A Reason for Romance

Title: A Reason for Romance

Author: Rachel Knowles

Publisher: Sandsfoot Publishing

Copyright: ‎ February 24, 2021

ISBN: 978-1910883020

ASIN: B08XJR2LRN

Format: E-Book, 306 Pages

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Romance, Regency Romance

Summary

He’s found the love of his life. She’s captivated by her romantic hero. And it’s not him.

London 1810: Repelled by his father’s unfaithfulness, the Earl of Castleford has locked away his feelings, saving them for one woman alone. He does not expect her to be the impulsive Miss Merry, the reckless young lady whose elopement he once foiled.

Georgiana Merry acts on her feelings with no thought to the consequences. She goes to London looking for romantic love, but all she finds is friendship with the philanthropic Lord Castleford.

The appearance of the fascinating Sir James seems like the answer to her dreams.

But Georgiana has been misled by her feelings before. Afraid of making another mistake, she takes counsel from the mysterious Sylph—her self-appointed guardian who sends her anonymous letters.

Can the Sylph help her discover where her heart truly lies before she makes another decision she might regret?

This faith-based historical romance plays out against the backdrop of the Regency era and comes with historical notes for those readers wanting to explore further. Discussion questions included.

A Reason for Romance is the second book in The Merry Romances.

Review

London, 1810. Georgiana Merry, a young debutante in Regency England, is launched into society. As she is the granddaughter of the Duchess of Wessex, there is much expected of her, especially a bright future. Early on in her debut, she happens to catch the eye of the Earl of Castleford, who feels an immediate attraction. Coincidentally, he is the very same young man who saved her from her ill-advised elopement two years earlier. It seems like Lord Castleford’s admiration is not returned, because Georgiana only has eyes for the dashing Sir James Maxwell. Nevertheless, a platonic friendship forms between Georgiana and Lord Castleford. Will love eventually blossom between the shy Lord Castleford and Georgiana? Or will Sir James Maxwell ruin the day?

A Reason for Romance, the second instalment in the Merry Romances series, is an oft-told tale about a young debutante searching for love. In Georgiana we have a protagonist who hungers for romance and is often quite inexperienced when it comes to the world of men. In Lord Castleford we have the long-suffering suitor who is rejected by his love interest at every turn. While the characterization is rather good, I had difficulty connecting with Georgiana and found her frustrating at times. Overall, I liked the other characters. The pacing of the novel is steady, and it kept me engaged throughout. It was obvious from the quality of writing and detail that the author did a great deal of research. One of my favorite parts of this book was at the end where Knowles includes an author’s note/historical note, a glossary of terminology from the time, an index of historical figures, a list of historical places, and other tidbits of fascinating Regency history. I am simply impressed by this author’s command of knowledge about this era.

Originally featured on the History Novel Society website.

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