If Mary Babington-Smith knows nothing else, it’s that Lord Edwin Sutton kissed her. Regardless of who-kissed-whom, with the deed witnessed, they have no choice but to carry on with a temporary, fake, engagement. When Edwin sweetens the deal, offering Mary the money she needs to pursue her independence if she can play the lovesick fiancée for two weeks, Mary rises to the challenge. In two weeks, … weeks, she’ll have everything she wants, and this time she’ll be the one to walk out of his life.
Despite Sutton’s argumentative, self-assured nature, when Mary glimpses a sliver of the boy he used to be, she vows to peel away every layer of armor he uses to shield his emotions. Somewhere underneath that worldly exterior is the kind-hearted man she once loved, but in order to find him, she’ll have to give him the power to hurt her…and he’s already broken her trust once.
Each book in the Ladies of Passion series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 How to Play the Game of Love
Book #2 How to Ruin Your Reputation in 10 Days
Book #3 How to Fall for the Wrong Man
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Aside from just being a great story, I loved this book because of how unconventional the heroine is. Hint, it’s a great book for Pride Month! <3
How to Fall for the Wrong Man by Harmony Williams is book Three in the Ladies of Passion Series. This is the story of Mary Babington-Smith and Lord Edwin Sutton. I have read the previous books, but feel you can make this a standalone book.
Mary lost her mother at a early age but did have her father but with that Marry had some freedom to wear mans cloths and freely walk around saving her animals and sometimes a person or two. It also allowed her to play with Edwin and they were close friends but when he left to go to school it tore that friendship apart. Now in the present day they are not close at all and with Mary’s friends leaving her via Marriage she is finding herself alone with her father. Mary still goes around saving animals but money has become a issue of sorts. So when Edwin offers her a marriage of convince she turns him down…but then he changes it to and engagement that if she can play the doting love for two weeks he will give her money for a animal shelter. Mary does agree to this but in the days and weeks they get to know each other again and feelings start to turn very real.
Loved reading their story and have really enjoyed this series!
Miss Mary Babington – Smith is a fiercely independent young feminist in a time long before the word was fashionable. She helps any woman or animal in need, sometimes without regard for her own welfare.
Lord Edwin Sutton needs a wife, or at least to look like he will soon be married. He hopes to strike a deal with an old friend.
His family and staff do all they can to make the fake relationship real.
A funny and at times emotional story about a couple who seem to have nothing in common. Their shared history only complicates the deal they worked out.
A very entertaining and enjoyable read.
Romance is always such a fickle and wonderful thing…but love—love is hardly ever something that is planned, but the most beautiful thing in the world to have. Love can be kind and warm—it can also be traitorous and a very sly emotion to that of your mind. Your heart tells you one thing that your mind often goes against every chance it gets. Williams has an entertaining historical romance that portrays one woman at odds with herself in a farce engagement with a man who seems to love his plants more than he could possibly love anything or anyone else.
Mary Babington-Smith is quite ordinary and wants to stay that way. She doesn’t like to dress up or partake in any of the feminine atrocities that wives and maidens are supposed to be doing. In fact, she wants to save animals. After coaxing a stray kitten into her arms from a nearby alley, she is almost run over by a carriage. The man that gets out is none other than a childhood friend who abandoned her in London to pursue his education elsewhere. With a stab of resentment and her anger bubbling up, a marriage proposal was the absolute last thing that she expected to come spewing from his lips. Once it does, she doesn’t know what to do with it, especially once he admits that it would be a fake engagement and a deal could be struck if she abides by the terms. Always longing for her own animal shelter, she doesn’t have to think twice…but when things start to get heavy over the next several days—she realizes that she may have struck up a bargain with the wrong man. What is in it for him? What he could do to her heart if her feelings weren’t reciprocated could break her.
Williams has an interesting story, filled with entertainment and humor. The main characters are so enamored with each other, but their actions are often what takes them away from each other. Isn’t that usually how life works? You are so concerned with what someone else thinks that you would rather tiptoe around the subject and make a complete mess of yourself or a situation before you would ever ask that other person for their truth? In this novel, it is quite hilarious. The character development is excellent, the pace is steady, and the story is well-written. If you are a reader of historical romance, you may be interested in picking this novel up for a read.
This book was downloaded by Turning Another Page from NetGalley and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating for How to Fall for the Wrong Man by Harmony Williams.
Mary Babington-Smith can’t seem to please anyone. She surprised me. I was sitting reading their story when I came upon a steamy scene. It didn’t seem to fit her character that has me wondering what else she’s hiding from us. Edwin Sutton has an interesting proposition. I think you’ll find him as much a mystery as Mary does. I could see the tug of war going on between these two.
The author had a way of constantly surprising me with Mary. She’s not someone that will ever fit into a box – doesn’t do what’s expected. She seems to be a little unconventional– it’s what makes her unique. I know that some people don’t like a story told in the first person but what better way to see what she’s thinking. It’s a great way to keep Edwin a mystery. As his layers peel back, we see how he affects Mary. He’s also into plants and I could use his expertise. Looks as if he has a green thumb and mine sometimes leans toward brown. I could use his help.
One thing about this author is that her characters are not what you expect when you hear the words “historical romance”. She creates a story that’s a nice surprise. It’s what makes the story a page-turner because you’ll never know what to expect – you come to enjoy the unexpected. It may be part of a series but it stands on its own but may have you curious as to what the other books are about. We get a quirky ending but it’s also romantic. Overall, if you love unconventional romances than you just might enjoy this one.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Publisher’s Description:
If Mary Babington-Smith knows nothing else, it’s that Lord Edwin Sutton kissed her. Regardless of who-kissed-whom, with the deed witnessed, they have no choice but to carry on with a temporary, fake, engagement. When Edwin sweetens the deal, offering Mary the money she needs to pursue her independence if she can play the lovesick fiancée for two weeks, Mary rises to the challenge. In two weeks, she’ll have everything she wants, and this time she’ll be the one to walk out of his life.
Despite Sutton’s argumentative, self-assured nature, when Mary glimpses a sliver of the boy he used to be, she vows to peel away every layer of armor he uses to shield his emotions. Somewhere underneath that worldly exterior is the kind-hearted man she once loved, but in order to find him, she’ll have to give him the power to hurt her…and he’s already broken her trust once…
My Thoughts:
This may be the best book I have read by this author. It is entertaining and well written.
Although written in first person which is usually a turn off for this reader this book still held my attention and I didn’t become overwhelmed by the writing as I usually do with books of this nature.
Sutton and Mary have known each other since childhood but as is common he went away and in doing so lost his friendship with Mary.
Now he is back and he needs her help so that he can get a place for his precious plants in a greenhouse. Well botanist do tend to love their plants more than life itself.
Mary on the other hand has a soft spot for furry creatures. She has quite a menagerie and will be the subject of her father’s wrath if she brings one more into their household..
The laughter and love brought into this read by the cats and dog are an essential part of this story and not to be missed.
Will Sutton and Mary rekindle their lost friendship and more?
This is very well written in spite of being written in first person. I didn’t feel like I was reading that sort of book.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. I loved the humorous nature in this book and hope to read more to come by this author.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Sweet and hot, funny and touching, a highly enjoyable read
I hadn’t read this author before, so I found Mary’s sensuality and awareness of her own sexuality a little surprising. Not that I’m complaining, it’s just not quite what I expected from a romance set in this time period. Note that while I could tell this book was part of a series, it held up pretty well as a standalone. Though I did wonder about Mary’s relationship with Hariti and whether there was more explanation in previous books, that information wasn’t necessary to the story here. In any case, I suspect reading the previous books would have added to the enjoyment of this one.
Fiercely independent, in addition to Mary’s determination not to marry and become any man’s chattel, she also struggles with accepting help rather than giving it, even when it’s coming from people who care about her. Mary also has to come to terms with her abandonment and trust issues, particularly when it comes to Edwin. Edwin has issues of his own, but since the story is told from Mary’s POV, we don’t have as clear a picture as to what he’s feeling. Once childhood friends, this is a second chances story of sorts as the two of them warily rebuild their damaged relationship.
There are some interesting secondary characters here as well, for example, Isaac and Nancy. Members of Edwin’s household, but also part friends, part family to both Edwin and Mary, they take a great deal of interest in the developing relationship, sometimes with amusing results. Of course, dog lover that I am, I always enjoy animal antics, and Mary’s dog Puck helps provide some comic relief.
Sweet and hot, funny and touching, I found this a highly enjoyable read and I’ll be looking for more books from this author. 5 stars
B2B Kelly
Harmony Williams pulled me into the masquerade. How to Fall for the Wrong Man should be called Mistakes Made when you Land The Right One. Edwin and Mary have gotten so used to playing their parts, their heart’s have gotten lost in the shuffle. In her quest for independence, Mary ignores her feelings. Edwin wears his on his sleeve, yet doesn’t fully understand them. Williams makes historical a modern treat with her lovable, clueless characters and her stories of enchanting love.
3.75 Stars
If Mary Babington-Smith likes to collect stray animals & when Lord Edwin Sutton offers Mary the money she needs to buy a sanctuary for stray animals in exchange for playing the lovesick fiancée for two weeks, Mary rises to the challenge. In two weeks, she’ll have everything she wants, and this time she’ll be the one to walk out of his life. Edwin & Mary have known each other for years & Mary loved him only to have her heart broken when he left
Another enjoyable read from the author my only criticism is that it’s told in the first person which I personally find a little off putting that said I enjoyed the book. The characters are well rounded & the pace is good & flows well.. Of course we’d met Mary in the earlier books in the series & I was so glad she now has hr story. Edwin & Mary are very likeable & are ideally suited which they gradually discover as hey spent time together. I look forward to reading more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
It is not often that stories are told in first person. It takes me back to Victoria Holt novels I read years ago and definitely gives a different perspective! Mary and Edwin knew each other when they were young and things did not turn out too well. But as they meet again and find themselves in a unique situation, Edwin proposes that he and Mary act like they are engaged, for at least a two week period. What could be easier than that? Mary will earn some money and Edwin will go back to the his regular life. She is determined to be the one to walk out on Edwin this time as he did her years ago. But plans often fail and the old chemistry between them sparks to life and they have a hard time fighting it! But at times you just wanted to shake them both instead of being so stubborn! This is the first book I have read by this author and I did enjoy it and hope to read more. Prepare to be entertained and sit back and enjoy!!