A review by guiltlesspleasures
A Perilous Flirtation by Felicity Niven

dark emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

There’s a corner of my book rating system with a population of two: Sherry Thomas and Jennifer McQuiston. In this corner, ratings become difficult. Every book by these authors is wonderfully written, and even if I give them four stars or even three, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t love them. 

Well, welcome to the corner, Felicity Niven. Like Thomas and McQuiston, she does something different than pretty much everyone else writing historical romance today, and I stand in awe of her craft. 

That’s not to say her books are perfect. In this one, for example, I needed a setdown of Giles and a little less agonizing by Alasdair and Arabella about whether the other person truly loved them. I also found it hard to pin down Arabella’s personality for ages—in the beginning, she comes across as quite dim and childish, but then we are told she’s very smart and “dauntless.” Finally, I wish they’d known each other for just a titch longer than 10 minutes before they fell madly in love (unbeknownst to each other). 

But those notes aside, I loved watching these two romantics fall in love properly: Arabella with her bold flirtation and wandering hands, and Alasdair with his awkwardness and virginal shyness. Their experimentation is hot (and realistic) throughout and then sets the page ablaze when they finally get their sh*t together. 

There are two medical scenes that made my toes curl, a road trip (yay!) and even a little mystery. 

And throughout, Niven’s exquisite prose and finely drawn characters.