Review - - A Simple Marriage

A Simple Marriage

by Janna MacGregor

Publisher: Janna MacGregor

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

In the high-stakes game of Regency London’s marriage mart, Lady Pippa Ardeerton rolls the dice with a plan more audacious than wearing last season's gown: snagging a husband to bankroll her dream dress shop. Dispatching marriage proposals like invitations to a ball, Pippa aims for a match made in mercantile heaven, where love is optional, but silk is mandatory. Enter Lord Hugh Calthorpe, the Marquess of Ravenscroft, her brother’s dashing best friend, who accidentally intercepts her matrimonial missives. Hugh, whose commitment to bachelorhood is as firm as his abs, finds himself entangled in Pippa’s quest for a Mr. Right Now, all while dodging his great-aunt's threats of disinheritance.

As Hugh dons the unlikely hat of Cupid, he discovers that Pippa’s kisses are more thrilling than any high society scandal. Suddenly, London's most eligible bachelor is questioning his resistance to matrimony, especially when the bride in question is as enticing as Pippa. With time ticking faster than the latest gossip, Pippa and Hugh must decide if their accidental alliance can turn into a love for the ages or if they’re destined to shop alone forever.

Will their hearts find a common thread, or will Pippa's dream shop end up as just another unfinished project? In this comedy of manners (and manors), finding love is the ultimate bargain.

PJ's Thoughts:

I said it with book one in this series and I'll say it again with this second entry. These are my favorite books that Janna MacGregor has written. The storytelling, character development, swoony romance, and family dynamics are superb. The flow of the story never wavers while slowly building the central romance to its heartfelt, sigh-worthy conclusion. And the balance of humor, heart, and spice is exactly what I look for. 

The main couple captured my heart (both of them) while the secondary cast added richness and texture with humor, conflict, and heart-tugging emotion. I especially enjoyed the layers added to Hugh's character because of his experiences with his mother's grief. It gave him depth and emotional obstacles to overcome. His great-aunt, on the other hand, was an absolute delight, offering up humor as well as challenges of another kind. 

Pippa, meanwhile, had her own emotional baggage to offload which, in addition to her unexpected - but determined - career aspirations, gave her character a wonderful depth. My heart ached for what she had experienced at the hands of her parents as a child. I understood why she chose the path she did at the beginning of the book but that also made her evolution throughout the journey all the more satisfying. I appreciated the solid foundation of friendship that formed between Hugh and Pippa before pesky emotions - and desire - found their way into their relationship. And, of course, I loved how poor Pelham responded when yet another of his beloved sisters fell for yet another of his best friends. I cannot wait to discover what MacGregor has in store for the beleaguered Duke of Pelham in his book!

This one has my enthusiastic recommendation.