MARCH 2017 - AudioFile
A teaser at the end of Kleypas's previous Ravenels book, DEVIL IN WINTER, left fans clamoring for this new installment. Listeners of the series will remember Pandora from the first two Ravenel books, and she really shines here. Mary Jane Wells perfectly captures Pandora's naïveté, outspokenness, and frustration with a society that marginalizes women.The leading man in the story is the son of longtime Kleypas favorites Sebastian and Evie. While this new story doesn't inspire quite the same regard as its predecessor, it’s a well-written and superbly narrated romance with an endearing heroine. Wells particularly excels at the dialogue scenes, bringing the listener right into the story. L.C.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars)
Kleypas has the ability to play on readers’ heartstrings in ways that compel them to laughter and tears, and allow them to create a deep emotional attachment to her characters. […] Once more, Kleypas proves why she is the grand dame of the genre.
Library Journal
★ 02/15/2017
Lady Pandora Ravenel has plans—business plans—for her future, and they don't include marriage. But when she agrees to do a risky favor for a friend, she ends up stuck in a summerhouse and rescued by Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, one of the ton's most eligible bachelors. Now Pandora is faced with scandal or marriage, and her choice is definitely not marriage. It isn't Gabriel's first choice, either. Yet with her unconventional ideas and quicksilver mind, Pandora is as irresistible as she is independent, and Gabriel realizes that he would do just about anything to get her to agree to marry him—even remove obey from the vows. Spot-on historical detail, hilarious dialog, and an exquisitely appealing heroine make this book a winner. VERDICT Quirky, witty, and sexy, this compelling romp is absolute bliss. An addictive tale that readers won't want to put down. Kleypas (Marrying Winterborne) lives in Washington State.
MARCH 2017 - AudioFile
A teaser at the end of Kleypas's previous Ravenels book, DEVIL IN WINTER, left fans clamoring for this new installment. Listeners of the series will remember Pandora from the first two Ravenel books, and she really shines here. Mary Jane Wells perfectly captures Pandora's naïveté, outspokenness, and frustration with a society that marginalizes women.The leading man in the story is the son of longtime Kleypas favorites Sebastian and Evie. While this new story doesn't inspire quite the same regard as its predecessor, it’s a well-written and superbly narrated romance with an endearing heroine. Wells particularly excels at the dialogue scenes, bringing the listener right into the story. L.C.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-01-23
When two strangers are found alone in a summerhouse during a ball in Victorian London, they're forced into an engagement neither of them wants—at first.Lady Pandora Ravenel is a social disaster. She can't dance, she despises small talk, and she has no interest in finding a husband. She's also very clumsy. So no one is surprised when she ventures out to a summerhouse during a ball to look for a friend's lost earring and gets stuck while reaching under a piece of furniture. Gabriel Challon, Lord St. Vincent, happens along to rescue her. They're discovered by the host of the ball, and Gabriel is forced to propose. Pandora is horrified. She's a budding businesswoman and has no intention of ceding control of her life and all her future earnings to a husband. Slowly, Gabriel's horror over being leg-shackled to this unconventional girl turns into physical temptation and then a burning desire to make her his wife. Pandora keeps her head and demands alterations in the wedding ceremony and various legal protections before she agrees. Pandora's oddities are a bit overwritten, and in many scenes she appears naïve to the point of being unbelievable. Gabriel is a more successful character, possessing enough intelligence and self-control that it's satisfying to watch him lose his mind slightly over his inability to control his bride. Aside from the slightly disappointing heroine, though, Kleypas (Marrying Winterbourne, 2016, etc.) is in good form in the third novel of her series about the Ravenels. Her signature formula, the suave and sexy hero falling for a frumpy wallflower, still produces a captivating read. Fans will appreciate cameos by some of the author's most beloved characters, and the world of Victorian England is drawn with Kleypas' usual sharp wit and well-researched political nuances. A funny and charming story that will delight readers from the first page to the last.
