Book: “The Luckiest Lady in London” by Sherry Thomas
Publishing Info: Berkley Sensation, November 2013
Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!
Book Description: Felix Rivendale, the Marquess of Wrenworth, is The Ideal Gentleman, a man all men want to be and all women want to possess. Felix himself almost believes this golden image. But underneath is a damaged soul soothed only by public adulation.
Louisa Cantwell needs to marry well to support her sisters. She does not, however, want Lord Wrenworth—though he seems inexplicably interested in her. She mistrusts his outward perfection and the praise he garners everywhere he goes. But when he is the only man to propose at the end of the London season, she reluctantly accepts.
Louisa does not understand her husband’s mysterious purposes, but she cannot deny the pleasure her body takes in his touch. Nor can she deny the pull this magnetic man exerts upon her. But does she dare to fall in love with a man so full of dark secrets, anyone of which could devastate her, if she were to get any closer?
Review: Yes, this is what it looks like. I’m reviewing a straight up historical romance novel. Pretty outside of my typical genres, but I’ve loved everything by Sherry Thomas that I’ve read, and I knew that she had started out as a historical romance author. So I wanted to go back and see what some of her earlier work was like when she was primarily publishing in this genre. I found this one kind of on a whim, and overall, I liked it pretty well and can definitely see the foundations of the traits in Thomas’s writing that I like in her other genres of writing.
Going into her first season, Louisa has one goal and one goal only: snag a rich husband to help support her family. She knows she’s not the most beautiful woman in society nor the most rich, but she’s made a study of how to succeed in London society. So with surgical precision, she goes to work. What she doesn’t expect is to draw the attention of “The Perfect Gentleman,” a Lord Wrenworth that ladies have been trying to capture for years. But she distrusts this outward appearance of perfect and is more than bewildered when his is the only proposal she receives after months in society. Now going into a marriage where the attraction is clear but the motives less so, Louisa must uncover the truth of Lord Wrenworth and discover just how “perfect” this man could be.
I feel like even if I didn’t know Thomas was the author of this book, I would have been able to guess. She has a certain way of writing her characters that is very distinctive. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it…Many of her heroes and heroines are very level-headed, have an analytical approach to life, and coolly asses those around them. There are very few emotional outbursts, and the ones they do have, are often shrouded in cold wit more than anything else. And yet, for these traits being fairly universal in the books I’ve read, all of her characters have still felt unique and new.
I really liked Louisa in this book. Her approach to a London season has many elements that I can see were drawn upon when creating Charlotte Holmes. She tackles the entire thing like a scientific experiment. The right dress here, the correct, bland smile there, some clearly targeted prospects who meet her criteria, regardless of personal looks or charm. And yet, we also see Louisa rattled by Lord Wrenworth. But even here, she rises to the challenge in some very unexpected ways. She doesn’t understand her own attraction to him, but she refuses to be shamed by it or let him use it against her. It’s an interesting dynamic.
Lord Wrenworth is more your typical romance hero. Perfect on the outside with all the brooding issues on the inside that come out at the worst times. I liked the backstory that Thomas gives for him, as I think it goes further to explain his lapses than other romantic heroes I’ve read in the past. But he still falls into the same pitfalls that often frustrate me with this genre. Just get over yourself! And quit hurting the woman you can’t admit you love for whatever reason!
Most of the typical romance beats are hit here, so what mostly stood out for me was Thomas’s strong writing. But I can also see has she’s grown as an author since producing this. The ending is fairly abrupt and the reconciliation seems to come out of nowhere a bit. I was happy enough with the conclusion, but still smarting a bit on Louisa’s behalf. If you like historical romances, this is probably worth checking out. But I wasn’t enamored enough that I feel the need to make my way through all of Thomas’s other romance novels.
Rating 7: Good for what it is with especially strong characters, but still follows a fairly standard romance plotline.
Reader’s Advisory:
“The Luckiest Lady in London” is on these Goodreads lists: Best Historical Romances – Married Couples and Lords, Dukes, Rakes…Oh My!.
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