Lily’s on the blog today, talking about must-read historical romances. Catch her list here.
The Love Match
by Lily Maxton
Sisters of Scandal #3
Historical Romance novella
About the book:
Hampshire, 1818
To her family, Olivia Middleton is a problem of the most vexing sort. With her older two sisters married off, Olivia is now the target of her mother’s matrimonial scheming. Shy and somewhat plain, Olivia prefers the thrill of a gothic novel to the hunt for a husband. And as far as her family is concerned, something must be done. But Olivia has no interest in the men paraded before her-except, perhaps, the sought-after bachelor William Cross. But she’s not about to inflate his already oversized ego by telling him so.
William has sworn never to wed, but that doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy women. What he excels at most is flirtation… unless the woman is question is Olivia Middleton. She barely bats an eyelash at his most creative compliments. She laughs at his attempts to flatter her when other ladies would swoon. William is reluctantly intrigued by Olivia, particularly when he discovers the passion simmering beneath her wallflower facade. A passion that should be to his benefit…
Because he’s determined to impress her, by fair means or foul…
Review:
A bookworm and a writer? A match made in heaven–with an absolutely sigh-worthy proposal. Why don’t more proposals involve books? An oversight, surely…
Olivia’s the last remaining Middleton sister–we saw her two elder siblings marry in The Affair and The Wager , and though she’s happy for them both, Olivia’s not sure she’ll ever have what they do. She is sure, though, that she doesn’t want to settle for less.
William, who saw his father ruined by love, suspects that he might take after his mother instead–a woman who had no qualms about leaving her husband and young son behind forever to move to a foreign country with another man. He doesn’t intend to marry, but an ill-advised slip (he told one matron he would only marry for a “love match”, fully suspecting that it would never actually happen) has made him the target for countless determined females. But the socially-awkward Olivia Middleton is the only one who’s actually caught his interest…
I loved Olivia’s tendency to blurt out patently false things when she was nervous (not on purpose, exactly–she just was usually desperate for something, anything to say and would say the first thing that came to mind, even if her next statement would be a bald contradiction of it) and how many times, even in such a short novella, those statements came back to haunt her. It definitely makes her a highly sympathetic character to shy bookworms everywhere.
Their romance is quick–most of it takes place at a house party–but sweet and believable. I loved that she stood up for herself until the end–especially since it results in the aforementioned book-themed proposal scene.
Once again, this story could definitely have been expanded into a full-length novel–I’d love to have seen more of them together, both before and after–but there is definitely something to be said for a short, sweet, sexy read that can be completed in a single morning.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A-
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
About the author:
Lily Maxton grew up in the Midwest, reading, writing, and daydreaming amidst cornfields. After graduating with a degree in English, she decided to put her natural inclinations to good use and embark on a career as a writer.
When she’s not working on a new story, she likes to tour old houses, add to her tea stash, and think of reasons to avoid housework.
Reviewer’s note: Reading is an EXCELLENT way to avoid housework. Just saying. 😉