Sophronia Lattimore had her romantic dreams destroyed years ago and is resigned to her role as chaperone for her cousin. Still, she cannot sit idly by when she becomes aware that a gentleman is about to propose to the wrong woman. She sends him an anonymous letter that is soon the talk of the town, particularly when her advice proves to be correct. Her identity is discovered and Sophie, formerly a wallflower, becomes sought after for her “expert” matchmaking skills.
One person who seeks her out is the eligible and attractive Sir Edmund Winslow. As Sophie assists Sir Edmund in his pursuit of a wife, she wishes she could recommend herself as his bride. However, she vows to remain uninvolved while aiding him in his search (especially since the gentleman surely does not return her affections).
But when her long-lost love and Sir Edmund both seem to be interested in courting her, Sophie can’t figure out if she’s headed for another broken heart or for the altar. How can she be expected to help other people sort out their romantic lives when her own is such a disaster?
Release Date: Aug 10, 2021
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $9.99
Miss Sophronia Latimore wrote a letter in the service of a friend to prevent the man she loves from marrying the wrong woman when the right woman has always been in front of him. Sophie gets outed as the author of this infamous letter, and life will never be the same for her.
The one thing Sophie was sure of was that she was done living as a poor relation and lonely spinster. She was determined to end her stay in Bath with an engagement. She was just not sure to which gentleman.
I absolutely love matchmaker stories and was so excited for this one. Unfortunately, there were some pretty big problems that hampered my overall enjoyment of this story.
First, there is a love triangle between the heroine, Sophie, and two suitors, Mr. Maitland, a man from her past that she fancied herself in love with, and Sir Edmund Winslow, who she is helping to find a bride. This was executed poorly because Sophie spent more time on page with the man that she did not end up with than the hero. I honestly could not believe or understand their relationship because they barely had any conversations with each other. No chemistry. Zip. Nada. Zero. It felt like their relationship was an afterthought instead of the star of the story.
There were also an excessive amount of side stories going on at the same time. I think this story could have been better had the focus been on the main couple and growing their relationship organically instead of focusing so much on the side romances.
Romance is so much more than the telling. It’s in the showing. Those little touches between a couple that convey the depth of their emotions for each other. I kept hoping that on the next page I would feel anything between these characters. I never did. I felt the author spent most of the time explaining their feelings instead of showing us how they couldn’t stay away from each other or kept thinking about each other.
Fans of Elizabeth Everett and Evie Dunmore may enjoy this book by Suzanne Allain.
~ Michelle
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