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

Tour Review & Giveaway - - The Marquess Next Door

The Marquess Next Door

by Virginia Heath

The Talk of the Beau Monde - Book 2

Publisher: Harlequin Historical

Release Date: June 29, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

A dashing new neighbor…

 Temptation on her doorstep!

To avoid an unwanted suitor at a ball, Hope Brookes asks another gentleman to rescue her. He obliges—with a surprisingly passionate kiss! He's revealed as her sinfully handsome new neighbor, Lucius, Marquess of Thundersley, and they forge a friendship over their balconies. It’s refreshing that Lucius is more interested in her writer dreams than her looks, so why can’t she stop thinking about that kiss?

PJ's Thoughts: 

I've been looking forward to Hope's story since meeting her in her sister's book, The Viscount's Unconventional Lady. (And, let me tell you, this is one very unconventional Regency family!) She immediately captured my attention with her love of gothic fiction, determination to be a published novelist, pithy set-downs of men who can't see beyond her impressive bosom, and feelings of not living up to the talents and accomplishments of the rest of her family. I immediately wanted to be her friend and that feeling only intensified as I read her story.

Luke is one of my favorite heroes this year. I loved his kindness, his humor, his protective nature (maybe not quite so protective but reasons are explained and understandable) and his respect for Hope's intelligence and career dreams. I loved the friendship they formed (those late night balcony-to-balcony conversations - sigh), the chemistry that sizzled between them, the desire he held in control and the consent that was always foremost in their interactions. I was firmly in Hope's corner when the major "black moment" misunderstanding occurred but, considering past events in his life, I understood why he reacted as he did. Didn't like it, but understood it, appreciated his full acceptance of the blame when he finally figured out what he had done, and love, love, loved the consequences for the  person responsible for orchestrating that black moment. What a visual! 😊

Virginia Heath has become one of my favorite historical romance authors. I adore her fully-formed characters, sparkling banter, effervescent humor, depth of emotion, and willingness to explore difficult topics (discussed freely today) while keeping them historically accurate. I especially appreciated how she handled the painful and difficult past of Luke's mother, what had happened to her in the past, and the present-day impact on both Maria and Luke, with sensitivity and truth. 

The Marquess Next Door stands well on its own though I also loved oldest sister Faith's story in The Viscount's Unconventional Lady and highly recommend that as well (link to my review). Meanwhile, youngest sister, Charity, showed surprising, and well-hidden, depths in book two that have me eager for her turn to find love in book three, How Not to Chaperon a Lady. That one is scheduled to be released September 28th. 

CW: Postpartum depression, attempted suicide (off page - discussed after the fact)

Have you read Virginia Heath's Harlequin Historical Romances yet?

Do you have favorite HH authors?

 

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When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Despite that, it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

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