana Williams

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Mayfair Literary League, #2

Release Date: February 28, 2023

Lady Tabitha “Tibby” Malton has loved Michael Shaw for as long as she can remember, but her relationship with Michael is firmly in the “friend zone” and he shows no signs of seeing her as anything more than a friend. To complicate matters, Tibby’s mother has become increasingly needy and socially withdrawn, yet she demands Tibby’s attendance. Tibby fears if she doesn’t do something soon, she will spend the rest of her life as her mother’s companion with no chance of love or a family of her own. So when her friend Pheobe from the Mayfair Literary League suggests that they each should make a bold move to capture the attention of their secret crush, the “For Better or Worse” agenda is launched and Tibby vows to be brave enough to follow her heart. She approaches Michael and asks if he would be willing to engage in a pretend betrothal with her, she tells him she hopes that the thought of Tibby marrying might encourage her mother to rejoin society and be less dependent on Tibby, she also thinks it will stop Michael’s mother from pressuring him to marry. At first, he refuses, but later agrees, so now she has to make him fall in love with her.

Michael Shaw is the second son of an earl and has recently sold his commission in the military after spending the last ten years in service. He has returned home but feels a bit lost and not sure what to do with the rest of his life. He is surprised by Tibby’s proposal and declines because he worries that it could ruin her reputation, but with his mother pressing him to marry and Tibby assuring him she isn’t worried about her reputation, he agrees and soon he is seeing his dear friend in a new light and discovering that he can’t seem to stop kissing her. He is wondering if she would consider a true betrothal, but before he can broach the subject, he learns of the Mayfair Literary League’s mission and feels betrayed. Can they overcome her deception or has she lost her chance at HEA?

I enjoyed this well-written, nicely paced story, it was easy to sympathize with Tibby and root for her HEA. Likewise, Michael was also easy to like, and his struggle to find a new purpose in life was entirely relatable. The bond between them was clear from the start, but it seemed to take Michael a long time to figure out and accept his new feelings for Tibby, and I didn’t quite understand why Tibby had such a low opinion of herself. Together these two bring out the best in the other and they share a true friendship, add to that, a great supporting cast of characters, secrets, kisses, and forgiveness and you have a delightful read. I did think the ending was a bit similar to the previous book, but overall the story was completely different and a joy to read, I would however have liked to know the outcome of his botany experiment (just saying…). This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid

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The Wolf and the WildflowerThe Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 27, 2023

Until she was 12 years old, Jules Southby had no idea she was a girl, as she was raised as a boy since birth, a deception put forth by her mother and one Jules continues to uphold. Her mother suffered greatly giving birth to their first daughter and was warned not to have more children, but Jules’ father, a respected psychologist and the younger son of a viscount, desperately wanted a son and pressed his wife to try again. When Jules was born, her mother mistakenly thought she was a boy and told her father as much, only to learn the truth once he left the room. The midwife suggested that she pretend that the baby was a boy for a few years until she healed enough to try again. Her mother agreed, but as time passed, it became harder to admit her deception and she decided not to reveal it, forcing Jules to continue the deception. As time passes, Jules begins to appreciate the freedom being a man affords her and she follows in her father’s footsteps studying psychology. She is thrilled when her father suggests that she join him on an unusual case. A man who was lost in the Yukon and missing for ten years has returned to his family, but he is not the same man his family remembers and Dr. Southby is to meet with him and determine if he is sane.

That man is James Winters, the new Duke of Wulverton. He was mountain climbing in Canada when he fell and was lost. For ten years he survived the harsh Yukon territory with nothing but his wits. It was another fall that lead to him returning to his family, but sadly his father passed away before James returned. James is not insane, but neither is he the same genteel man this mother recalls. She insists that he needs to return to society and find a wife, she has decided that she will host a ball in a month and expects him to find a wife by that time. She contacts Dr. Southby to examine him and help ease him back into society. But it is not Dr. Southby that captures James’ attention, it is Jules. Because despite fooling everyone she has ever met – including her family, James immediately knows Jules is a woman and agrees to share his experiences with her, on the condition she does the same for him. What starts as an exchange of information, transforms into a love affair that could destroy everything Jules has worked for and potentially ruin her family. Walking away is the logical thing to do, but when was love ever logical?

I will be honest, to really enjoy this story, you will have to turn a blind eye to certain facts and just accept that he was not declared dead after being lost for ten years and that he can just take up his father’s title with no opposition, you will also have to accept that he can “smell” Jules through doors and crowded ballrooms and you will so have to believe that in 23 years no one figured out that Jules was a woman. If you can do that, you will be treated to a story, unlike any historical romance you have ever read. This was a bit of a “Tarzan” meets “Just One of the Guys” story and as corny as that sounds, it works – I was completely drawn into this book and invested in their HEA. I loved the chemistry between James and Jules and I was awed by the depth of emotion that Ms. Reid was able to evoke through her words. I devoured this book, reveling in the bond they formed, and dreading the moment that they would inevitably have to part. This book was so emotional, yet it wasn’t depressing, and did I mention the steamy love scenes or the sigh-worthy declaration? This was a unique and satisfying story that I am happy to recommend and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*