Lana Williams – Page 8 – Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

To Bargain with a Rogue by Lana Williams

Series: Wicked Widows’ League, #3 (Author Collaboration Series)

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Alicia Radcliff, the widowed Countess of Hawthorne is finally finished with her year of mourning and is ready to reenter society. She has decided that she deserves to enjoy the freedom being a young widow affords her, namely taking a lover to find out what she was missing all years she was married. But she needs to take care, because she has no desire to marry again nor does she want to shame her young son, nor does she want to fall in love. She is sure she will be able to avoid that trap, but that was before her son was in danger and she met him.

Matthew Aston, the new Earl of Slayton, never expected to inherit, in fact, he never planned on returning to England. But with the unexpected death of both his father and his older brother, Matthew had no choice but to return and take care of his younger sister Clarissa and the estate. He had no idea that the estate was in such dire straights or that his father and brother had wracked up such high debts. Even with the money that Matthew made while in the Caribbean, he realizes that he will have to marry an heiress and fast if he has any hope of saving the estate and giving Clarissa a season. He is delighted when he meets Alicia, she is everything he has ever wanted in a wife, she is kind, lovely, and rich. But she makes it clear that she will not marry again, but she isn’t averse to an affair and is willing to help launch Clarissa into society. Their affair is sizzling, but Matthew knows he has to marry to protect his sister and ends things, but soon wonders if he gave up too soon, can he convince Alicia that his heart is hers for the taking or will he have to settle for a loveless marriage?

This was a delightful, well-written short novel with very likable characters. The book has a little of everything, interfering relatives, spying servants, a once-bitten, twice-shy heroine, a hero thrown into an impossible situation, a creepy villain, a bit of angst, steamyish love scenes, a bit of heartache, and finally a very satisfying ending that leads to HEA. I did feel like there were some loose ends that didn’t get addressed, but overall they were minor and didn’t really impact the story. This book is part of a loosely connected author collaboration series and it does feature secondary characters from one of the author’s previous series, but the book can easily be read as a standalone title. I enjoyed this story and would be happy to recommend it and am looking forward to more stories in this series!

*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.*

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.*

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