In New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McQuiston’s enticing new Seduction Diaries entry, a mysterious journal may provide a potential spinster with instruction—or lead her to her heart’s desireFree-spirited Lucy Westmore isn’t yet a spinster, although she fully intends to be. Fortunately, an eccentric aunt has left her both a diary detailing the secrets to spinsterhood and a cottage in … and a cottage in Cornwall. Unfortunately, an insufferable marquess is angling for her prize! Turning Lord Thomas Branston down flat should be easy. So why does this man who won’t take no for an answer make Lucy’s body and soul sigh yes?
Thomas knows the real value of Heathmore Cottage, and he has no intention of letting some silly Society miss get her hands on it. He’ll simply have to charm Lucy into selling. But the clever young woman he encounters, first in London, then en route to Cornwall, stands stubbornly on her own two (quite lovely) feet. And now, Thomas can think only of sweeping her off them.
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I read this last night because I have a cold and I needed something to cheer me up. It was lovely.
(Booklist said it was “for fans of historical romance with feisty, feminist female characters who have soft spots for hunky lords.” )
A spinster (who will obvi not end up a spinster) and a marquess are vying over an old cottage, which is a fantastic trope. OBVIOUSLY they will fall in love and grow old together in the cozy, beautiful cottage in the town full of eccentrics that they have both grown to love. Duh.
Bonus: The hero in this is great. He likes botany and is nice and goodhearted and funny. I know a big trend in romance right now is bad boys/assholes, but I’m really not into that trend because I like my heroes to be kind and thoughtful and non-misogynists. I’m boring that way.
Bittersweet and Fun
Headstrong and impulsive, Lucy was a magnet for scandalous behavior. She felt more stifled than most women in her day and was reluctant to give up her freedom to a spouse. Enter Thomas, who upon discovering Lucy is not a push-over, finds he is intrigued by her tenacious spirit. Add in excerpts from a juicy journal, and it was a very entertaining read.
It’s a little slow moving and hard to get into but I like the ending very much.
I loved so much about this book and didn’t want to put it down. The storyline held me as did some humorous characters and a desire to know what was in a certain diary left to the heroine -who I sometimes wanted to “push” to see what a catch she had standing in front of her! Would totally recommend.
I do not like to give up on a book, the heroine had me on edge for most of the book, but I so wanted to see how it will turn out for her.
Is it the author’s talent to create such an upsetting character m, but it worked.
I was angry at her for being too stubborn to listen nor give some thoughts before taking matter in hands.
The parallel with her aunt’s diary were so flagrant, I was kicking over the traces of her idiocy and impossibility to see past her nose.
I hoped she would see beyond the appearances, and give Thomas a chance.
But she kept rejecting him, refusing his help.
Yes, he has flaws and some secrets but his reasons were not dictated by greed, more to find an alternai solution.
After when I think of the story, it was set during a short span of time, so Lucy were not able to understand everything is a so short period, why she acted so dumbly at some point, thinking like the spoiled lady she is and not realizing her project to live alone has some defects.
Hopefully the last quarter of the book redeemed the heroine as she made her mission to right some wrongs around her and save her hero.