Review - - The Viscount Who Vexed Me

The Viscount Who Vexed Me

by Julia London

A Royal Match - Book 3

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Release Date: May 23, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Daring. Darling. Determined.

Next to the Season’s newest diamond, Harriet (Hattie) Woodchurch feels like a plain Jane. But that’s of no consequence, since Hattie’s plan for her future is to earn enough to live far, far away from her embarrassing family.

That is until Mateo Vincente, Duke of Santiava and newly minted Viscount Abbott, arrives in London. While the shy European’s spoken English is impeccable, his writing is less fluent. The ton is eager to meet the handsome bachelor, and so many invitations flood in that Mateo needs a correspondence secretary.

With her perfect penmanship and way with words, Hattie is recommended, and the two bond over books and the ton’s eligible ladies. But when Hattie’s friend Flora becomes smitten with the viscount, things get complicated. Flora is tongue-tied in his presence. To help, Hattie feeds her information about Mateo’s interests. Soon things turn around and Flora appears on track to become his duchess. Yet for Mateo, something’s not quite right. Conversation with Flora isn’t as scintillating as it is with Hattie…

PJ's Thoughts:

I adored this story! It may just be my favorite book by Julia London and I've read a whole lot of books by her. It's filled with sweet moments, frustrating family, sparkling banter, a determined matchmaker, and a lead couple who captured my heart. 

I want to be Hattie's friend. I like her, respect her, admire her. Her so-called friends don't deserve her, her family doesn't deserve her, her louse of an ex-fiancé certainly didn't deserve her. You know who does? Teo, Duke of Santiava and Viscount Abbott. He deserves her. And Hattie deserves him. It's like these two were made for one another. I loved how London brought them together then slowly guided them along the path to friendship, understanding, and, finally, love. It was so much fun to watch Hattie take life by the horns, discarding society's "rules" and fully embracing her true self. She's a talkative breath of fresh air in Teo's quiet life, engaging him as an equal, unafraid to speak her mind, and charming not only him but his entire staff. 

And then there's Teo, a quiet man who has retreated into himself after a lifetime of verbal abuse from his father. With Hattie, he comes alive. With Hattie, he finds his voice. With Hattie, he shares all parts of himself, even his secret hobby (A duke/viscount who whips up the most delicious pastries in London? Yes, please!). With Hattie, he allows himself to be vulnerable while also finding his strength. An endearing combination that capture not only Hattie's heart but mine as well. 

Are there obstacles to overcome in this cross-class romance? Absolutely. Hallie's obnoxious family and Teo's overbearing mother, just to name two. But with the unexpected help of a determined matchmaker who believes in love and a gentleman nanny/uncle/what exactly is he who seems to know everything about everyone, these two just might find their way to a happily ever after. I was with them, cheering them on, every step of the way.

Bonus: for those of you who enjoy a good epilogue, this one is an absolute delight that had me laughing, sighing, and cheering, especially over a certain "twist" pertaining to finding one's voice. I loved it! 

The Viscount Who Vexed Me is the third book in Julia London's A Royal Match series. There are a few characters from the first two books who have key secondary roles in this one (the matchmaker, for one) but Hattie's and Teo's journey is fully contained within this third book. In my opinion, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. However, I do recommend both book one, Last Duke Standing (read my review) and book two, The Duke Not Taken.(read my review).

The next book in this series, An Inconvenient Earl, is scheduled to be published in December of this year. I already have it on pre-order. 

Review - - The Duke Not Taken

The Duke Not Taken

by Julia London

A Royal Match - Book 2

Publisher: HQN

Release Date: September 27, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

Impossible. Infuriating. Intoxicating.

Ever since her sister became queen two years ago, Amelia Ivanosen, Princess of Wesloria, has been flirting and skirting scandal—just barely. Before she does anything too outlandish, she is sent to England and Lila Alexander, illustrious matchmaker to the ton, is recruited. Respectably ensconced at the country estate of a family friend, Amelia is introduced to many eligible bachelors, but…there is no spark. There never seems to be unless the man is completely wrong for her.

Next door lives Joshua Parker, Duke of Marley, who is grumpy and reclusive—for good reason. His first wife died in childbirth. When Marley is dragged by a friend to his neighbor’s soiree, he and Amelia instantly dislike each other. Their banter is snarky and heated. He’s a stuck-up smarty-pants; she’s a self-involved, annoying princess.

Sparks fly when they’re together—fireworks actually—but they loathe each other. Really. So why can’t they stop thinking about each other?

PJ's Thoughts:

After meeting Amelia (heroine's younger sister) in Last Duke Standing, I was quite curious about what London planned to do with her when the time came for her own story. In her sister's book, Amelia comes across as spoiled and self-centered, but still staunchly supportive of her sister, the future queen. In other words, a complex character, my favorite kind. In The Duke Not Taken, we finally discover exactly what makes Amelia tick, what it is she has been longing for all these years, and the journey is an absolute delight. I've already read the book twice. In fact, it's ended up being one of my all-time favorites written by Julia London. 

In London's capable hands, the characters in this book (even the four-legged ones) practically leap from the pages. They are all wonderfully developed, including secondary characters, though it's Amelia and Joshua who take the lead. The friction between these two could start a forest fire (though actual romantic scenes are very mild). Their banter is lively, witty, and non-stop but when we finally reach the point where it takes a deeper turn, London gives them the opportunity to reveal their hearts, their fears, and their dreams in a sweet, poignant way that they've not done with anyone else. Their slowly evolving romance is endearing, snarky, humorous in parts, heart-tugging in others, and had me cheering them on throughout. 

The secondary cast shines without taking the spotlight from our opinionated princess (who just wants to be like everyone else) and grumpy duke (who just wants to be left alone). The young girls are hilarious and help reveal hidden facets of Amelia's personality while driving Joshua around the bend with their loud and off-key singing...until the youngest among them starts knocking down the walls around his heart. Miles, Lord Clarendon, is the kind of best friend every brokenhearted duke deserves. Lila, the matchmaker is at her wit's end trying to match a princess who seems set on taking the most difficult path to love possible. And Donovan, who has appeared in both book one of this series and in the A Royal Wedding series, just may be my favorite Julia London character ever. If you've yet to meet Donovan, picture Mary Poppins as a drop-dead gorgeous, gay man beloved by parents and children alike, and you have Donovan. Wherever he goes, laughter, joy, and well-planned organization follow. There's a garden scene in this book involving Donovan that could easily be missed if you blink, but its poignant simplicity is enormous for its emotional depth. My thanks to the author for including it. It filled my heart with joy and brought me to tears. 

And then there are the letters. I adore an epistolary romance. So much is revealed, even - maybe especially - when the letter writers don't realize to whom they're writing. The letters between "a concerned resident of Devonshire" (actually Joshua) and the "Master of the Iddesleigh School for Girls" (actually written by Amelia) are humorous, thought-provoking, and such a delightful way of offering insight into these two characters as well as (unknowingly) deepening the relationship between the two. 

Finally, London wraps things up with an epilogue (I do love epilogues) that had the happy tears flowing. This book made me laugh, snort, sigh, and, yes, cry. It's going to my keeper shelf. I have a feeling it's destined to become one of those comfort reads I turn to when I need a feel-good story to soothe my soul. 

 

Review - - Last Duke Standing

Last Duke Standing

by Julia London

A Royal Match - Book 1

Publisher: HQN

Release Date: February 22, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

Charming. Cheeky. Cunning.

When Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria is sent to England to learn the ropes of royalty, she falls under the tutelage of none other than Queen Victoria herself. Justine’s also in the market for a proper husband—one fit to marry the future queen of Wesloria.

Because he knows simply everyone, William, Lord Douglas (the notoriously rakish heir to the Duke of Hamilton seat in Scotland, and decidedly not husband material), is on hand as an escort of sorts. William has been recruited to keep an eye on the royal matchmaker for the Weslorian prime minister, tasked to ensure the princess is matched with a man of quality…and one who will be sympathetic to the prime minister’s views.

As William and Justine are forced to scrutinize an endless parade of England’s best bachelors, they become friends. But when the crowd of potential grooms is steadily culled, what if William is the last bachelor standing?

PJ's Thoughts:

This book was an absolute delight and exactly what I needed. It touched my heart with its depth of emotion, had me snickering over snarky banter, and laughing out loud with its well-placed humor. 

London's characters were well developed and portrayed so vividly that they seemed to leap from the pages. I felt an immediate affinity with William though it took me longer to warm up to Justine. I liked that, as it allowed me to experience her growing self-confidence once she was out from under the pressure of the "minders" in her country. It was fun (sometimes hilariously so) to watch these two come to terms with their growing feelings with each disastrous marriage candidate the matchmaker presented to Justine. It was heart-tugging to experience the emotional peaks and valleys as they faced challenging obstacles in their paths. But that's what made the conclusion of their journey, William's unexpected gesture, and Justine's confident strength, so swoon worthy and satisfying. 

Last Duke Standing is loosely connected to London's A Royal Wedding trilogy and it is in these books that we first meet William and Justine, as secondary characters in A Princess by Christmas. London inserts details of their previous encounters in such a way that readers should be able to begin their story in this new book without missing any of the nuances of their previous encounters. However, if want to experience those earlier encounters or you're intrigued by some of the secondary characters in Last Duke Standing, specifically Donovan, the male governess (though he prefers governor) to Beck's daughters, you may want to check out these books: The Princess Plan, A Royal Kiss & Tell, and A Princess by Christmas.