read my review on demonlover's

3.5 flames

Witty banter and a fun cast of characters lead this romantic comedy.

It’s a light and fun story. I really enjoyed Amy and her designs. Amy is a wallflower, she tends to be docile and sweet, kind and her shy exterior hides a brilliant mind for design. After feeling that none of the fashionable gowns ever made her look fashionable, Amy decides to figure out why. Studying fashion plates, and working with a modiste, Amy realizes she has quite the eye for fashion. She also realizes that not every girl will look fabulous in the same gown. So Amy begins to design her own.

This is Amy’s last Season, and she vows that while she may not be the most beautiful woman at the ball, she will be the most beautifully dressed woman there. And she is. Elegant, well-dressed, and still as tongue-tied as ever. Only one man seems to frustrate her so much, she is able to get around her shyness. Will Darcett.

Will wants nothing more than to leave his meddlesome family and go back to the Continent. His family, however, has called a family meeting and told him that he can’t go. They pressure Hawk (his elder brother) to cut off his funds. Will decides to win his freedom by winning at cards. Unfortunately for all his winning, he ends up in debt for 20,000 pounds! He knows Amy has a fortune, and if he compromises her, he can pay off his debt. Luckily, Will has a conscience, and after a botched shot at getting Amy alone, he feels that it is beneath him to marry her for money.

But they are found locked in a wine cellar (overnight) and they wind up marrying anyway. I feel like the first 100 pages were more about Amy and Will separately, than about Amy and Will together. It was a very slow romance, but a very fast marriage. This is where Amy tells Will she needs more than just lust, she needs to get to know him. They make a wager, and give each other 3 weeks to court, unless Will can seduce her first. I enjoyed the fun antics, the witty banter -I love Vicky Dreiling’s sense of humor, and how it shows in her writing.

This was a fun and light-hearted romance. I enjoyed it, although I felt that for a cast of characters who seems to be able to sit down and have very rational conversations, the two big giant secrets could have been talked about in one of the many family meetings and been done and over with.

***Thank you to the author and Grand Central for the review copy