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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I've had a bit of a rough week and was in the mood for some pure escapism, so when this popped up on my Kindle I was delighted.
The Debutante's Daring Proposal is a historical romance set in Regency England. The story is about two childhood friends, Edmund and Georgiana, who are now grown up. Edmund is the Earl of Ashenden and Georgiana is about to be launched on Society. They grew apart after Edmund was sent away (for his health) to the Scilly Isles, but now he's returned and Georgiana wants to ask a favour. If he would agree to marry her, she could stay in the village she loves and wouldn't have to marry a stranger.
Edmund's first inclination is to say 'no'. He feels he no longer has anything in common with this brittle society miss, but then he has a change of heart. Perhaps he could act as match-maker and find Georgiana a husband? Right ... What possible flaw could there be in that plan?
As with all Annie Burrows's books, I loved the humour, much of which is derived from the witty dialogue and misunderstandings between the two main characters. I particularly loved Georgiana who, despite the best efforts of her step-mother, is still a tomboy at heart - when we first meet her she is up to her ankles in mud. Edmund's friends, who give him lots of 'helpful' advice are also entertaining.
The Debutante's Daring Proposal is a sweet, romantic story, with no sex scenes until the very end, and I'm sure anyone who loves historical romance will adore it.
Note: The story is #3 in a series called Regency Bachelors. #1 was Lord Havelock's List and #2 was a novella called Governess to Christmas Bride, but you don't have to have read them to enjoy this story.
The Debutante's Daring Proposal is a historical romance set in Regency England. The story is about two childhood friends, Edmund and Georgiana, who are now grown up. Edmund is the Earl of Ashenden and Georgiana is about to be launched on Society. They grew apart after Edmund was sent away (for his health) to the Scilly Isles, but now he's returned and Georgiana wants to ask a favour. If he would agree to marry her, she could stay in the village she loves and wouldn't have to marry a stranger.
Edmund's first inclination is to say 'no'. He feels he no longer has anything in common with this brittle society miss, but then he has a change of heart. Perhaps he could act as match-maker and find Georgiana a husband? Right ... What possible flaw could there be in that plan?
As with all Annie Burrows's books, I loved the humour, much of which is derived from the witty dialogue and misunderstandings between the two main characters. I particularly loved Georgiana who, despite the best efforts of her step-mother, is still a tomboy at heart - when we first meet her she is up to her ankles in mud. Edmund's friends, who give him lots of 'helpful' advice are also entertaining.
The Debutante's Daring Proposal is a sweet, romantic story, with no sex scenes until the very end, and I'm sure anyone who loves historical romance will adore it.
Note: The story is #3 in a series called Regency Bachelors. #1 was Lord Havelock's List and #2 was a novella called Governess to Christmas Bride, but you don't have to have read them to enjoy this story.
Good second chance/friends to lovers story. Georgie and Edmund had been good friends as children. Both of them had been labeled as "different" and as a result were also each other's only friend. Georgie was a tomboy, more interested in fishing, fencing, and outdoor pursuits than in the "girly" ones of fashion, needlework, and gossip. Edmund was fascinated by bugs and all things scientific. As the heir to an earl, Edmund's mother didn't want him associating with "common" children, so he was very isolated. When Edmund became ill, Georgie found ways to sneak in and see him, until it all came to a crashing end. Edmund was sent away to recover from his illness, and both he and Georgie promised to write. But as months went by with no letters, each believed that the other had abandoned their friendship.
Georgie has grown up and changed from the hoyden that she used to be. After Edmund's departure, her father remarried and her stepmother went to great pains to turn Georgie into a lady. Her methods were extreme and Georgie has buried the girl she used to be under a façade of propriety. Now that her father has died, she and her stepmother and stepsister have lost their home. Her stepmother is determined to marry the two girls off to titled husbands. Georgie has a fear of marriage due to something she witnessed and is desperate to avoid the marriage mart. She remembers that Edmund had promised to help her if she ever needed it, and comes up with a desperate plan.
Edmund is shocked when his first communication from Georgie in years results in an incredible proposal. She wants him to marry her and in return she will leave him to pursue his own interests with no interference from her. All she asks is that he doesn't consummate the marriage. Still angry over what he sees as her abandonment, he shoots her down most emphatically. But it isn't long before he feels guilty and decides to go to London and find a way to help her that doesn't involve him marrying her.
I enjoyed the development of Edmund and Georgie's relationship. It is still antagonistic at the beginning as each confronts the other about their past actions. But there are indications that their previous friendship isn't as dead as they thought it was. I liked the way that their former openness began to resurface as they spent more time together. It was great fun to see Edmund go from wanting to play matchmaker to realizing that he didn't want her to marry some other man. He is completely oblivious to the reason he is so reluctant to hand her over as he comes up with reason after reason that this man or that one is unsuitable. He also becomes very protective of her, which lands him in an awkward situation but also opens his eyes.
Meanwhile, Georgie is stuck doing what she doesn't want - entertaining gentlemen callers who aren't truly interested in her. I ached for her as she dealt with the constant criticisms from her stepmother while trying to find an acceptable solution to her predicament. I liked seeing her real personality begin to reemerge whenever she was with Edmund. I enjoyed seeing her call him out on some of his attitudes toward her, especially on those things she had no control over. It wasn't long before she was comparing each of her suitors to Edmund until she finally realized that it was Edmund she had wanted all along.
Both Edmund and Georgie also had to find a way to overcome their own insecurities. Though he puts on a good front, Edmund is affected by the way others see him. He frequently takes things Georgie says the wrong way as they play upon those insecurities. It was quite satisfying whenever Georgie would upend those feelings by being supportive of the real him. Georgie's insecurities have been thrust on her by her stepmother's attitudes and actions. Georgie is a tall girl with a curvy figure, nothing like the current fashion, and she can't see how any man would want her for who she is. I loved seeing her surprise whenever Edmund would compliment her. Her fears of the physical side of marriage also faded when she pictured Edmund in that role.
I enjoyed the ending as Edmund took drastic steps to gain the result that he wanted. It was fun to see the encouragement he received from his friends, who saw things much more clearly than he did. I loved that he was so willing to be whatever Georgie needed from him. The conclusion was sweet, romantic, and intense as both Edmund and Georgie were finally able to put all their fears to rest.
The secondary characters were also well done. Georgie's stepmother was vividly portrayed in her horrible attitude toward Georgie. There were many times I really wanted someone to let her have it. I was not terribly surprised by the revelation of how she came to marry Georgie's father. Edmund's mother, though she had few actual appearances in the book, had a much bigger role in their lives than either knew. Again, I wasn't surprised by what she did. I liked seeing Edmund finally stand up to her.
Georgie has grown up and changed from the hoyden that she used to be. After Edmund's departure, her father remarried and her stepmother went to great pains to turn Georgie into a lady. Her methods were extreme and Georgie has buried the girl she used to be under a façade of propriety. Now that her father has died, she and her stepmother and stepsister have lost their home. Her stepmother is determined to marry the two girls off to titled husbands. Georgie has a fear of marriage due to something she witnessed and is desperate to avoid the marriage mart. She remembers that Edmund had promised to help her if she ever needed it, and comes up with a desperate plan.
Edmund is shocked when his first communication from Georgie in years results in an incredible proposal. She wants him to marry her and in return she will leave him to pursue his own interests with no interference from her. All she asks is that he doesn't consummate the marriage. Still angry over what he sees as her abandonment, he shoots her down most emphatically. But it isn't long before he feels guilty and decides to go to London and find a way to help her that doesn't involve him marrying her.
I enjoyed the development of Edmund and Georgie's relationship. It is still antagonistic at the beginning as each confronts the other about their past actions. But there are indications that their previous friendship isn't as dead as they thought it was. I liked the way that their former openness began to resurface as they spent more time together. It was great fun to see Edmund go from wanting to play matchmaker to realizing that he didn't want her to marry some other man. He is completely oblivious to the reason he is so reluctant to hand her over as he comes up with reason after reason that this man or that one is unsuitable. He also becomes very protective of her, which lands him in an awkward situation but also opens his eyes.
Meanwhile, Georgie is stuck doing what she doesn't want - entertaining gentlemen callers who aren't truly interested in her. I ached for her as she dealt with the constant criticisms from her stepmother while trying to find an acceptable solution to her predicament. I liked seeing her real personality begin to reemerge whenever she was with Edmund. I enjoyed seeing her call him out on some of his attitudes toward her, especially on those things she had no control over. It wasn't long before she was comparing each of her suitors to Edmund until she finally realized that it was Edmund she had wanted all along.
Both Edmund and Georgie also had to find a way to overcome their own insecurities. Though he puts on a good front, Edmund is affected by the way others see him. He frequently takes things Georgie says the wrong way as they play upon those insecurities. It was quite satisfying whenever Georgie would upend those feelings by being supportive of the real him. Georgie's insecurities have been thrust on her by her stepmother's attitudes and actions. Georgie is a tall girl with a curvy figure, nothing like the current fashion, and she can't see how any man would want her for who she is. I loved seeing her surprise whenever Edmund would compliment her. Her fears of the physical side of marriage also faded when she pictured Edmund in that role.
I enjoyed the ending as Edmund took drastic steps to gain the result that he wanted. It was fun to see the encouragement he received from his friends, who saw things much more clearly than he did. I loved that he was so willing to be whatever Georgie needed from him. The conclusion was sweet, romantic, and intense as both Edmund and Georgie were finally able to put all their fears to rest.
The secondary characters were also well done. Georgie's stepmother was vividly portrayed in her horrible attitude toward Georgie. There were many times I really wanted someone to let her have it. I was not terribly surprised by the revelation of how she came to marry Georgie's father. Edmund's mother, though she had few actual appearances in the book, had a much bigger role in their lives than either knew. Again, I wasn't surprised by what she did. I liked seeing Edmund finally stand up to her.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A sweet story that focused on the meeting of minds, very enjoyable.