Daring in a Blue Dress
Daring in a Blue Dress is going to be a romance that hits a lot of catnip buttons for readers: it has a shy, beta hero, there’s restoration of a crumbling Tudor-era mansion, there’s a troupe of medieval reenactors, there are secret passages and smuggling, and there is an octogenarian lady who is Having None of this Shit. I loved the first two thirds of the book, but it fizzled at the end for me.
Alden Ainslie just blew his wad on a Tudor mansion that he’s planning on restoring. Problem is, the former owner, Lady Sybilla, refuses to leave and he doesn’t feel right about kicking an 80-year-old out of her house. Also she rented the grounds to a medieval arts troupe that teaches sword fighting and archery and the like. Working for the troupe is Mercy Starling, perpetual college student, and she and Alden immediately develop pants feelings for each other.
I loved Alden. He’s painfully shy, especially around women. He bought the house specifically to avoid people. Mercy is excellent at recognizing his social anxiety and working with him, which I loved.
As I said, I liked this book, but struggled at the end. I felt like a lot of exterior conflict was dumped on top in order to give the hero and heroine something to do. I would also classify the book as more whacky/silly than outright funny. Still, readers looking for a lighter contemporary might find this right up their alley.
– Elyse
Chivalry is far from dead in the third novel in the “gut-wrenchingly funny” Matchmaker in Wonderland Romance series.
Stranded in England without money or a ticket home, Mercy Starling takes a job working for a medieval reenactment company. After all, who wouldn’t want to pretend to live in the past, wield swords and long bows, and dress up in armor? And the best part of her summer job is Bestwood Hall…or rather, its intriguing new owner.
The painfully shy Alden Ainslie is overwhelmed by the medieval reenactors who invade the Tudor house he’s renovating, but he’s drawn to the bubbly Mercy. And he valiantly joins in the fun, dodging not just arrows, lances, and the odd sword thrust, but also some pretty suspicious—and potentially deadly—attacks on himself. Someone wants him to give up on the house. But Alden is desperate to prove himself—and win the heart of his lady fair…
Contemporary Romance, Romance
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!
