A quick, enjoyable read and a fun glimpse into the world of empowered women trying to overcome the stifling rules of society. ~ Leigh – Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Synopsis:
Can a plain spinster with few prospects inspire a peacock dandy to look beneath the surface?
At the precarious age of twenty-five, Jane Mayfield can’t compete with the fresh-faced debutantes with their generous dowries. Still, she’s determined to make an advantageous love match before the end of the London season.
Alexander Gordon, the Earl of Norwich, has spent his life searching for a truth that’s often evaded him. He’s finally come to realize that the loneliness plaguing him can only be remedied by love and family. Upon venturing into the marriage mart, he encounters the plain yet charming Miss Mayfield. While she captures his attention, she’s far from the ideal match he had in mind.
When a case of mistaken identity lands them in the clutches of a professional criminal, they find themselves imprisoned with little chance of escape. A tentative alliance blossoms into enrapturing romance, but once they’re freed Jane’s heart faces a far more wrenching plight. Will Alexander still ache for her as he once did? Or was the passion between them an illusion borne from their harrowing experience?
I have enjoyed this series and the strong female characters that inhabit the world of the Scarlet Salon, and Jane is no exception. Considered a spinster by society as she was still unmarried at the ripe old age of twenty five, she was witty, down to earth and determined to live the life of her choosing, never settling for anything less than what she deserved. My problem is that at times, I felt as if she deserved more than the Earl of Norwich.
Alexander Gordon, the Earl of Norwich, was the wildcard in the story for me. At times, I truly liked him. He had a lack of warmth in his life and when Jane showed him kindness and caring, he saw beyond the plain exterior to witness the warm woman who dwelled below the surface, and it is this heart and soul that he fell in love with. Slowly realizing his true feelings for Jane, he was determined to win her over on her terms. I found his quirky attire to be endearing and his loyalty to those around him that needed his assistance to be admirable.
But for a man supposedly so experienced with women, he seemed awfully clueless. He needed so many people to point out the mistakes he was making in wooing Jane that I had to question his true prowess, and at times he came across as weaker than I would have liked.
I did enjoy this book, the ridiculous situations, and getting back to my first love of historical romances. However, my biggest issue with the story was that I was told that Jane was plain. Repeatedly. I didn’t feel that I needed to be hit over the head with this fact over and over again. Jane told us she was plain. Society and her family told her that her looks were was nothing special. As tedious as I found that, I understood the point that the author was trying to make. However, what got me was that until the very end, the Earl himself found her to be a plain peahen next to his glittering peacock appearance. I was hoping that seeing her inner beauty would enable him to not only see past her ordinary appearance, but literally no longer see it. That in his eyes, she was indeed beautiful because her inner qualities transformed what he viewed and shone through. This didn’t seem to be the case though. He continually acknowledged her plainness, but that it didn’t bother him because he loved her for who she was, not how she looked. I wanted more than this. I wanted him to love her. Full stop. Not just love her despite her plain countenance.
Overall, this book was a quick, enjoyable read and a fun glimpse into the world of empowered women trying to overcome the stifling rules of society. I just wish so much of the story didn’t surround looks, when the woman in question was so much more than just a plain Jane.
3.5 stars
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