[Review] Hiring Mr.Darcy, by Valerie Bowman

Title: Hiring Mr.Darcy
Series: Austen Hunks #1
Author: Valerie Bowman
Publisher: June Third Enterprises, LLC
Number of pages: 266
Publication date: September 25th 2020

Synopsis:

She ’s hiring…

Meg Knightley is a history professor with a little OCD and a lot of competitive spirit. When her similarly nerdy history professor boyfriend tosses her over for a starlet on the eve of the Jane Austen Festival and Games, she needs a new Mr. Darcy STAT.

He’s the man for the job…

Jeremy Remington left a lucrative tech job to follow his dreams—but getting his custom woodworking business off the ground isn’t cheap. When his best friend’s sister offers good money for little more than acting the gentleman, he jumps at the chance. After all, how hard could it be to fly over to England and wear a cravat for a few days?

Until things get real.

She hired him to play the part of a proper gentleman, so why can’t she stop thinking about what’s underneath his waistcoat?
And when Meg finds out Jeremy has had a crush on her for years, will she toss him out on his ear…or will the job turn into a permanent gig?

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

Any Pride and Prejudice fans out there? This contemporary romance will fill all your dreams of a modern Mr. Darcy.

I spent the whole time with a mostly happy grin on my face while reading this book, the exception being hen Harrison, Meg’s boyfriend showed up. He never stood for her, defended her, or even made it known how he felt about her being treated unfairly. He didn’t have anything to redeem him. He wasn’t a bad guy… He just wasn’t the right guy.

Meg was supposed to go to the Jane Asuten Festival in Bath, with Harrison. However, he was now going with a Hollywood actress, at the request of the University both him and Meg work at. He didn’t even make a comment about how hard Meg had worked for the competition of the festival, and right away we can tell that Harrison really has no backbone.

Cue my favourite trope, and the reason I was so happy to read this contemporary romance: Meg hires one of her brother’s friends to be her Mr.Darcy at the competition. Sibling’s best friend and fake relationships make my day! Although I should say, they don’t really have a fake relationship, as Meg still has her boyfriend during most of the book, and she makes a point to not cross that line, with a small exception at the end of the book (to be honest, I didn’t really like that, as I didn’t think it was very fair for our hero). The book also has a glow-up/ugly duckling turn swan situation with our hero!

Jeremy, Mr.Darcy at Bath, is a hunk. And most importantly, he’s a kind, funny, loyal gentleman, who can appreciate Meg for whom she really is.

I loved their banter, how they reconnected from their childhood, how Meg was confronted with her own prejudice, and how she evolved as an individual.

This book really is a love story, and it will make you giggle just at the right moments, and in the end you will feel like you’ve had a good time reading it.

[Review] A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby, by Vanessa Riley

Title A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby
Series: Rogues and Remarkable Women #1
Author: Vanessa Riley
Publisher: Zebra
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: June 30th 2020

Synopsis:

Created by a shrewd countess, The Widow’s Grace is a secret society with a mission: to help ill-treated widows regain their status, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time...

When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband's mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow's Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion...

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she's breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

This was my first book by Vanessa Riley and I was super excited to read this book, as it is a diverse historical romance, and I’ll admit right away: most authors I read are not diverse and/or do not write diverse stories/characters. However, I’m trying to improve myself and this was my first eARC of a historical romance that featured more diversity.

The heroine, Patience, is from an island in Demerara (currently Guyana, South America), and the hero, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington is a war-hero from England.

I really, really, really wanted to like this book. But I found it tasking to finish it, and it just didn’t really work for me.

First of all, the book is written in the 1st person AND in the 3rd person, which makes it confusing, and honestly, it started to give me headaches with its changing the whole time.

Patience, although I can understand her struggle, and her reasons, was just a bit annoying sometimes, and in the end I just didn’t like her.

Busick was okay, not a great hero either. He’s an amputee, a war hero, a very strict, very protective, very organized man. My favourite part about him was the love he had for his ward, Lionel – Patience’s baby.

For me… we don’t actually see a romance develop between the main characters, we are simply told they started to fall in love, and there is no chemistry between them.

The mystery in the whole book just was too much, and yet left questions unanswered at the end.

I liked and respect that the author explored difficult themes (such as war wounds, mental health, the injustices in England during the 19th, particularly regarding women, and even more regarding POC, amongst other) but for me it wasn't enough to make me enjoy the book, sadly. I did enjoy the female friendships, and the best part for me was Lionel (the baby), and moments he was with his family.