Lady August - Becky Michaels (Review)

Date of Reading: 13/05/2021

Author: Becky Michaels

Publisher: Mildred Press

Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Source: BookSirens

Rating: 3.5/5

About the book:

August Summer thinks she is a nobody until a London solicitor barges into her employer’s drawing-room, revealing not only is she the daughter of an earl but a wealthy heiress as well. Optimistic about a new life, she travels to her ancestral home of Linfield Hall, only for her brother to banish her to London to live with her aunt, a dowager duchess with a reputation.

When Lord Bolton asks him to fetch his illegitimate daughter, solicitor Samuel Brooks does not expect himself to become so invested in the young woman’s debut after wanting nothing to do with dinners and balls before. But as August navigates her way through this new world of the British aristocracy, Brooks is the one who is most dazzled by her unexpected charms.

Since society demands every young girl must marry, August decides she will accept nothing less than someone’s heart in exchange for possession of her newfound fortune. Forced to reexamine his negative views of love and marriage or lose August forever, Brooks soon realizes his heart is the only thing in danger of becoming possessed.

Review:

        I don't know why I hesitated to read this book sooner. Not the time, I guess. As you can see from the blurb, this is a dreamy rag to riches regency romance filled with humour, a bit of adventure and some rare rave characters.

        Is there anyone who hasn't dreamed of a secret inheritance that takes you out of this dreary life? Well, for August Summer, our practical defiant heroine who never wasted her time on dreaming, this had become a reality. Within a day, the orphan girl is surprised with the knowledge of a father (an Earl, nonetheless) and a large inheritance he left out of guilt.

        Hmm, money might make matters a lot easy but acceptance by society is another thing. Luckily, our author has created a regency romance with fairly modern characters -- a dowager duchess openly having affairs, a forgiving husband and a solicitor who is not concerned about his future wife's virginity. Yup, I too wondered the same. Is this really the 1800s?

        The historical inaccuracies aside, August's pursuit to secure the love of Samuel Brooks formed the basis of a really cute story. Brooks is a complex character and I would have preferred if the author had allowed a bit more plot development for August to understand the man better. The much anticipated happy ending came way too early.

        Considering the way it concluded I am expecting a continuation of the story of August's sister, Rosamund and the Duke. I have no doubt that all her stories make perfect weekend reads.

Meet the author:

Becky Michaels is a historical romance author and self-proclaimed Anglophile. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in English, she reluctantly decided to get a day job but never stopped writing—or dreaming. THE LAND STEWARD’S DAUGHTER, a Regency romance set in 1815 England, is her debut novel. Despite the cold winters and high rent, she still lives in the Boston area with her boyfriend and cat.