To find a match, in more than one way…

Synopsis

Summer, 1816. A notorious rebel is about to meet her match…

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury is no stranger to breaking the rules of polite society. But when a so-called ‘friend’ invites her to a clandestine party, Georgiana is shocked to discover the event is more scandalous than even she could have imagined. So when a mysterious stranger offers help, she accepts, not realising their encounter will turn her life upside down.

Later that summer, Georgiana is invited to attend a house party at an infamous castle in Yorkshire. The gathering is a loosely veiled effort to arrange a marriage for the Duke of Northriding, who desperately needs an heir. Duke Gabriel Mauleverer has a terrible reputation as a rake, and Georgiana is happy to be a guest purely for the entertainment, but upon arrival, she is shocked to discover that the Duke is none other than the stranger who rescued her weeks earlier.

As the other ladies vie for the Duke’s attention, Georgiana is desperate to avoid their shocking secret getting out. But she finds herself caught, unable to avoid Gabriel’s gaze. Are they a threat to each other? Or could they be the answer to each other’s greatest desires?

My review

Lady Georgiana Pendlebury is not one that strictly follows the rules. But her not following rules is also what brings her in trouble during the summer of 1816, as someone she thought to be her friend invites her to a party that turns out to be more clandestine and scandalous than Georgie could ever imagine.
It’s only with the help of a stranger that Georgie manages to get away.
So obviously Georgie is shocked when she learns later that summer, during a house party in a castle in Yorkshire, that the Duke of Northriding, Gabriel Mauleverer, who has an infamous reputation, is the stranger who saved her.
And it’s that same Duke that is now looking for a wife to give him an heir…
While the other ladies are trying to gain Duke Gabriel’s attention, Georgie tries to avoid him at any cost, afraid that he will reveal her secret.
But nevertheless, she manages to catch the Duke’s eye…

Regency… a period that has for sure always interested and intrigued me, especially as the female characters are limited in what they can and are allowed to do, yet strong characters arise, not letting society dictate them.

And Georgie for sure is a strong character, not always following the rules and follows her instinct. But she is also the kind of person that learns from her mistakes, and knows when to lay low. Yet she is also a woman that is ready to cut off ties when she has been victim of the wrong kind of friendships and makes her position and thoughts known.
So even if being in the 19th century, Georgie is the kind of woman who stands her ground and doesn’t want to fit in if that means losing herself.
She is also a very curious woman, bringing her perhaps in situations that a young woman like her shouldn’t be in.

Perhaps it’s just that curiosity and her behaviour to those situations, that it took me a while to warm towards her. Especially after reading what truly happened at that infamous party. I could understand her curiosity, but it somehow didn’t felt right for Georgie to act that way? Curiosity can be understood, but I don’t know how realistic (yes yes, I know this is a fictional book 😊) her behaviour truly was. Because being as innocent as she was, I don’t know if anyone would do that?
But of course, if Georgie wouldn’t have acted that way, we wouldn’t have this story, right? 😊

As a reader, we obviously already know that the Duke will turn out to be that same stranger. That didn’t take away the fun I had reading how shocked Georgie was at that discovery! Because Georgie truly believed she would never encounter the stranger again, but was left flabbergasted to learn that she is actually staying in his castle.

The Duke for sure is a cheeky character, with an infamous reputation. Yet it’s to his credit that he understands what he must do for his family and is ready to do what must.
But it was also nice to see a kinder side of him, a protective side, an understanding side, as while perhaps he lures Georgie into marrying him, but quickly realizes that Georgie and he are alike in many ways.

There is an instant physical attraction between the main characters, but there is also a reluctance into giving in, especially from Georgie’s side. And perhaps as a feminist, it angered me that Gabriel wouldn’t just take no for an answer, even if it were perhaps a case of ‘I say no but perhaps I mean yes’. In my eyes ‘no’ means ‘no’ and everyone should respect that.
But once again, if Gabriel would have accepted Georgie’s answer, well, we wouldn’t have this book…

It was in a way sweet to see how slowly the two characters are learning to trust each other, to get to know each other and also just learn from each other.
Of course there are a few extra dramatic moments in this book, but while those moments were quickly resolved, it also gave Gabriel and Georgie the chance to understand their own feelings better, and see what has been clear for the readers from the start.

There are also a few side stories that perhaps during Regency would absolutely cause a scandal, but in current times wouldn’t be so scandalous. Yet for being in those times, I admired those characters for the choices they dared to make, not bothering what society may think.

This was an entertaining story, about a young woman making her own choices, even sometimes the wrong ones, but finding someone that matches her perfectly.
The spice for sure is present in this book, but while in other books that overshadowed the plot line, in this book it for sure didn’t, as it fitted greatly to the main characters and their persona.