This one was pretty cute. I loved the premise, that writing a letter one shouldn’t write, and then having the misfortune of that letter being accidentally sent, could cause an entire sequence of mishaps and questionable events to occur. Adorable.
Etta and Gerard were both slow to figure things out for themselves, but I always love a good slow burn. Watching each of them slowly find delightful things about the other was so sweet.
Could a few things in the book have been figured out with an honest conversation? Perhaps. But I genuinely found their predicaments to be real. Etta was impetuous and impulsive, Gerard was meticulous and forthright. And I loved what happened when they tried to mimic one another’s strengths. I also loved that they created problems and had to fix them, and it wasn’t all problems foisted upon them because of others (there’s some of that too, but mostly they have to fix their own quandaries).
This is a quick read that I found charming and delightful. If you want something that is a little different, I’d recommend checking this one out.

**many thanks to the publisher for the copy. All thoughts are my own. ( )

Ready for a fun Regency romp involving scandal, blackmail, secrets, a fake courtship, and a letter? I enjoyed An Inconvenient Letter by Julie Wright. It’s a clever twist on the letter that should never have been mailed trope, with a childhood friends to more, slow burn romance and a bit of a Romeo & Juliet vibe. Throw in a bit of Jane Austen feels as well and it’s a sweet, sometimes madcap Regency romance that kept me turning the pages.

Marietta “Etta” Stone’s had a crush on her best friend Lucy’s brother for years. She secretly shares her feelings in letters written to Frederick which were never meant to be seen by anyone, let alone him. When her sister accidentally mails the letters, Etta scrambles for a way to retrieve them before he reads them. The only problem, a small scandal involving the two families have made them enemies. Just when Etta and her sister Anne have found a way to retrieve the letters, one of them is intercepted by Lucy’s cousin Gerard.

Gerard Hartwell is in need of funds to save his family’s estate. While visiting his mother who’s staying at his aunt’s & cousin Frederick’s home, Freddie offers to give him a much needed loan provided he find a wealthy wife who could ensure repayment. Gerald wanted to marry for love, but his circumstances require marrying for money. When he confronts Etta who appears to be stealing his cousin’s mail, she drops the letters and he retrieves one of them. Before he agrees to return the letter, Gerald comes up with a blackmail scheme hoping to solve all of their problems. Etta agrees to help him court her sister Anne while he helps her win Freddie’s heart and Gerald will keep the letter as insurance. What could go wrong?

I thoroughly enjoyed Etta and Gerard! Etta feels like she’s always in her beautiful, talented sister’s shadow. She feels unseen and unappreciated despite her unique talents and kind heart. I love the way Gerard ,though initially attracted to Anne, starts to see Etta and all her abilities. Their slow burn romance was fun to watch through all the mishaps and misadventures. There’s even a sort of villainess in the form of a determined woman vying for Gerard’s suit. I loved the twists and turns, the humor, romance, and delightful drama of it all.

Definitely recommend to clean Regency romance fans! I’m hoping we’ll get Anne’s story next. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. ( )

Marietta Stone never intended her love letters to Frederick Finch to be sent, and she is horrified when they end up in the possession of the man’s cousin, Gerard Hartwell. With his own problems to solve, Gerard proposes a bargain: if Marietta helps him court her sister, he’ll return the letters and aid her in winning Frederick’s heart. When the faux courtship results in genuine feelings, this pair will have to learn to communicate to avoid the heartbreak of misunderstandings.

Just like the author’s last book, this one left me feeling conflicted. The story is cute, if a bit contrived. Marietta was a sweet character, and I appreciated Gerard’s struggles. I did want them to get together. However, just as before, it was the little details that brought me out of the story.

There was no sense of time. The blurb tells me that it was set in 1828, but there was nothing to indicate the time period or place it. At one point, Marietta suggests “ranching” as an option for Gerard to explore. This word comes from a Spanish word and wasn’t used until the 1830’s and is primarily an American/Canadian word. And every misunderstanding between the two main characters annoyed me.

Still, it had cute moments so it wasn’t completely annoying. Maybe this is just not an author for me. I would recommend it to readers looking for an easy historical romance to read. I received an advance copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own. ( )