SERIES OVERVIEW
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BREE WOLF is a USA Today bestselling author and award-winning word wizard, who is rarely seen without a book in hand or fingers glued to the keyboard.
She's a mousy wallflower, or isn't she?
MISS CAROLINE HAWKINS never gets looked at twice. She is never asked to dance or called on by a gentleman. In fact, gentlemen hardly notice she is even there, easily looking past her at the more alluring ladies of English society…
…which is precisely how Caroline wants it.
After all, she puts a lot of work into her appearance, powdering her hair to ensure it loses its shine and looks dull and unassuming. Thick spectacles hide her bright and watchful eyes, and wide, gray gowns buttoned to her chin conceal any female curves that might draw unwanted attention.
In short: Caroline’s disguise is perfect…
…or almost perfect because, to Caroline’s dismay, one particular gentleman will not be swayed.
People call him THE BLACK BARON.
The moment PIERCE BYRNE, BARON MARKHAM, glimpses this little gray mouse of a woman he knows something about her is…odd. Intriguingly odd. Fascinatingly odd. Odd in a way that makes him want to know more about her.
By sheer happenstance, Pierce stumbles upon her one night and realizes how very right he has been. Caroline Hawkins is indeed odd, for she has been hiding a secret from all of London society that makes her perfect for him.
After all, he, too, hides a secret…one Caroline swears to discover as the two of them go head to head. When the dust settles, will they still be strangers?
BREE WOLF is a USA Today bestselling author and award-winning word wizard, who is rarely seen without a book in hand or fingers glued to the keyboard.
This was such a gorgeous story, so well written. Caroline and Pierce both had so much to hide, helping others under disguise, getting to know each other, learning to trust each other and slowly falling in love with each other. And, of course bringing a villain to justice which was nicely wrapped up in the end. It was enchanting, definitely a Happy Ever Regency romance!
This delightful tale shares much of it's timeline with How to Climb a Lady's Tower. However, in this book we are told the story from Pierce and Caroline's points of view and the author fills in much of the missing story. Pierce, Lord Markham, aka the Black Baron, cares not about the secrets peers of the realm hold. He sees people as they truly are, not hidden behind masks. When Miss Caroline Hawkins catches his eye, he realizes that she is hiding behind secrets. She wears gray, drab, high necked gowns and wears thick lenses to hide her beautiful blue eyes. He happens upon her one night when she shouldn't be out alone and finds she is filled with fire, a stiff backbone and is fearless. This story is the perfect blend of romance and suspense.
Caroline and Pierce are two people who mask their identities for very different reasons and they meet and slowly fall in love.
Gosh, how I love this series, Each of the stories I've read in it becomes my next favorite. Funny how that happens, but it just shows that each is an improvement on the previous ones.
Loved the story, loved all of its characters and I am so happy to have read this book.
It was quite different in parts to the usual run of the mill ones which have been published of late, so that was quite refreshing.
Dalton and Evelyn made such a splendid couple and I loved their method of wagering which was so unique.
They definitely had their ups and downs while navigating the path to their happy ever after but that made this story very much more interesting and I found lots of enjoyment in this.
It was an entertaining story with Evelyn showing us just how full of life she was. Oh my, the things she got up to!
I have just finished reading an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Another great book from Charlie Lane. Thanks to Wolf Publishing for the ARC. Third in the series “A Gentleman’s Guide to Courtship,” we now get a closer look at the third sister, Prudence, and her brother’s (Duke of Clearford) efforts to get her married. He still hasn’t realized how unhelpful his gentleman’s guide is. Early in the book, he does something that irritates Prudence. Because she knows he always carries knives with him so he can target practice, she asks him, “Where is your knife? Come. I know you have it on your person.” He suspiciously asks her why she wants it, and she responds, “I would like to stab you with it.”
Just like her older sisters, Prudence is determined not to marry, so she spends a good portion of her time trying to evade suitors. And she’s pretty good at it. Unfortunately, Mr. Benjamin Bailey, the American, has an uncanny skill of finding her wherever she is.
Prudence has become best friends with Cora, the “naughty” poet who shares her risque works with women in the secret group from previous insttallments in this series. When her older sisters married, they decided to discontinue their involvement in the lending library, but Prudence has decided to continue the work alongside her friend Cora. Prudence is very organized and punctual. She is also, surprisingly, rather prim and proper and doesn’t wish to step outside of the lines that have been drawn for her (with the exception of marriage, which she is adamantly against). The truth is, she feels as if all of her other sisters outshine her so she tends to “embrace her habitual invisibility.” It’s true; most men don’t seem to notice her, and we find out more about her motivations later, but to her dismay, Mr. Bailey always does.
Ben came to America after his parents died and is single-minded in his commitment to opening a print shop called Bailey’s Prints to honor his dead parents and the business they had in Boston. He believes her drove the business into the ground after they died; it isn’t until much later that we find out he was only 15 and unequipped to handle a business. That doesn’t stop him from feeling guilt. Meanwhile, he hides behind a disheveled and untamed look that keeps proper society from acknowledging him. And his habits of disorganization and lack of discipline are the antithesis to everything that’s important to Prudence.
The Duke of Clearford is puzzled by his sisters and wants to find out what secrets they’ve been keeping from him. He promises to give his shares of the print shop to Ben if Ben will pretend to court Prudence and find out what they’ve been hiding. Due to the duke’s insistence and the goading of Viscount Norton, Ben changes his entire appearance—cuts his hair, shaves his beard, wears clothes that fit properly, and so on. I love what Norton said to Ben regarding courting Prudence (he thought it was genuine): “Can’t be trusted because you don’t take the clear steps to obtain that which you desire. You just sulk about wishing someone would pick you up when you’re a burnt, mangled tart, last batch of the day, and you do nothing to make yourself appealing… Because it’s about pleasing others so they wish to have you.”
Prudence is clever enough to realize he is not actually interested in her, and she’s not interested in him, but somewhere along the way that changes. For both of them. By the time Ben realizes he’s in love with Prudence, he’s afraid to tell her that her brother made him court her because he doesn’t want to hurt her. And Prudence is disappointed in herself because “She’d not allocated time for falling in love, but Mr. Bailey had never seemed to care for schedules, and he’d scrambled the ledger of her heart into utter chaos.”
The character development for both Ben and Prudence is deep and poignant. Both experienced the loss of their parents at a young age, and both were irrevocably changed by that. They are ideally well-matched to help one another heal from that loss. Over the course of the story, Ben comes to understand what’s most important to him, and the best way he can honor his parents’ memory is by putting love first. Meanwhile, with Ben’s help, Prudence comes to understand her worth and see herself differently. Predictably, Prudence finds out about Ben’s initial reluctance to court her and decides she can no longer trust him or believe that he loves her. Most of her anger, though, is reserved for her brother and she calls him the “arse-end of a…a…hedgehog!” Luckily, Ben had already helped Prudence to see herself through his eyes so the revelation does not destroy her as Ben had feared it would. And she still loves him; while he is disconsolate without her. She forgives him, eventually, and we get our HEA.
This series is full of surprises, Sister no 3, Prudence, the organiser, the sister who keeps to the shadows, who doesnt want a husband. Her Brother who is determined to find out why she does not wish to marry, and persuades his friend to find out. Enter Ben, prepared to go to any lengths to get what he wants, even a complete makeover, and a houseparty. Spending time with Pru changes his perspective, and he realises what he really wants and needs. The story was fun, and i like the banter between the characters, and the growth of the family. Each story is so different, I really am looking forward to the future instalments.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I would like to thank Wolf Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
A lovely e ending to the trilogy.
Evelyn Markham is determined not to marry the man her father has decided she should marry. Dalton Rochester is determined not to act on his feelings for Evelyn since she is the younger sister of his best friend.
Evelyn decides to approach Rochester for help to make sure she does not have to marry the man. All she wants from him is a little help in breaking a few rules but nothing too serious. Rochester does not want anything to do with this scheme especially the breaking of rules part.
Let the fun adventure begin!! I really loved Evelyn and Rochester’s story it was a lot of fun to read!! The book was very entertaining with all the witty banter between them and the twist and turns it took to get to their happy ending. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next book in the series!!