Barbara’s rating: 2.7 of 5 Stars
Series: Say I Do #1
Publication Date: 3/28/23
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 368

I was looking forward to reading this book because I loved the scenario as it was spelled out in the book blurb. The writing itself was good and the story flowed nicely, but the characters – OMGoodness – there was not one single character in the book that I liked. Well, I liked the kids. 😊 The characters all seemed one-dimensional to me and I failed to see the attraction they found for each other. I am so sorry it all fell flat for me because I really wanted to love this story.

Frederica Hale was orphaned when she was very young and she and her sister Angela were sent to be raised by a cousin’s family. About a year ago, Angela and her husband passed away and Frederica now has the raising of their three children. She’s bound and determined to do everything she can to raise her nieces and nephew to be proper adults. Then, she learns that her cousin Jane is filing for official guardianship of the children. Jane, with a doting husband, who can be granted legal guardianship stands a very good chance of winning custody – unless Frederica finds a husband – fast.

Wyatt, the Duke of Wyatthaven, suddenly finds himself in need of a wife – and he only has a week to find and marry her. What he needs to find is a woman who wants to continue her life in the country and who will allow him to continue his life in London. No changes for either of their lives other than having said the vows.

Both characters are guilt-ridden with things from their past and they both let that rule their current lives. I can understand that, but it just got so very, very, very tiresome and what was even worse was the constant – and I do mean constant – miscommunication, misunderstandings, and bickering between both lead characters. He’d say something – perhaps not just exactly correctly – and she’d twist it to mean something entirely different. I truly could not see what the attraction was for either of them. Another thing that really rang the bell was that he had a mistress – but he hadn’t dismissed her when he married. He told Frederica he hadn’t seen his mistress since he had met Frederica – but – he hadn’t dismissed her either.

For me, this author is usually hit or miss and this was a huge miss. That really makes me sad because I truly wanted to love the story and just couldn’t. I didn’t even care for Rick and Hurst who will be featured in the other books in the series, so I’m not sure I’ll read them. Of course, maybe if I do read them I’ll learn something about Frederica and Wyatt that will make me like them and their story better.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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