September 15, 2020
Time to take a nap
https://marybalogh.com/
Well, the Queen has done it again. She’s written a slow moving romance. The problem is, it’s so slow I started to nod off. Someone to Romance is part of Ms. Balogh’s Westcott series. I will be honest, this series has been all over the place. So far, there are eight books in this series. Out of those eight I liked three: Someone to Wed, Someone to Love, and Someone to Care. So, the percentage is a tad bit off.
Someone to Romance is Lady Jessica Archer and Gabriel Thorne’s story. If you have been following this story you may remember Jessica. She is/was the best friend of Lady Abigail Westcott. Jessica is not a very likeable person. She’s feeling blue because her bestest friend in the whole wide world is happily married. Yes, Jessica had planned on her and Abigail being spinsters and being together all of their life. How dare Abigail be happy with her man! Jessica is feeling sorry for herself. She sees the clock ticking away, she’s getting older, she’s twenty-five after all!!! Yikes! Since she can no longer roam the world with her spinster friend, she decides that she to will marry. She doesn’t necessarily care who she marries, but she just doesn’t want to be alone. Another case of depending on others to make you happy. It’s a real pity party.
Gabriel is also not a very likeable character. He is what one would call an absentee landlord. He’s been living in America for thirteen years. He’s been making loads of money, in the process he has also ignored what’s going on at his English estate. However, there is a fly in the ointment, his uncle Manley Rochford. You see, Gabriel is really the Earl of Lyndale, except everyone thinks he’s dead. Manley, his uncle, is going to have Gabriel declared dead, and claim the title himself. Gabriel’s uncle is a Snidely Whiplash kind of villain. Then one day he receives a letter from his aunt’s sister, Mary. She has been kicked out of her house on the Lyndale land by our villain, Manley. So after years of ignoring the people who depend on him, Gabriel decides to get off of his butt and help. He’s going to be sly about it and not let anyone know he’s back. There’s a good reason he is being shifty. He has to prove who he is. It won’t be easy because he’s changed a lot in the thirteen years. He will need to prove who he says he is. And he has a plan!
He is going to find an aristocratic bride. Someone who belongs to a powerful family. Someone who knows how to run an estate. His eyes fall on Jessica, the perfect person for the job. Now the story does a fast gear switch. When Gabriel suggests Jessica marry him, all of a sudden she wants romance. Now, she wants what Abigail has! Yes, she wants romance, and she wants to be romanced. Even though her original thoughts about marriage were cold, now she wants someone who doesn’t have an ulterior motive. Even though she’s not willing to give, she want’s someone to give to her. She was very selfish.
Gabriel’s idea of romance was interesting. While he may have no idea how to be romantic, he ends up being swoon worthy. He starts by sending her one rose every day. Who wouldn’t start to pay attention to something like that? While I thought Gabriel’s romantic technique was a winner, for me, both Gabriel and Jessica lack “couple” chemistry. Usually Ms. Balogh inundates her characters with thoughts, emotions, and slow burns. But they were strangely lacking in this book.
I think part of this was due to the fact that most of the Westcott’s put in an appearance. Now, that I’ve whined about the Westcott’s, I have to say, I did chuckle at Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby’s reason for disliking one of Jessica’s suitors: “He has too many teeth.” Brought a smile to my face.
Overall, Someone to Romance was very slow, and forgettable. It had a hero and heroine who were both unlikable. The story was just sort of bland. If you want to keep track of the Westcott family, then go ahead and read this one. But it’s really not all that exciting.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Bland
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