🦇 Book Review 🦇
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
"I choose my path & accept the consequences."
🌹 #QOTD: What was the last great historical romance you read? 🌹
Everyone expects Francesca Thorne to act like the typical Victorian wife, even while her waste-of-time (a decade in fact) adulterous husband continues sleeping through half the town. When she finally petitions for a divorce, her husband sends his best friend, James Standish, to urge her to accept a quarterly allowance instead. The two are ridiculously attracted to one another, despite the fact that a relationship is forbidden--making it all the more alluring.
Francesca is a sassy, nonconformist heroine who sticks her nose up at societal expectations. James, while just as likely to bend the rules, knows how to play the game to his favor. The two have a decade-long friendship between them before the thought of something more begins to simmer; in defiance of societal pressures, which further adds to the tension. Francesca's defiance is a delight, her refusal to follow expectations inspiring. Julia Bennet balances the era's language with humor and wit, Once you fall into the prose, it's easy to lose time; the story draws you in. The characters' motivations are clear, the conflict realistic for the time, the dialogue engaging. However, it feels like too much time is spent on the ex-husband and other secondary characters. While the shift to a secondary character's POV is intriguing, it pulls attention away from the leads. There are a few areas that drag as a result (namely, Edward's storyline, who doesn't seem worth redeeming).
If you have a love for historical romances and rebellious heroines along with a dash of sassiness and spice, give The Worst Woman in London a try!
🌹 Friends to lovers 🌹 Forbidden romance 🌹 A sassy, rebellious heroine 🌹 Period-appropriate prose 🌹 Historical romance
🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
[ Find my full review on GoodReads. ]
