This was a cute romantic comedy set in...Regency times, I think?
Imogene and her family are set to entertain a young man who is visiting as an avowed suitor for her hand. However, his younger brother Ben is the one who really catches Imogene's interest. Both of them spend the length of the novel trying to do the "right" thing in denying their feelings for each other, but, of course, things are going to get satisfactorily resolved. I liked that Imogene and Ben bond over art and architecture.

There is a "mystery" thrown in that is not really all that intriguing due to a lack of suspects. It is fairly simple to figure out who is at the bottom of the sabotage.

Aside from a few quibbles over manners and vocabulary (just because I'm me, and I'm picky over historical fiction), this was an enjoyable, light read. ( )

Oh delightful! A regency romance with realistic adherence to social mores, and a sensible heroine who makes her decisions accordingly. I really enjoyed it, not least that it has a strong mystery thread running through it. Also, love triangles suck no matter what, but at least this book presents that well. ( )

Not bad, but not that great either tbh. Needed more sabotage and less suitors.

Also, extremely nitpicky complaint, but the summer weather in 1817 probably would not have been that nice and if it had been the characters ought to have appreciated it more. The previous year was known as "the year without a summer" and the effects of 1816 were probably still being felt in 1817. ( )

Imogene Chively is slightly nervous at the prospect of Ernest Steeple and his brother, Ben, coming to visit her family's estate. Having met Ernest during the London season and made an impression, the visit serves as an opportunity to get to know each other with the likely view of getting married. Imogene likes Ernest but getting to know Ben, she finds herself falling for the wrong brother. At the same time a series of small but cruel accidents befall Ben, making it seem likely that someone has it in for the young man.

An exceedingly gentle Regency romance that's marketed for teens but would likely be suitable for older middle-grade readers. There's a lot of angst over perceived barriers to Imogene and Ben's falling in love, which is balanced by a lot of sweet and cozy moments between all of the main characters. The mystery involving Ben feels pretty low stakes for most of the novel and the resolution of that plot line felt kind of odd. Also as a long-time reader of Regency novels, the author's cheat of the young people agreeing to all call each other by first names feels wrong although I appreciate why the author made the choice given her target audience. Ultimately, a great read to give a tween or young teen to introduce them to the delights of Regency romances but as an adult reader who is very familiar with the genre the content failed to live up to the excellent cover. ( )