Eva Shepherd

Good enemies-to-lovers story. Amelia is the daughter of an earl who doesn't believe in education for women (and barely for men). She has always had an inquisitive mind, and after catching her studying Greek with his sons' tutor, the earl sent her off to finishing school to learn proper ladylike behavior. There she met three other young ladies of similar mindsets, and they became fast friends. They still meet regularly, and her friends are the ones who encourage Amelia to start her magazine, The Ladies' Enquirer. After borrowing some money from her aunt, Amelia began the magazine targeted toward women like herself who are not interested in fashion and gossip but in real issues. Unfortunately, the magazine is not doing as well as she would like, and she needs more funds to make the improvements she wants. Her father is no help, and no bank will give her a loan.

It doesn't help that her father is determined to marry her off as soon as possible and constantly pushes her toward "eligible" suitors such as the "Vacuous Viscounts." Amelia has no interest in marriage to anyone. When he drags her to a dinner at the home of Leo Devenish, he intends for her to impress the other nobles at the dinner. Instead, she gets into a discussion of women's rights that results in laughing disdain by most of those present. Leo is the only one who stands up for her, but even he is dismissive of women's abilities.

Leo is the son of a blacksmith and was provided an education as part of a cruel bet. However, he parlayed that education into a media empire and great wealth. He has a reputation as a cold-blooded businessman who scoops up troubled publications and makes them his own. Amelia is dismayed to hear him disparage her magazine and, without giving herself away, asks what he would do to improve it. Though she doesn't like his advice (add a gossip column), when she witnesses the end of his relationship with his mistress, she writes that column about him. Stunned by its success, she soon writes another, and that's where the trouble begins.

Amelia is intelligent but also a bit naïve. When another encounter with Leo results in a chaste but moving kiss, she writes about it, though she uses no names. Leo is infuriated by the column he sees as damaging a lady's reputation and immediately apologizes to Amelia. When she goads him into another, more potent, kiss, Amelia's father catches them. He insists that they marry, and Leo agrees. Meanwhile, Amelia is caught in a web of her own making. She knows Leo has no interest in marriage either and plans to find a way out of the engagement before the wedding.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Leo and Amelia develop. They spend time together "courting," and each discovers more to the other than suspected. Amelia found that she and Leo have far more in common than she knew, and the more time she spends with him, the stronger her feelings for him grow. But she feels guilty for her part in their situation and is determined to find a way to release him without causing harm to anyone else.

My heart broke for Leo as each part of his past was revealed, from the abuse he endured at school to his treatment at the hands of the woman he loved. The more he gets to know Amelia, the more he admires her, and the greater his attraction to her grows. I loved Amelia's visit to his parents and its impact on him. Having been burned once, he resists the idea that he might be falling for Amelia, but all too soon must admit the truth.

I ached for Amelia as she realized she would be happy to marry Leo if they were marrying for love, but she couldn't stand the idea of a loveless union. When she can return her aunt's money to her, Amelia knows it is time to come clean with Leo. I ached for both during that confrontation, as Leo felt duped and betrayed and reacted with anger. There were some heartfelt scenes with Leo and his parents as he nursed his broken heart and received timely advice. Meanwhile, Amelia's friends and aunt give her sympathy and advice. They can see the truth that Amelia and Leo belong together. I loved the bit of deception that Amelia's aunt carried out to get the two together. Leo was adorable in his awkwardness as he tried to express his feelings. The ending was terrific.

I liked seeing both Leo and Amelia overcome the prejudices of their time to find happiness together. The changes in Leo were wonderful, especially when it came to his relationship with his parents. I enjoyed Amelia's dedication to providing intelligent reading material to women like herself and how that dedication affected Leo. I hope to see more of them in the following books of the series.

#netgalley… (meer)

I liked this book, and the My Fair Lady feel to it. Hazel is a young woman in her fifth Season, and her marital prospects are pretty dim despite her considerable dowry. It doesn't help that she doesn't dance well, and her conversation tends toward the intellectual rather than social. She accepts that she will likely still be alone at the end of the Season. So she is stunned when the notorious Lucas Darkwood asks her to dance.

Lucas is a businessman with the reputation of never failing at what he sets out to do. He focuses purely on his business and has no interest in ever getting married. His current project involves horse breeding, and he has his eye on a particular mare to add to his stable. Unfortunately, the owner of the mare refuses to sell, instead challenging Lucas to a bet. Lucas must make Hazel appealing to men before the end of the Season if he wants to win the horse. If he fails, Lucas must marry Hazel himself. Supremely confident in himself, Lucas accepts.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lucas and Hazel. The connection between them was immediate though neither wanted to admit it. Lucas believes his focus is entirely on winning his bet, while Hazel thinks Lucas wants something from her father. I liked that first dance together. Lucas realized there was more to Hazel than he expected and is unwillingly intrigued. Hazel's dancing woes disappear under Lucas's confidence-inspiring touch. Hazel enjoys his attentions but reminds herself to expect nothing to come from them, though that gets more difficult with each encounter. Just as she lets her guard down a little, Hazel learns the truth.

Hurt and angry, Hazel concocts a plan to get even. She goes all out to convince Lucas that she has fallen for him and expects a proposal any day. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings for each other grow. Lucas struggles with jealousy over the men he selected as perfect for Hazel and freaks out at the realization he cares for her, especially since he has a deep-seated belief that he is incapable of love. At the same time, Hazel has a hard time maintaining her anger as she gets to know Lucas better. When the sparks between them get out of control, Hazel confronts Lucas about the bet. I liked how she explained how it made her feel and called him out on his selfishness before walking out on him.

Both Lucas and Hazel suffer from the separation. Hazel thought she had finally found someone who accepted her for who she was and was devastated to discover otherwise. Besides losing his bet, Lucas faces Hazel's opinion and realizes that she is right. With some advice from his sister-in-law, Lucas begins a campaign to earn Hazel's forgiveness. I enjoyed his attempts and loved when he finally figured out the best way to reach her. I liked his big moment when he opened up and laid his heart on the line in an emotional plea. The ending was sweet, and I liked the epilogue.

My only complaint is that the beginning seemed to drag a little. I had a hard time staying involved until about halfway through the book. Once the house party kicked off I felt more invested in the outcome.… (meer)

Arabella van Haven really wants to be an actress but her father is opposed, he keeps putting barriers in the way and the latest is that she has to marry. Oliver Huntsbury Duke of Somerfeld is found in her dressing room and they marry, as a marriage of convenience. They both agree it's in name only but feelings begin to develop. Even married her father continues to put road blocks in the way but Oliver wants her to be happy and fulfilled. Forging dreams that they have to create good lives for themselves and forge a new path.
I'm not sure how this would really work but if you suspend disbelief the story was fun.… (meer)