"You Have Your Hands Full!"

It Takes Two to Tumble is the first book in Cat Sebastian’s Regency-era Seducing the Sedgwicks series of historical romance novels. Cat Sebastian has quickly become one of my favorite authors; her titles tend to feature two male protagonists, which is different from what I usually read.

Ben is a fairly simple country vicar. He is sweet and he is gentle, and although it is not necessarily one of his parish duties, he devotes some of his time to a trio of children who live at a local manor house. Their mother passed away several years ago, and their father is often away at sea. The children have had the run of the house for years, and take delight in scaring away the tutors and governesses charged with their care.

And then Captain Dacre- Phillip- returns home. He is used to the strict discipline of a ship, and he and doesn’t know what to make of the chaos in his home. And he doesn’t know what to think of the maddeningly chipper vicar who knows his children better than he does. Read more

Flowers from the Storm is a Regency-era romance novel written by Laura Kinsale. This book was mentioned in one of my book groups, so I was very excited when it popped up as part of an Audible sale.

The Duke of Jervaulx (pronounced Che-vaux with a soft c) is a dissolute rake, but he is also a brilliant mathematician. It is through this surprising hobby that he encounters Maddy Timms (real name Archimedia), who is the daughter of the Quaker gentleman he is collaborating with.

Maddy has a relatively low opinion of Christian, but she is still saddened when she hears that he has died in a duel. Needless to say, she is shocked beyond belief when she encounters Christian when visiting her uncle’s sanitarium. He has not died, but he has suffered a catastrophic event that has robbed him of the ability to speak. Christian has been reduced to an almost feral state, but Maddy has a calming effect on him. It is far from proper, but Maddy takes on much of the responsibility of caring for Christian, and slowly but surely, he begins to recover. But what future could there possibly be for a dissolute duke and a Quaker girl? Read more

Splendid is a romance novel written by Julia Quinn. Not only is it the first book in her Regency-era Splendid/Blydon trilogy, but this is also Quinn’s first published book. I’ve had a paperback copy of this book for years, but I picked up the Audible edition because I was looking for something to listen to.

Emma Dunster is an American girl who travels to London to take part in the London Season alongside her cousins, the Blydons. She is not looking to snag a title for herself; her primary concern is going back to Boston to help her father run his shipping business.

Alex might be the Duke of Ashbourne, but he has no plans to marry. But as soon as he sees a beautiful redheaded American, he is intrigued. At first, Emma is not very impressed with this arrogant duke, but slowly, he begins to charm her. Read more

Wallflower Most Wanted is a historical romance novel written by Manda Collins. It is the third book in her Regency-era Studies in Scandal series. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because I have enjoyed the other two books in this series. There was a fleeting moment between Sophia and Benedick in the second book, and I knew that they would be perfect together. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I found out that they would really be paired to together.

Sophia is a talented painter, and has spent the last few months at Beauchamp House as one of the four heiresses who are to inherit the house after a year in residence. While painting, she inadvertently falls off a cliff and right into the path of Lord Benedick Lisle, the handsome young vicar. The pair overhear a tense and menacing exchange between two strangers, and while they are trying to puzzle out the meaning of that conversation, they learn that an art forgery ring that has been traced to their little seaside corner of the country.

Meanwhile, a local industrialist attempts to insert himself into the local art scene by declaring that Sophia’s paintings are indecent and should be barred from an upcoming competition. And then something happens that suggests that this is a much bigger problem than Sophia or Ben could have anticipated.

Sophia played a minor role in the first two books in this series, so it was such a pleasure to finally get to know her. The depth at which she sees everyday life is rather atypical for a young woman of her station, and it is perhaps this reflective nature that attracts Ben to her.

I’ve read a couple of books with vicar heroes recently, and I must say, there’s something appealing about the subgenre. Ben is a rather unique hero; he has chosen quite a different path than a life of dissolution, and uses his natural ability to help people. His daily life is quite different from his privileged background as the younger son of a duke, and he will only use his advantageous connections as a last resort.

I would absolutely recommend Wallflower Most Wanted. I think this book stands pretty well on its own, so you don’t have to read the other Studies in Scandal books before reading this one. You really ought to read them though because they are equally delightful, although I do think that this is my favorite of the bunch. As was the case with the other books, Collins does a wonderful job of setting up the pairing for the next book. I can’t wait to read about Gemma and her new chap- June seems entirely too long to wait!

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.