Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Review - - How Not to Chaperon a Lady

How Not to Chaperon a Lady
by Virginia Heath
The Talk of the Beau Monde - Book 3
Publisher: Harlequin Historical
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Reviewed by PJ


His childhood nemesis…


…is the woman he can’t resist!

Chaperoning Charity Brookes while she’s on a singing tour should be easy for Griffith Philpot—he’s spent his whole life sparring with her over her flighty ways! But as he discovers that she’s much more than the impetuous girl he thought he knew, a passion ignites between them… Sharing a steamy kiss leaves him torn—he’s supposed to be responsible for guarding her virtue!



PJ's Thoughts:

The final book in Heath's The Talk of the Beau Monde trilogy pairs youngest Brookes sister, Charity with her long-time nemesis, Griffith Philpot, older brother of Charity's best friend. I've enjoyed Charity's growth arc over the course of this series. She showed glimpses of hidden layers in the second book, The Marquess Next Door that made me think there might be more to her than readers had been shown. In this third book, Heath begins to unravel Charity's layers, allowing us to see the layers that make her a more complete, and complex, character than she had seemed. It was enjoyable to watch her evolve.

Griff, on the other hand, seemed stuck in a rut, both in the way he lived his life and his opinions of Charity. Even when things began to warm between them, he still treated her with condescension and disdain. I wanted to see more advancement of their communication and understanding, more of an equal footing between them. Griff does eventually come around but not before many hurtful things are said and done. It takes a monumental grovel to make amends and it takes pretty much the entire book to get there. 

I was satisfied with the conclusion of this story, and I did enjoy reading it, but I didn't love it the way I did books one and two. Still, I do enthusiastically recommend this trilogy and if you enjoy an angst-filled, enemies-to-lovers romance, with plenty of snappy dialogue and friction, give How Not to Chaperon a Lady a try. 

~~~~~

Charity is an up and coming opera singer. Do you enjoy opera? 

Do you like a lot of angst in your romances or do you prefer more light-hearted stories?


Birthday Giveaway #28:

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, September 30 will receive a Kindle copy of The Marquess Next Door by Virginia Heath, my favorite book of the trilogy. 

*Open to anyone who has the ability to receive a Kindle book from Amazon U.S.

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited


8 comments:

  1. I like angst but I need to know beforehand and be in the mood for it.

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  2. I've honestly never attended an opera or listened to an entire soundtrack. That said, there are some well known songs from operas that I enjoy. As far as angst goes . . . I enjoy a bit of it but not too much. I've read books that I've been tempted to DNF because of the total angstfest getting in the way of the actual story. (If that makes sense)

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  3. I'm sorry, but I don't particularly love either opera or a lot of angst in the books I read. A few authors pull off angst (Emma Scott and Amy Harmon come to mind), and Ann Patchett certainly made opera readable in Bel Canto, all of which just proves that there are always exceptions to rules!

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  4. I like angsty books and I like light-hearted books.

    denise

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  5. I was lucky to live in Chicago with the Civic Opera House. I have been to a few. I do like books with angst but not all the time.

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  6. I enjoy opera, but I have to be in the mood for it. The talent and ability of the performers is amazing.
    As for reading, again what I read depends on my mood. I do enjoy stories with angst, but sometimes, something light and fun is just what I need.

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  7. I do enjoy opera, especially when I go with my hubby. Angst can benefit a story, depending on how it's used,

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  8. I love both angst and the opposite, it really depends on my mood.

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