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–Synopsis–

Clara has been missing from the London marriage mart for six years and is reluctant to return. That feeling only grows when she happens to meet Lord Eaton—a rather arrogant, proud earl who vexes her from the moment they first meet. Not wanting to allow herself to be put down by a pompous, self-righteous man, she agrees to the silly game he proposes. The first to make the better match by the end of the season . . . wins.

Wesley had not intended to meet Miss Carrow in the hedge maze in the dark of night—but that is precisely what happened. He can’t help but get a rise out of her when he finds that she is entirely too entertaining to tease. Now, they are stuck in a cut-throat competition to see who can land the better match by the end of the season.

There are no rules in their secret game—a fact that Wesley overlooked when proposing the idea. Now his plan to pursue the daughter of a duke is quickly crumbling before his very eyes . . . and not just because of Miss Carrow’s meddling. Miss Carrow herself begins to prove to be an unwanted and unplanned distraction.

Will either opponent succeed? Or will they stumble upon something deeper as they spend more and more time in each other’s company?

–Review–

Do you like Pride and Prejudice but wish it had more of a comedic tone while being shorter and easier to read? This is a great choice for your next cozy, and romantic period story.

Set in the time of lavish social gatherings, beautiful estates and Calvinistic elitism, this book does a great job of transporting the reader into the society of the past. As another dual-POV story, the perspectives of Clara and Wesley allow us to experience high class society through the lens of a Lord and a title-less Miss.

The world feels very Jane Austen-esque with the massive abodes, horse drawn carriages, beautiful historic clothing styles, and the hectic social expectations. The majority of the book is spent at balls and parties, served with idle gossip amongst the chaperones and endless dancing and intermingling of the eligible singles. It felt as though I was watching a movie, and I loved that. Being more of a traditionalist when it comes to romance myself, I found the strict nature of the courting process to be rather refreshing. The expectations of respecting your partners and waiting until marriage is always beautiful to read about, especially with how our culture currently treats the pursuit of relationships.

Clara Carrow is the female protagonist in this book. She comes from a modest family, so she is considered to be on the lower end of the social ladder. As such, it is crucial for her to find a respectable match by the end of the social season, so she does not become destitute when her father passes away. Regardless of her low birth, she is quite prideful and the ridiculous plot involving Wesley, came about because she could not back down from a challenge. Especially one from a very smug, and classist upper member of society with parental issues. Because of her positive upbringing, she is hopeful of love, but her realistic side comes to the forefront at times, particularly when you take her age into consideration. You see, she is considered old for the matchmaking scene, so her clock is literally ticking. Does she remain patient and marry out of love, or does she settle for the first person who asks since there may not be another? It is a challenging time for a woman in her situation.

Lord Wesley Eaton is the prideful and at times, infuriating male protagonist. He was born and raised within the clutches of a very traditionally prejudice family. His angry and overbearing father has passed away and his mother lives her life separate from him, basically having very little to do with her son. Wesley initially has his sights set on the sister of the duke; Somebody who his father would have expected him to marry in order to further his wealth and power within society. Wesley seems more than happy to follow his dead parent’s wishes, until he begins to see a different side of life as his competition with Clara unfolds. Like Clara, he begins to question his motivations behind marriage. Is he going to follow the expectations of society and his family and marry out of obligation, or is he going to choose to go against the grain and marry out of love, the one thing he struggles with the most?

I read several other reviews of this book, and it seems like people are not a fan of Wesley as a character. While their sentiments are understandable, I disagree completely. Once you take the culture into account and his upbringing, it’s hard to blame him for his attitude. Particularly because nobody had really called him out for it, except for one of his best friends Archie and Clara herself. Yes, he starts off as a pompous butt, but he slowly realizes the errors of his ways which leads him to having the biggest change of character in the book.

Clara and Wesley’s relationship begin similar to that of sibling rivalry. They begin on the wrong foot so when their competition officially starts, they scheme to make situations difficult for the other, rather humorously at times. It is through their unserious bantering that they both begin to lower their facades and begin to understand their true feelings. They are both quick on the feet with wittiness and sarcasm which makes their interactions even more endearing in my opinion. There are multiple moments where I snickered out loud because of the ridiculousness of the situation.

There are several side characters that are present throughout the story. My favorite hands down is Wesley’s best friend Archie. He is another high-flying member of society who is very popular with the ladies. He acts like his whole purpose in life is to get on Wesley’s nerves but truly, he is a great friend. Being super quick to point out Wesley’s shortcomings, he is partly responsible to Wesley’s ultimate change of heart. He realizes that Wesley could be stuck in a situation he does not really want if he continues with the shenanigans. I enjoyed reading through the scenes he was in.

This is the first installment in a series of four books, all showcasing different characters in their own pursuits of happiness and love. I am looking forward to the continuations to see how each couple differs from the last while getting a bigger picture of the world around them.

-About the Author-

Audra is a stay-at-home mom who woke up one day and decided to put pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keys). She strives to write closed-door, historical romances that still contain a lot of angst that draw you into the characters and their story. She attempts to cram in writing in between snack breaks, dishes, laundry, and many questions from the tiny humans she is busy raising. So, so many questions.

So please, sit back, relax, and dive into one of her sweet stories today!

You can also find her on Instagram at @authoraudrawells