FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book because Yasmin is so resilient, and I loved how she stands up for herself despite the approbation of society and even Giles at times. I loved how Giles's love for Yasmin transforms him and how he struggles with his societal expectations. This book manages to be sweet and hot at the same time.
THE STORY: Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, is undone by Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is everything he could want in a wife, except that her dress and her behavior, and her history are not what he sees as proper. That makes her ineligible for consideration as his countess, but he can't stop wanting to spend time with her. Yasmin has a past and is determined to be strong in the face of the disapproval of British society and Giles. Giles is too stuffy and judgemental, yet Yasmin finds that Giles constantly exceeds her expectations.
OPINION: This book is so much more serious than the initial setup appeared to portend. Yasmin and Giles have to learn to speak to one another about their fears and dreams. There was so much I loved about this book, but I really couldn't stand Gile's sister, who just drove me crazy for the entire book. I understand that she is hurting as well, but being hurt doesn't give one the privilege of hurting others.
Despite this, however, I really did love the characters as they worked out their relationship with one another. There was something incredibly romantic about how Giles is completely undone by Yasmin and realizes that he has to change to have what he wants. He begins so judgmental but realizes that he is wrong. So rarely does a hero contemplate his own actions and realize that he was wrong without having an extremely dramatic situation. I ended up loving Giles because he is willing to change to be worthy of Yasmin. Those changes are about mindset and attitude and about his judgments rather than something external to himself. While the reader understands why Giles is the way he is, it is understanding rather than justification.
I really loved Yasmin, who has taken the roughest part of life and made something sparkling and joyful for herself. That is why Giles falls for her and why I like her as well. So much in life could have struck her down and destroyed her, and yet she remains positive about so much.
I think I really have a thing for the grumpy hero and the ray of sunshine. This book has some of that and yet upends all expectations of that trope. Giles is not as grumpy and reserved as he appears, and Yasmin has depth and real pain in her life.
WORTH MENTIONING: I can't wait to read Silvester's book. He is adorable in this one.
CONNECTED BOOKS: THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS is the second book in the Would-Be Wallflowers series. The romance here is self-contained, and there is no overarching storyline, so that this book can be read as a standalone. There are appearances, however, by characters from the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
The Reluctant Countess: A Would-Be Wallflowers Novel
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From the manufacturer
This book was DELICIOUS. The tension, the angst, the drama - I just couldn’t stop reading! It follows the romance of Giles, the Earl of Lilford, and Lady Yasmin, Cleo’s scandalous French friend. They are complete opposites, but they can’t seem to fight their intense desire and feelings toward each other. It was messy, a little toxic, and had the perfect amount of spice.I recently read the first book in this series, How to Be a Wallflower, and I was pleasantly surprised. I had seen a lot of lackluster reviews, so I went in with very low expectations and ended up loving it. I gave it 4/5 stars, which is my rating for this book as well, but for different reasons.Because I enjoyed the first one so much and I knew this one was enemies to loves, which I looooove, I expected 5/5 stars. This book came pretty close to that, but the only thing holding me back is all the business that went down with Lydia. I should warn you, the synopsis mentions nothing about this, but Giles’ sister Lydia is the main antagonist of the story. She judges and slut-shames Yasmin throughout the entire novel, and throws hissy fits whenever Giles or anyone else even so much as looks at her, it’s to the point it’s kind of ridiculous.I just feel like by the end I expected a better resolution with her and the whole situation. She is the main reason why he and Yasmin can’t be together and when she’s acting like a straight up bitch, it starts to get a little frustrating, to say the least. Then at the end after she’s done the worst possible thing she could do to keep the couple apart, we don’t get to see her realize the error of her ways or feel the least bit of remorse for her actions. I just would’ve appreciated some character growth to be honest, but we might still get it in future books, so we’ll see.One of my favorite aspects of this story was learning about Yasmin’s past and exploring how she experiences sexual attraction because of it. To me, it kind of read as demisexuality, and I loved how unexpected and emotional it was to find out the most scandalous woman in the ton has been putting on an act to hide from her trauma. Like I said earlier, I loved her romance with Giles and how he had to overcome his past, assumptions about Yasmin, and prejudices placed on him by society to finally give in to the connection they have together.Definitely would recommend to anyone who’s looking for an enchanting historical romance, and now after reading the latest 2 Eloisa James books I’m gonna need to go back and read her entire backlist ASAP! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books for the uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
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Top reviews from other countries
Sonja Corterier
I couldn't really get into it
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on December 12, 2022
