I lasted about 2 chapters and it just wasn't interesting me

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book as much as (if not slightly more) than [b: The Duke Undone|54614581|The Duke Undone (Duke Undone #1)|Joanna Lowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601702686l/54614581._SX50_.jpg|85211574] - though I confess I'm still on the fence about rating it between 3 and 4 stars. Lavinia is so unlikeable at first that I had my doubts still 3 chapters in about whether or not to keep reading... That combined with a slight dislike of the "mistaken identity" trope is probably what detracted from this book the most for me. But as I continued reading, I was truly impressed to see Lavinia's character growth. She doesn't change completely, which makes it more realistic. Neal too was a well-rounded character (I didn't think he was one-dimensional at all, unlike what some other readers interpreted.) The two together should not have made sense, but that's how some relationships work even better. Neal and the real Muriel wouldn't have suited very well at all, in my opinion.

I can't say this book will ever be one of my favorites, but I truly enjoyed the care and subtleties that Joanna Lowell took in writing this romance... I wish all romance novels had this level of character development! ( )

Heartwarming Victorian romance of a ‘mean’ girl of the ton!

Lavina Yardley, once the unlikeable yet reigning belle of the ballroom, has been brought low. That blow forces her to reevaluate her life. The woman they called Perfection is now:
Forced by the incarceration of her rogue father currently residing in Holloway Prison.
Forced by the loss of the rake who touted marriage, evinced seduction and managed to die.
Forced by the pleas and machinations of her mother to marry a pig of a man—a sexually repulsive overweight old duke
Now cut off from Society, removed from her home and living in a less salubrious hotel, what were the alternatives for Lavina? Governess…Shopgirl…Parlourmaid? Lavina chooses Duchess to the gross Duke of Weston.
And then, enroute to the Duke’s country home, after the wedding ceremony, Lavina walks across the rail tracks, and hidden from view, meets Neal Traymayne, an intrepid plant hunter, who mistakes her for a fellow botanist. Lo and behold, Lavina, boldly and desperately, assumes the identity of Mrs Muriel Pendrake.
And ‘just like that’ Lavina discovers her worth, her true grit, as she steps out across the Cornish moors.
Oh sure, this make believe pirate captain that Lavina sees herself as has setbacks, but she sails through them—until she can’t. Until the true Muriel and Lavina’s past catches up with her.
I was uttterly captivated by Lavina, her struggles to find her own voice and where she belongs. Not what she wants to do but who she really is.

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley ( )