Readers who enjoy a headstrong female lead like Elizabeth Bennet and dashing yet brooding Darcy-esque heroes will be right at home with A Viscount's Proposal.

Leorah Langdon marches to the beat of her own drum when society's ridiculous rules contradict her own common sense. She has spunk and proves herself to be a loyal friend regardless of social class.

Edward Withinghall is determined to live above reproach in order to advance his political career, help the less privileged, and clear his family name. Worthy goals, yes?! YES but at what cost?

This is a great story and one I would highly recommend to fans of regency, mystery, and romance!

I requested the opportunity to read this book through NetGalley but time got away from me and I ended up borrowing it through Kindle Unlimited. The opinions expressed are my own.

Leorah and Edward are perfect foils for one another in this story of intrigue, society and attempts at murder. We continue to see Nichols and Julia from the first book, A Spy’s Devotion, which is wonderful. You don’t have to have read the prior book but it enriches the characters for you!
Mrs. Dickerson you truly are blessed with the ability to write the most interesting stories while challenging and reminding us to trust in God for His protection and plans.

About this book:

“Leorah Langdon has no patience for Regency society’s shallow hypocrisy and unnecessary rules, especially for women. She’s determined to defy convention by marrying for grand passion instead of settling for a loveless union like her parents—or wedding a stuffy, pompous gentleman like Edward, the Viscount Withinghall. But when a chance meeting in the countryside leads to Leorah and Withinghall being discovered in his overturned carriage—alone and after dark—the ensuing gossip may force them together.
Withinghall has his reasons for clinging to propriety; his father perished in a duel with his mistress’s husband, and Edward must avoid scandal himself if he wants to become prime minister. He certainly has no time for a reckless hoyden like Miss Langdon. But soon the two discover that Withinghall’s coach “accident” was no such thing: the vehicle was sabotaged.
Can the culprit be brought to justice? Strong-willed Leorah and duty-driven Withinghall will have to work together if they have any hope of saving her reputation, his political career—and his life.”


Series: Book #2 in “The Regency Spies of London” series. Review of #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- Prayers & Thanking God; A few Scriptures are mentioned; Talks about God & Jesus; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of Christians, an evangelical writer & Christian books about morals; Mentions of clergymen; Mentions of Christmas; A few mentions of Bibles & reading; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of church going; A few mentions of sins; A couple mentions of blessings; A mention of Lent;
*Note: A mention of damning evidence; A mention of something seeming damning; A “Good God, man,” is said once; A ‘what the devil’.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘Egads’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, three ‘stupid’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Pain (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of duels & a death; Mentions of fighting, guns aimed & trying to shoot a person (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of murder, a plan to murder someone, a would-be assassin, threats & hatred (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of pain, injuries, blood, a carriage accident & a body (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of drinking, drunks & spirits; Mentions of hangings & jail; Mentions of hunting & shooting at people and animals; A few mentions of a suicide; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of lying & lies; A couple mentions of beatings.


Sexual Content- a palm kiss, a cheek kiss, a forehead kiss, an almost kiss, two not-detailed kisses, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, & three semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Nearness, & Flutters (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; a ‘wench’; Many mentions of scandals, mistresses/courtesans, lovers, affairs & passion (mentions are barely barely-above-not-detailed in what it all means); Many mentions of reputations, ruin reputations & compromising situations; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirts, flirting & touching; A few mentions of mistletoe & kissing under it; A few mentions of an illegitimate child; A couple mentions of blushing & a man loving his wife with his body; A couple mentions of scandalous romance novels; A mention of a man seducing & keeping a young girl as his mistress; Love, falling in love & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of unmentionables.

-Leorah Langdon, age 22
-Edward Withinghall, age 29
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1813-1814
279 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
I don’t know about y’all, but I love reading romances where the main couple don’t get a long—or even like each other—at first. It’s such a nice change from the typical love/attraction at first sight, wouldn’t you agree? I honestly adored this novel. Even for dealing with mentions of mistresses, men who keep one & affairs, it was all very clean. I enjoyed the first book, but Leorah and Edward just made this book. At first I was getting a Mr. Darcy vibe almost from Edward, but I was happy when it was different. I honest-to-goodness, loved Leorah (& her name!) and thought she was just brilliant. I did love seeing Julia & Nicholas again and learning what was new with them. (I always love reading series connected by siblings or dear friends because you have a high chance of seeing the previous couple again in the next book.) I’m hoping for Felicity’s story next; I want to hear about her twelve siblings!


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the author for this honest review.

“Was this the night she would actually die of tedium, triviality, and hypocrisy?” (1)

That line brings us to who Leorah Langdon is, and I'm so glad to have met her in Melanie Dickerson's A Viscount's Proposal. With a certain quirkiness and highly opinionated, she's quite the character to love, hate and be annoyed with. Her encounters with the Viscount Edward Withinghall is hilariously unbelievable to a point of creative indulgence that I just adore!

“Miss Langdon, I would appreciate it if you would steer a wide path around my person, as, whenever you are around, I tend to get bumped into, have my clothing spoiled, and find my dignity otherwise injured by your carelessness.”

“You are the most obstinate, arrogant. . .” ( )

Whenever the two are together, the page light up for me, not only for their verbal sparring, but I also find their development extremely well executed based. Though credit must also go to the well-placed supporting characters and dialogue that kept this book grounded. The mystery aspect had many unforeseen twists, even though readers will find the villain predictable. The twists and the multiple themes of seeing beyond the surface, idolatry, loyalty, pride and prejudice gave A Viscount's Proposal depth. There's also the great allusions to one of my favorite Regency novel, Pride and Prejudice with many scenes that'll remind you of it, as well as characters. The romance was definitely the highlight for me. How could you not with lines like these?

“Leorah wouldn’t admit it even if she did think Lord Withinghall had nice features. . . “ ( )
“It has been many months since I found anything unappealing about you, Miss Langdon.” ( )

There are definitely more, but I don't want to spoil you. Needless to say, I enjoyed A Viscount's Proposal tremendously, and look forward to the rest of the series' stories!



This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

The Viscount's Proposalby Melanie Dickerson

This story really grabbed me and would not let me go. Leorah was my kind of girl; she refused to comply with society's ridiculous rules for women and she was not afraid to speak up and out. I just laughed and laughed when she and her friend Felicity were caught comparing Lord Withinghall to a pirate! The fact that Lord Withinghall and Leorah had an immediate dislike for each other made the story so much more interesting with every encounter between the two! The verbal sparring was intense and I imagined I was there watching it all unfold! Then everything cranked up a notch when the mystery, murder and secrets began! Dickerson masterfully tells a story that will draw you in and hold you captive until the very last word is read! I was completely intrigued and loved every minute of The Viscount's Proposal and you will too! I received a copy via Netgalley and I was under no obligation to review it.

My heart overflowed with joy at a Christmas gift from the author of allowing me to read this book ahead of the time of publishing.
Christmas and Melanie Dickerson go together like cinnamon, Christmas trees and wrapped gifts do for other people. I made my own special tradition of reading her novels, preferably her latest novel on Christmas every year. So far, I have gotten to start a new one every year for last several years, curled in my Pj's, by the light of my sister's tree. I have loved her fairy tale rewrites so much, I wondered if I could like her regency reads just as well. I shouldn't have worried.

The heroine of this tale is spunky, but not over the top in an irritating way. She is strong, and has definite thoughts of why she does what she does. I loved her! Her hero took a bit to grow on me, but like all "Mr. Darcy" like characters, we realized who he was under the prickles.

If you love a good regency, with hints of romance, without any graphic details, kisses or the like, this is perfect! It was just right. It hit the spot in a wonderful way.

The author’s second regency historical offers a gallant read with some connection to the first of her spy series, but it also stands solidly alone. I enjoyed the adventure and suspense and intrigue as Leorah Langdon struggles with society’s demands and expectations. Will her negative opinion of the viscount, whom she thinks looks like a pirate, change? The insight into the life of nobility at that time and the behind-the-scenes view of their personal experiences adds depth to an enjoyable read. I also appreciated the authentic-seeming characters and witnessing their growth. I received this book from the author. All opinions are my own.

Want a Regency Era heroine, who would have marched in the Woman's Marches of 2017? Look no further than Leorah Langdon in the novel "The Viscount's Proposal" by Melanie Dickerson
It's one of the things I loved about this story: how strong the female lead, Leorah, was against the strict ideas and rules of the Regency upper class.
Another thing I loved, about Ms. Dickerson's writings, is her retellings of a well-known tale, in this case, Pride and Prejudice. In every story, I read, written by her. I wondered how she's going to turn an important element in the story into something of her own. I'm never disappointed.
The first chapter was a little slow but I loved one piece of dialog between Leorah and her best friend, Felicity. It's one of the best dialogs I read between friends in a novel. It's can't be missed.
Go buy "The Viscount's Proposal" by Melanie Dickerson

This was such a fun read. I devoured the prequel (A Spy's Devotion) to this book last year and just knew I had to read this book as soon as it came out! I love a good Recency tale, and Melanie creates such entertaining and interesting characters. And unlike many Regency stories, these come with a bit of mystery! (Like who has it in for *beep* and why would anyone want to kill *beep* and will they succeed???? Spoilers ;))
Leorah is a fun heroine to follow through this book. She knows who she is and what she wants and always very decided in her opinions... Except when certain people make her realize that feelings are necessarily always black or white.
Edward despises scandal and is certain that his best chance at happiness is to marry a calm, collected, (and so very predictable) lady. Well, several meetings with a certain someone start to make him realize that calm and cold may not actually be what he wants.
Reappearing in this book are our beloved hero and heroine from A Spy's Devotion, and it's great fun to see how their lives are going now.
I greatly enjoyed this book and nearly laughed out loud multiple times. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many readers my recognize Melanie Dickerson by her Young Adult fairytale retellings, but her Regency spy series is equally enjoyable. In this second book in the series, Leorah and the Viscount have been, literally, thrown together in an unexpected way and have to navigate through what is expected of them and what they feel.
    This story reminded me so much of Pride and Prejudice, which is a long time favorite. Edward has the appearance of being very prideful and withdrawn, while Leorah is passionate about life. I loved Leorah's spunk. She wouldn't just "settle" for any man, even if the match was a advantageous one. Edward, the Viscount, masked his true feelings to most people, mainly as a result of hardships in his past. Both characters went through transformations as they began to think more of each other than themselves.
    Melanie Dickerson does a great job at writing novels set in England, and I've really enjoyed her Regency series so far. There are elements of mystery, some danger, and a steady pace to the plot that kept me from wanting to put it down. This novel is also very clean, but I loved that it still has the beautiful romantic tension that kept it fun. Personally, I can never get enough of the broody male character. They always have lots of layers to peel back, which make them interesting. I love how Melanie balanced that with Leorah's character, which added lightheartedness and humor to the story. Here are a few of my favorite lines:
"Calling him a pirate was a compliment, and one he didn't deserve, for it indicated there was some passion beneath that cold façade."
"You have every right to be free, Miss Langdon. No one is denying you that. But freedom is only valuable if you can use your freedom wisely."
    If you love a Pride and Prejudice-style story that has Christian faith woven through it, you will love this! I would definitely recommend it!

*I received a free copy of this novel to honestly share my thoughts and opinions, which I did.*

Oh, Melanie! How you love us to write a Regency series!

In the second book to her Regency Spies of London series, we continue on with the Langdon family. This time it's the story of Leorah, Nicholas' sister, and Viscount Edward Withinghall. These two do not appreciate each others' differences, to be sure! Their bickering and irritability are very entertaining and keep you laughing throughout.

Melanie is a YA author, but her books are enjoyable by all. The characters are very deep and hilarious. There are a lot of fun Regency "celebrity" references and many scenes reminiscent of Jane Austen's novels (P&P especially!).

Make sure to pick up a copy! Loads of fun and you will fall in love with Edward! Be sure to pick up some of her other fun novels as well!

Thanks for this fun read in exchange for my thoughts. As always, this is my honest opinion. Here's to many more!

If you are a fan of Jane Austen books I am sure you will enjoy this Regency book by Melanie Dickerson. Honor, duty, manners, mystery, danger, but could Love fit in? Leorah is a fun charachter! The viscount is so proper and it is fun to see the relationship as they are thrown together often develop. An enjoyable read!

I loved this story! It echoes Pride and Prejudice, my favorite classic, in some ways, while yet remaining fully its own story.  Leorah’s intelligence and sass will remind you of Elizabeth Bennett. She’s a delightful mix of smarts and spunk. Edward has a bit of Darcy to him, and the banter between them is hysterical. Edward’s dynamic character development was fascinating, as he moved from worrying about society’s opinion to realizing that it’s the people you love most whose opinions you should value.

In A Viscount’s Proposal, Melanie has created characters who will make you groan in frustration one minute, swoon the next, and then laugh out loud!

Melanie Dickerson's second book in the Spies of London series is one of her best yet! Leorah Langdon doesn't care a wit about society's silly rules. This makes her modern and relatable, yet she stays within the voice of the time period. I love the romance. Oh, I love the romance in this book! Expertly done!

Feisty, unconventional Leorah finds herself at odds with the uptight and outdated Viscount Withinghall until an unfortunate accident places them in a compromising situation where they have to work together to overcome a scandal. Leorah reminded me of Jane Austin's Marianne Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet with her lively disregard of foolish social mores matched with sensible morals and unwavering faith. Edward Withinghall has a bit of Mr. Darcy and Edward Ferrars, being both rigid and prideful, yet attentive to the less fortunate. I very much enjoyed the combination of personalities and conversation reminiscent of my favorite Jane Austin novels. Ms. Dickerson weaves a delightful story that engages you from the very beginning and holds your attention to the very end. Clean, inspirational, regency romance that would be well suited to young adults as well as adults. I give this one my 5-star recommendation.

A Viscount's Proposal, written by Melanie Dickerson, is book two in The Regency Spies of London Series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think my favorite character is Leorah. She's a wild woman especially for that day and time, but truly she's just a young lady trying to find her way in the life that she was handed. She was supposed to be a lady with manners and, I suppose, rather still and uppity. She just didn't have it in her to be that way, so she was her true self...that sometimes got in trouble.

Lord Withinghall was truly the uppity Lord who didn't know how to laugh or enjoy himself. I loved how Dickerson took that stuffy Lord and helped him become the character that he so didn't want to be.
I think she did a grand job and describing the Regency era. Loved the historical tidbits throughout that made it the perfect historical romance.

I was gifted this book by the author and Netgalley. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Leorah Langdon a free spirited young lady who has no desire to settle for a cold, love less marriage like her parents, is waiting for a man that she will love more than her horse, Buccaneer. Edward Withinghall wants a demure, pious wife who will be a good hostess and support his political career. Then fate intervenes, Leorah is thrown from a horse and then she and Withinghall are in a carriage accident. Because they are alone, unchaperoned for hours their reputations are at stake. Will she give up her freedom for an uncertain marriage?
Melanie Dickerson is one of my favorite authors. Her books never disappoint, but always prove to be quite entertaining. She weaves the gospel through her stories showing how G-d works in our lives.

From Amazon:
Leorah Langdon has no patience for Regency society’s shallow hypocrisy and unnecessary rules, especially for women. She’s determined to defy convention by marrying for grand passion instead of settling for a loveless union like her parents—or wedding a stuffy, pompous gentleman like Edward, the Viscount Withinghall. But when a chance meeting in the countryside leads to Leorah and Withinghall being discovered in his overturned carriage—alone and after dark—the ensuing gossip may force them together.

Withinghall has his reasons for clinging to propriety; his father perished in a duel with his mistress’s husband, and Edward must avoid scandal himself if he wants to become prime minister. He certainly has no time for a reckless hoyden like Miss Langdon. But soon the two discover that Withinghall’s coach “accident” was no such thing: the vehicle was sabotaged.

Can the culprit be brought to justice? Strong-willed Leorah and duty-driven Withinghall will have to work together if they have any hope of saving her reputation, his political career—and his life.

About the author from Amazon:
Historical romance author Melanie Dickerson earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and has taught special education in Georgia and Tennessee. She has also taught English in Germany and Ukraine. Dickerson won the 2012 Carol Award in young adult fiction and the 2010 National Readers’ Choice Award for best first book. Her novels The Healer’s Apprentice and The Merchant’s Daughter were both Christy Award finalists.

She lives with her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.

I was given this novel by Netgalley for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

I love Melanie Dickerson's fairy tales. I'm never too old for a fairy tale and hers are with a Christian view, so that's extra great! She has done a top notch Regency here; switching genres effortlessly. I loved every minute. And she added suspense wonderfully also. Well done!

A Viscount’s Proposal ( The Regency Spies of London-#2)
By: Melanie Dickerson
A Viscount’s Proposal is book two in The Regency Spies of London by Melanie Dickerson. Dickerson knows how to capture your heart right from the start and not let go till the end. She did not disappoint. The story and the characters , both were well written and easy to follow. I love that the characters were well developed. Leorah is a lady that has no patience for the society and their rules. She knows what she wants and that is true love. She thinks that Edward, the Viscount Withinghall is a stuffy and pompous man. Things change after an accident involving the two. Will Leorah still hold out for her true love? What about Edward, is he still the stuffy man she thought he was? I laughed and also caught myself holding my breath at times and trying to read faster to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed A Viscount’s Proposal and I know you will too.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley , but was not told that I had to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Melanie's retelling of classic fairy tales with a spiritual twist, but this break from those stories was very enjoyable!! It's funny to read about the "rules of society" during different eras of time. The ridiculousness of society hasn't changed a bit, but what's deemed inappropriate sure has!! If you need a break from the mundane, pick up The Viscount's Proposal... it's light-hearted, amusing and at times a little frustrating, but well worth the read!