“‘I will play.’ The words jumped from her lips, and her heart beat rapidly inside her chest. She hoped she would not come to regret it.”

What does an arranged marriage, a pig in a waistcoat, and a subtle game of tag have to do with a proper romance? A whole lot of fun and intrigue! Loved this creative debut novel by Jentry Flint! The parlor games brought back memories from childhood when my brothers or friends and I would create subtle little games to play if forced to endure a very proper, sometimes boring situation. The romance is a slow-burn, best friend’s older brother trope with swoony kisses, tantalizing whispers in the ear, and heat-filled glances. Loved the characters, especially the friendship between the three men in the story.

Emerson Latham feels the weight of responsibility since the death of his beloved father. In accompanying his younger sister during her first season, Emerson realizes his growing attraction to Arabella’s best friend Olivia Wilde. Trying to court her the traditional way makes Olivia think he’s just trying to be a good friend. He decides to employ an unconventional courtship via a game of subtle tag. Employing his two close friends, and his blue stocking sister, he convinces Olivia to play the game in various ton gatherings without being caught by the other adults in the room, especially her overbearing, abusive father.

Olivia’s resigned herself to being forced to marry a man with a title. Her father worked his way up from the docks to become a wealthy, formidable tradesman. He wants for nothing more than a title and is determined Olivia get one for him. His abusive treatment of her and her mother cows Olivia into submission but she secretly longs for love and romance. When Emerson proposes a harmless game of tag, she’s at first reticent, but more and more sees it as her last chance for some fun and excitement before being forced to marry.

I loved the games played throughout the book, especially those devised by Emerson and his friends. Emerson, Bradbury, and Lord Northcott were the highlight of the story for me. Their friendship was so well written and each character was given a distinct personality with an intriguing backstory (Hope we get more books about these friends.) The incident with the pig and the waistcoat had me laughing out loud. It’s definitely a unique prank that I don’t believe I’ve ever read in a novel.

The romance was definitely swoony! I loved how Emerson gives Olivia the nickname Liv, so her name becomes Liv Wilde. I enjoyed the way he wanted to see her laugh and live to her fullest potential. I loved watching them both change as they regained that spark for life and found their way back to themselves through their friends’ help and their love.

This is definitely a fun, clean regency romance with a modern fresh twist. There’s a small amount of violence, and a hint of abuse from Olivia’s father and forced intended, however it’s mostly suggested. The ending will have you on the edge of your seat. Look forward to more books by this author. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. ( )