The Reluctant Countess
A Would-Be Wallflowers Novel
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4.2 • 220 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Would-Be Wallflowers series with an enemies-to-lovers romance between a proper earl and an entirely improper lady—whom he can’t stop thinking about.
Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, has never made a fool of himself over a woman—until he meets Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is ineligible for his attentions in every way: not as a wife, certainly not as a mistress (she is a lady!), nor even as a friend, since they vehemently dislike each other. Her gowns are too low, and her skirts are dampened to cling to admittedly lovely thighs. She loves to gossip—and giggle.
She isn’t dignified, or polite, or even truly British, given that her father’s French ancestry clearly predominated. Not to mention the fact that her mother had been one of Napoleon’s mistresses, a fact she makes no effort to hide.
So what—in heaven’s name—possesses him to propose?
And what will he do if she says yes?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Scandalous family secrets aren't enough to animate the flimsy second Would-be Wallflowers Regency romance from bestseller James (after How to Be a Wallflower). French Lady Yasmin Régnier, 25, is often the subject of gossip: her mother was Napoleon's mistress and, at 16, she herself was duped into a fake marriage to a fortune hunter. Society cannot completely shun her, however, as her grandfather was a duke. Giles Renwick, British Earl of Lilford, is similarly whispered about, as his mother's promiscuity throws the paternity of Giles and his sister, Lydia, into question. Still, like his peers, Giles keeps Yasmin at a distance—but for him, it's more out of fear of his intense attraction to her than disdain for her checkered past. No longer able to resist, he proposes marriage, taking Yasmin, who's long believed him to hate her, quite by surprise. As Giles works to prove his love, impetuous Lydia works to sabotage the couple. Lydia's strenuous objections to the match feel entirely hypocritical—her own actions are just as likely to bring scandal as an association with Yasmin would—and her mean-spirited antics distract from the romance. The couple has chemistry to spare, making the weak obstacles to their happiness all the more frustrating. This misses the mark.
Customer Reviews
Opposites Do Attract
This is an opposites-attract story with equal amounts of angst and wit. Giles and Yasmin are very different on the surface. He is a stuffy grump and she is a cheerful flirty ray of sunshine. They in fact have much in common. Both are dealing with family scandals, but in different ways. The secondary characters have a lot of influence on Giles and Yasmin and the way they behave toward each other. Giles’s sister is a horror and does her best to keep them apart. Jake and Cleo, and Yasmin’s grandfather are wonderful characters. They are supportive of Yasmin and encourage her romance with Giles. I enjoyed this well-written, somewhat unusual romance. An interesting story with great characters and a good ending. Good read!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Big Disappointment
ARC provided Edelweiss and Avon in exchange for a honest review.
This was a disappointment and characters I could not connect with or liked. And found it very hard to believe all that took place and happened (drama, like soap opera drama) for the time period and era.
Okay pretty simple and to the point here.
I did not like the heroine. She has a scandalous past, because of her mother, her actions and her dress. But she also doesn't help her cause in my humble opinion with what she does either. I found her over the top and to be honest a little full of herself.
The hero, oh do not get me started on this jerk. What a total hypocrite. I mean nothing likable about him at all. Not attractive in any way, shape or form. He looks down at her and her "reputation" but is in constant lust for her.🙄
And lets talk about his sister, the villain of this story, she was unbelievable. What an absolute spoiled, rotten and unkind brat, these might be too nice to describe her actually.
And the story line was just not believable for the time period. And someone made a comment saying that a reader who reads this genre and expects historical romances to have any kind of authenticity about how things would have actually happened in these time periods is foolish. Question, why do I pick up a historical romance, for the time period and it's authenticity. And for it to be as close or as believable for the time period/era. Why would I pick up historical really expecting anything else, really. Some scenes and what took place just didn't jive or work for a historical romance. And I am aware that there seems to be a trend with some authors in the historical genre to reallllly stretchhhh the truth for the time period, but let me call it as I see it, a Contemporary Historical. I think that there needs to be a new label created just for those books. That way we all know what we are getting and are happy.
Do not recommend this book, big disappointment.
The Reluctant Countess
Eloise James is always a winner. Consistently great plot with some interesting twists, wonderful characters and lots of emotional impact