Book Review: A Reluctant Courtship by Laurie Alice Eakes

This page contains affiliate links. If you click a link and buy something, I receive a commission for the sale. This does not cost you anything. But if you do use my links, I appreciate your support.

A Reluctant Courtship by Laurie Alice Eakes

Book Review

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Honore Bainbridge has been courted by two men, one of whom turned out to be a traitor, the other a murderer. Banished to her family’s country estate, where she will hopefully stay out of trouble, she finally meets the man she is sure is exactly right for her: Lord Ashmoor. Tall, dark, and handsome—what more could a girl ask for?

But he too is under suspicion because of his American upbringing and accusations that he has helped French prisoners escape from Dartmoor Prison. If he’s to keep out of a British prison himself and secure his place in British society, Lord Ashmoor needs a wife beyond reproach—something the vexingly beautiful Honore certainly is not. Though they find themselves drawn to each other, family obligations may conspire to keep them apart forever.

For the sake of her heart, Honore determines to prove Ashmoor’s innocence—even if doing so risks her own life.

My review:

Okay, I stand corrected. In my review on A Flight of Fancy, which is the previous book in this series, I stated that I didn’t like Honore. I am pleased to say that, after reading her story in this book, I changed my mind. In fact, she is my favorite of the three sisters. Honore was a strong woman who had made mistakes, but was trying to learn from them and live her life better. Her mistakes humbled her. I would have loved to be friends with her. She had a good heart and genuinely cared about others around her, even when they hurt her.

I also could not let a review pass by without talking about Lord Ashmoor. He was just the kind of hero that I would like to see with my new friend Honore. He was trying to do what was best for his family but couldn’t hold out against his growing feelings for Honore. He was kind and considerate. He valued his family and his friends. He had a strength of character that was a good match for the type of woman that Honore was.

This is the third book in The Daughters of Bainbridge series. This book is a standalone book, but I would recommend reading the other ones first because there are references to Honore in them that some may consider a little bit of a spoiler.

What I enjoyed most about this book:

Definitely Honore. We have all been in positions of making choices that we regret. I could relate to her struggle to learn from those mistakes, to avoid repeating them, and to become a better person in the process. I also loved the development of the relationship between her and Lord Ashmoor.

What I liked about this book:

The secondary characters, particularly Miss Morrow and Chilcott. There was a nice depth to them that, I felt, really complimented the main characters.

What I didn’t like about this book:

I really can’t think of anything that I didn’t like.

My rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this book to others?

Absolutely! But I would recommend that, if you are interested in reading the whole series, you read the other two first. If you are not concerned about spoilers in the first two books, or you just want to read this one alone, this story can stand on its own. It was a nice, clean regency read with really good characters and a strong plot. This one is my favorite in the series.

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Laurie Alice Eakes, Author Website

Giveaway

Good books are meant to be passed on and so I am passing along my copy of A Reluctant Courtship by Laurie Alice Eakes. It is a gently read copy in very good condition. To enter the giveaway, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  Open to readers with USA mailing addresses only.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.  The winner will be notified via email and will have one week to respond back to me with their info.  Good Luck and Thank You for stopping by!

The comment question for this giveaway is:  What type of things do you like to see a heroine overcome?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share this with others so that we can support these wonderful authors!