This week's Wednesday Wonders is participating in a blog tour for:
To Suit a Suitor
by Paula Kremser McKellips
About the Book:
"She moved closer, holding her breath. She
could see the small creature rubbing its front legs together, oblivious to her
approach. She desperately wanted to prove to herself that she could catch
something.”
Much to her mother’s annoyance, Julia North
can’t catch a husband. After what seems like the hundredth lost suitor, Julia
leaves London to visit a distant cousin, hoping to forget about husband hunting
for a time. She inadvertently finds herself in the society of Henry
Chamberlain, the most desirable gentleman in Somersetshire. With every young
lady in town competing for his attention, Julia assumes she doesn’t have a
chance. What she doesn’t know is that her desire to avoid Henry’s attention may
be the very thing that catches it.
Excerpt:
As he approached her, he began smiling in
anticipation. He certainly enjoyed reminding her of their first encounter. “Do
you not think I’m brave?” he asked by way of greeting.
She looked confused at his question, then
mistrustful, probably aware of what he was leading up to. “I don’t know you
well enough to judge, sir,” came her proper reply.
Her effort to be proper and distant made
it almost too easy. “It’s how well I know you that makes me brave. I’ve seen
you catch your prey, and yet I’ve just taken my life in my own hands and
approached you.”
Her annoyance was evident, but Henry was
happy to observe that she was trying to hide her amusement. He could see her
smile in her profile as she turned away from him. He wanted to recapture her
attention.
“I hope you will reward me for my bravery
by dancing the next set with me, Miss North.” He waited for her to say yes so
he could take her hand and lead her to the floor.
She didn’t answer right away, and he
looked down at her in surprise as her eyes darted about the room. With
indecision in her countenance she said, “No, thank you, Mr. Chamberlain, I . .
. I umm . . .”
Was she trying to think of an excuse for
refusing him? “you . . . what?” He waited expectantly. It was an extremely
uncommon thing for him to be turned down—so uncommon that he couldn’t remember
a single instance when it had ever happened.
She finally just shrugged one shoulder and
said, “I won’t be dancing with you.”
His eyes narrowed just a bit as he
scrutinized her. “I saw you dance with Alec Hibbert, your first catch of the
evening. I assume he didn’t bite?” She gave him a withering look for that
comment, which caused him to smile broadly. “So surely it’s safe to dance with
me too.”
He held out his hand to her, feeling quite
sure that her unusual reluctance would give way. Instead, she obviously
contrived a casual manner and said airily, “No, thank you.”
My Book Review:
This story was a study in personalities and relationships. Set in the Regency period, the rules and expectations of courtship were such that many young women of the ton were taught rigid rules of behavior when courting. Julia, a young woman in her third season follows these rules, but still is repeatedly rejected and wonders why.
The motivation for Julia and her sister to marry anyone suitable regardless of their personal feelings for a prospective spouse is provided by their mother, a widow, who has her own selfish agenda. The younger, Harriet, seems to be more successful, but Julia, to escape repeated failures to attract suitors while not understanding why the men are not interested in her grabs at an opportunity to leave the social scene of London to spend two months with an older cousin in the country. There she encounters a slightly different society, one where the desires of the local young women center on a very handsome man, Henry, who is well aware of how appealing he is to women and has become adept at playing on his appeal while keeping women at a distance.
Henry was an interesting character. Used to women falling all over him, he finds himself dealing with Julia who refuses to make a fool of herself by feeding his ego. He suffers rejection by a woman for the first time. The author did a good job of portraying him and how his experiences had shaped him and influenced his attitudes.
This is an enjoyable clean romance. There is not a lot of action or suspense outside of the romance elements, but the characters are well-developed and their interaction make the story. It prompts me to feel grateful I live where I do and in this period of time.
This story was a study in personalities and relationships. Set in the Regency period, the rules and expectations of courtship were such that many young women of the ton were taught rigid rules of behavior when courting. Julia, a young woman in her third season follows these rules, but still is repeatedly rejected and wonders why.
The motivation for Julia and her sister to marry anyone suitable regardless of their personal feelings for a prospective spouse is provided by their mother, a widow, who has her own selfish agenda. The younger, Harriet, seems to be more successful, but Julia, to escape repeated failures to attract suitors while not understanding why the men are not interested in her grabs at an opportunity to leave the social scene of London to spend two months with an older cousin in the country. There she encounters a slightly different society, one where the desires of the local young women center on a very handsome man, Henry, who is well aware of how appealing he is to women and has become adept at playing on his appeal while keeping women at a distance.
Henry was an interesting character. Used to women falling all over him, he finds himself dealing with Julia who refuses to make a fool of herself by feeding his ego. He suffers rejection by a woman for the first time. The author did a good job of portraying him and how his experiences had shaped him and influenced his attitudes.
This is an enjoyable clean romance. There is not a lot of action or suspense outside of the romance elements, but the characters are well-developed and their interaction make the story. It prompts me to feel grateful I live where I do and in this period of time.
About the Author:
Paula Kremser focused on a career in science for a few years
after graduating from Brigham Young University. Several years later when she
moved with her young family to England, Paula seized the opportunity to focus
on her love of the Regency Era. The enchantment of the aristocracy and the
fascinating stories from every stately home she visits have been both research
and inspiration for her first novel, Sophia. Paula lives with her husband and
four children in a charming village nestled in the Chiltern hills in Buckinghamshire.
Author Platform Links:
Purchase Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment