Review of The Misadventures of Miss Adelaide by Maggie Dallen

Synopsis:
She’s on the run from her cruel guardian…


And Miss Adelaide has found the perfect hiding spot in the home of the formidable Earl of Tolston. But masquerading as a maid comes at a cost. One day she faints on the job, and when she wakes…

She’s in the arms of the Earl. His eyes are dark as he glowers down at her, but then he says, “What are you hiding, little one?”

Her secrets about to be exposed, Addie wants nothing more than to flee—again. But the powerful, overprotective Earl with dark, brooding eyes makes it very clear that she’s his to protect. Whether she likes it or not.

“You can run, Addie . . . but I will follow.”

This is the first of a 10-book sweet regency romance series filled with enemies to lovers, friends to more, runaway brides, kidnapped debutantes, mistaken identity, alpha heroes, and a loveable group of friends. Each book is a standalone romance. No cliffhangers, just a swoonworthy happily ever after!

Review:
“Admit it,” he said. “You believe in the fairy tales–true love, happily ever afters–all that hogwash.”
“I did once,” she admitted.


This book was a very short and very quick read that I found by means of TikTok advertising. That being said, I did enjoy the characterization but we were left with a lot of insta-feelings that I would have liked more time for development. I did actually like how the Earl came to care and push for Addie’s wellbeing, however, it seemed as if (and this is addressed within the novel) he and Adelaide never truly took the time to get to know each other but just felt a connection. I do very much love how Addie has her own secrets and her own goals that she must accomplish and that she isn’t willing to back down just because she found someone that could “save her”. I like that the two bring out the teasing nature in the other, especially with their word play. I also really liked that despite not knowing the whole story and realizing there is a lot left to learn, Alec doesn’t give up on Adelaide. While I would have liked more character development, perhaps a bit more interactions with Alec (especially with Reggie), I did rather enjoy this book as a quick little clean romance read.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain

Synopsis:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an arrogant bachelor insistent on a wife who meets the strictest of requirements—deserves his comeuppance.

The Honourable Mr. Jeremy Malcolm is searching for a wife, but not just any wife. As the target of matchmaking mothers and desperate debutantes, he’s determined to avoid the fortune hunters and find a near-perfect woman, one who will meet the qualifications on his well-crafted list. But after years of searching, he’s beginning to despair of ever finding this paragon. Until Selina Dalton arrives in town.

Selina, a vicar’s daughter of limited means and a stranger to high society, is thrilled when her friend Julia Thistlewaite invites her to London, until she learns it’s all part of a plot to exact revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina is reluctant to participate in Julia’s scheme, especially after meeting the irresistible Mr. Malcolm, who appears to be very different from the arrogant scoundrel of Julia’s description.

But when Mr. Malcolm begins judging Selina against his unattainable standards, Selina decides that she has some qualifications of her own. And if he is to meet them he must reveal the real man behind…Mr. Malcolm’s List.

Review:
This book sucked me in from the very first page. It was beautiful and the characters well described and quite brilliant. I loved the sibling-esque relationship between Cassie and Julia, and Julia is just perfectly set up for you to hate her. Overall it is a brilliant piece of clean historical romance that instantly pulls you into the life of the characters, hoping they can manage to work out what is clearly meant to be between all of them. Very much gives the same feelings as an Austen romance (both Emma and Pride and Prejudice come to mind), and just as much trouble that must be sorted! A hint of passion, but a completely clean romance. Read in one day, pleasant to spend long periods of time falling into.

Highly recommend!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯