Eleanor Daventry has come into money, but she cannot access her inheritance without a husband. Steadfast and independent, however, she would rather become a schoolmistress than take a husband she does not love. Meanwhile, Stratford Tunstall has discovered that his estate’s unentailed land has been willed to Miss Daventry and is out of his reach unless they are wedded. Although cynical regarding … regarding love, the man recognizes a practical solution when he sees one. He and Miss Daventry must marry, and Stratford wastes no time in pressing his suit. His hasty and terribly executed proposal leaves Eleanor insulted and disgusted. Certain that they could never come to love each other and seeking to escape his presence, she flees to London for the Season. But fate keeps bringing the two together, and when combined forces threaten Eleanor’s reputation, Stratford must decide whether she is worth fighting for. And Eleanor must be convinced his coming to her rescue is a deed inspired by love
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Great story. I loved how upbeat and kind Eleanor was even when people treated her badly. The characters were wonderful even the bad guys were fun to get to know.
I enjoyed the mystery that was peppered throughout the book- it kept me guessing as to who the bad guy was. I was worried that Eleanor may not end up with a happy ever after, but I was definitely happy in the end.
I was able to listen to the audio version of this book and it was very well done. The narrator was fantastic she had a great English accent and she was wonderful with her French accent too.
A wonderful Regency Era romance novel with enough plot twists to keep you turning the pages long after you should have put the book down for the day. The historical details and rich character descriptions take you on a journey with characters you’ll love and some you might not like so much. The author’s vivid descriptions often make you feel as if you have stepped back in time with her characters. Highly recommend this book!
It was good but I wanted more chemistry between me and the book. I think what would have helped me as a reader would have been one source of conflict to focus on as opposed to three and a bit more development between the main characters in their relationships. There are a lot of people that take focus away from Stratford, Eleanor, Lydia, and Fitz.
There’s quite a bit of history liberally weaved throughout. I love when regency authors are as accurate as possible. This is my first read of Jennie’s and I’m eager to see how she continues this series and what else she publishes in the future.
A Regrettable Proposal was so, so good! I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read it, but it made me cement the notion that Ms. Goutet is fastly becoming one of my favorite authors.
I loved getting to know all about Ms. Eleanor Daventry and Lord Stratford Worthing, as well as how they went from a regrettable proposal to a string of sincere apologies to a finally much more heartfelt and romantic proposal. Yes, this is a slow burn romance, but I loved every minute of it. I also think the cast of secondary characters was just perfect to add complexity to this story, and it was wonderful to follow other romantic stories such as the one between Ms. Lydia Ingram and Major Fitzwilliam. Of course, the mystery spy proved to be a great intriguing aspect in this book, and while I could pinpoint the false lead, the final revelation still managed to take me by surprise.
All in all, a great regency read that has a bit for everyone, be it romance, intrigue, or humor, that will entertain many, as my very highlighted e-copy can attest. Completely recommended!!
I had a free teaser introduction to this book and wanted to read the complete book, so purchased it when it was on sale. I’m really glad I did as I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Jennie did a great job with the historical era in which the book was set as well as the characters in the book. I enjoyed the intrigue and treason as well as the interactions between the characters. I would recommend reading this book.
Eleanor Daventry is a penniless ward of the 4th Earl of Worthing. When he dies and his will is read, Eleanor becomes an heiress to a profitable piece of land. The new earl is Stratford Tunstall, who in a drunken moment makes an insulting and stupid proposal, which Eleanor promptly refuses. As she goes to spend her coming out season in London with her friend Lydia Ingram, Eleanor experiences the social whirl and finds herself in demand. Added to the social whirl of the season is the attempt by Lydia’s brother, Major Fitzwilliam, and Stratford to find a traitor who is sharing military secrets with the French. Stratford also needs to overcome his initial bad impression with Eleanor, or will she choose someone else who genuinely cares?
What did I like about the story? It was well written and enjoyable. The characters weren’t out of place in Regency England (IE, too modern). Eleanor was a loyal and likable young woman who hopes to find love. Stratford ends up being awkward but also is good-hearted. You end up rooting for both of them to find happiness. There’s also an element of suspense with the spy subplot that makes it more than just a simple romance, but it’s not terribly hard to figure out the bad guy if you’re trying. The side characters are also good and add to the story. It might even be nice to see Lord Ingram or some of the others continue their stories.
There was very little to complain about with the book. It’s a fast read and better than many on the market. I’d give it 4.5 stars because there are still a few books out there better than this. I read a library copy and am leaving my review.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Stratford Tunstall discovers that his succession to the Earldom comes with some surprises. Eleanor Daventry is no less surprised, but is not at all pleased with her inheritance, given that it comes with strings attached. Despite wanting to marry for love, Eleanor discovers that she is suddenly in demand, all because of a piece of fertile land that will ultimately deprive Stratford of a profitable income. Apart from his bumbling proposal, Stratford has other problems to deal with that have far more bearing on the fate of the nation and the men that are fighting the war with France. Flushing out a traitor becomes imperative but determining the truth behind the lies and innuendoes against Eleanor become more important for his future happiness. The story is clean and suspenseful. It is generally well written and although it comes to an abrupt close, it nevertheless has a happy ending. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This is the first book by Jennie that I’ve read, but it won’t be my last!! This was a great read! Kept me on my toes, wondering what was going to happen next!! Stratford did redeem his first regrettable proposal, and ended up being a great match for Eleanor!! Looking forward to more stories about the other characters in the book!!
Regency Romance is my ultimate comfort read, and I am always trying to find authors who do it as well as my beloved Georgette Heyer. I was absolutely floored and delighted by A Regrettable Proposal – it is truly a regency romance worthy of continuing Heyer’s legacy. It is full of wit and humor and the fact that it is clean does not mean that it is any less romantic as a result. Quite on the contrary! The romantic tension will keep you up reading late into the night, and you fall in love with the characters and want to spend more time with them. A Regrettable Proposal is a completely delightful book that I will be recommending to everyone!
I was swept into the story and had trouble putting it down. It had romance, complexity, and mystery. Though, I admit to having guessed the likely enemy, many characters took me by surprise, for better and for way worse.
I highly recommend this book.
This is my first book by Jennie Goutet, and I absolutely loved it! While reading A Regrettable Proposal, I felt transported in time, and it felt as if life just melted away around me. I found myself looking forward to any moment I could find to read more of this very engaging story!
I found Miss Eleanor Daventry to be a very likeable heroine. As the ward of a wealthy Earl, she came into an unexpected inheritance after his death, which she’ll receive when she marries.
Stratford Tunstall is heir, and is dismayed to learn the most profitable land is going to Miss Daventry. He becomes drunk and ends up proposing to Miss Daventry. He is surprised when she rejects his offer. She tries to escape having to see the Earl, but soon realizes she’s good friends with the Ingram family, who are sponsoring her Season in London.
I particularly enjoy the relationship before Miss Daventry, the Ingram family, and Lord Tunstall. I highly recommend this very interesting, very well written book.
This is a sweet, clean, very well written Regency Romance.
I received an advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
There’s quite a lot packed in this regency romance!
It’s got humor and intrigue mixed with the oh-so-sweet romance.
This was a well written novel and along the same vein as Georgette Heyer. I appreciated the mannerisms, speech, dress and behavior all fit within the Regency era. I liked the characters and the bit of intrigue wasn’t on the nose. I didn’t like Mrs. Ingram but she was still well written. As a person I didn’t care for her. I only wish there was an epilogue or an extra few paragraphs showing us how a certain scandal was resolved. We were told about it so no cliff hangers but I think it would’ve been nice to read for ourselves. Reading an epilogue showing us how the people are doing sometime down the road is always a bonus! I definitely recommend this book and it kept me up way too late finishing it.