After the death of her father, Miss Elaine Bond had decided to embrace life as an independent woman…much to the chagrin of her neighbors. Her eccentric ways alarm the entire town of Brynthwaite, to the point where concerned friends turn to the only person they believe can settle Elaine into a respectable married life, mysterious bookseller Mr. Basil Wall.Basil has been in love with Elaine since … with Elaine since the moment he moved to Brynthwaite years ago, but the secret that drove him out of London and into the remote Lake District has kept him from declaring himself. At least until a twist of fate throws the two potential lovers together in a way that neither of them expected.
But what begins as a romance that is as charming as it is sultry turns into a game with far higher stakes when the infamous Missing Earl of Waltham is tracked down and dragged out into the light. And with the fate of Parliament—not to mention a bill increasing the rights of women—in the balance, Basil must choose between love and duty. Which leaves Elaine caught between what is right and what is proper, and leads her to an adventure far more daring than any of her Brynthwaite neighbors could dream of.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Steam Level – Very Hot!
If you would like to read about events leading up to May Mistakes, check out A WILD ADVENTURE, part of the West Meets East series, available now.
And be sure to pick up the two sequel novellas to May Mistakes (coming soon), BRYNTHWAITE PROMISE and BRYNTHWAITE SUMMER.
The Silver Foxes of Westminster Series consists of:
DECEMBER HEART (and its accompanying novellas)
–Starcross Lovers
–Starcross Dreams
AUGUST SUNRISE (and its accompanying novellas)
–Winterberry Spark
–Winterberry Fire
MAY MISTAKES (and its accompanying novellas)
–Brynthwaite Promise
–Brynthwaite Summer
SEPTEMBER AWAKENING
APRIL SEDUCTION
more
I absolutely love this heroine. Why? Because she helped me realize that I can be myself, as eccentric as I feel I am (and not try to be my sister, who really isn’t). And there really ARE gentlemen out there who accept people for who they are and not what people think of them. (Unfortunate note to author? There are other verbs than “march” that can be used for walking — I apologize for being snicky; it’s the English teacher in me.)
Awful! The characters lacked depth. They were not particularly admirable, and the author didn’t know the difference between a formal British dinner, and an informal supper. I’m glad it was a freebie.
It was a wonderfully written story about an “on the shelf” outspoken spinster and a mature man who hides from his old life as a duke with a past he’s ashamed of. Loved the characters and the storyline was a lovely regency romance with a new twist and a good amount of passion.
I liked the characters for their humor and wit. Also the the ages of the couple were older and more mature although still frisky when it came to romance.
The blurb caught my eyes, and I do love romance with older than usual couples, here, there is too a great difference of age between the h and the H, more than the classic 8 to 10 years.
It was not a bad read but many time I felt frustrated by the main characters.
I do loved Basil as a bookseller, being a dear friend to Elaine, standing up for her and loving her from afar while worshipping the ground she walks on. But once he was back as the Earl Of Waltham, he becomes a coward, a weak man who is unable to fight for who he thinks is the most important woman in his whole life, he is incapable to go up against his friend’s pressuring him to do what he wants. He fails Elaine.
But idem with Elaine, while I do loved the quirky young woman who dresses as she pleases, who is not afraid of telling her mind and shares a deep friendship for a bookseller. Once the truth is out about who is who, she becomes a ninny. No more thoughts, only stupid actions.
I found it courageous she wants to follow Basil but once in London, Help! She makes mistakes after mistakes, blinds to the obvious.
I could have accepted that being new to the ton, she was lost but she runs in every trap sets for her. Even when she knows she should not trust the people, she goes willingly.
While Basil suffers from stutter as each time he is confronted to her, he can’t find the words to make up for his errors.
After, it was rather entertaining to see how the political ideas were discussed and how a reputation can play a role.
A 3,5 stars read.
I was so excited to see another addition to The Silver Foxes of Westminster Series. I have enjoyed the first two in the series and this was no exception. Merry Farmer has a gift for writing about the older hero which is not usually captured in historical romance. This one finds Elaine, who has just lost her father, becoming almost defiant in her attitude and dress. Of course a lot of that was because of the books she had been reading from the local bookstore owned by Mr Basil Wall. They had formed a strong friendship since the two years he had come to town to open the store. But with her eccentric ways, the townspeople wanted him to get Elaine under control and make her a respectable married woman. You see Basil had been in love with Elaine for awhile, yet never spoke of it to her.
But Basil had a secret that he never told anyone and as the truth finds him, everything changes. He is called back to London and Elaine, determinedly follows him.
When this story started my thought was this was going to be a fast delightful story. As the tale continued, it became complicated with large amounts of intrigue, strong emotions and several unexpected villains coming to life. As I quickly turned the pages I could not figure out if the two could come together at the end or not!
A fast paced, well written and suspenseful story, you will not want to miss!!
The age difference between the main characters is a refreshing look at romance. Although the male character is 50, he is portrayed as a sexy, desirable man. His wisdom is refreshing after so many so many soon-to-be reformed rakes.