A horse race in trousers on Rotten Row. Visiting a gaming hall in a dress that would make her mother faint. Sneaking an invitation to a masquerade ball attended by only the wickedest, most debauched members of society…None of these things are scaring off bookish but strong-willed Amelia Bishop’s stuffy, egotistical fiancé. The only thing left is to entice childhood friend Nicholas Wakefield into a truly engagement-ending scandal. The Wakefields are the height of propriety, and Nicholas’s parents have made it clear a wife from the neighboring Bishop family would be unacceptable…But Nicholas would give up his family and his fortune if Amelia would ever see him as more than just a childhood friend. He’ll go along with her scheme, even if it means ruining them both, because he’s got a plan that will change her mind about him being merely the boy next door.
This was a pretty good book. It starts with a premise not used often in historical romances, where the heroine is trying to get out of her engagement. What happens from there will keep you tied to the pages. I loved both main characters as well as the primary side characters and their relationships with each. I can’t wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend. 
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

There's a lot that I appreciated about <i>The Importance of Being Scandalous</i>, but it took me weeks to get through it because I never got really carried away about the story.

My favorite character by far is Julia, Amelia's sister, who was born with spina bifida. As a result of her disability, her family has been shunned by high society, but Julia hasn't let the disappointments of life keep her from being fierce and fiery. She's full of personality and spunk, and I love her spirit. I also really admire the strong relationship between Amelia and Julia, as well as their consistent hijinks.

The plot centers on Amelia's impending marriage to Lord Montrose, who, Amelia increasingly realizes, is merely trying to replace his beloved late fiancee. Amelia realizes her feelings for her childhood friend, Nicholas, and Montrose refuses to let her out of the engagement. As such, she begins a campaign of being so scandalous, Montrose will let her go. Imagine my surprise to see a bisexual orgy in a historical romance that isn't specifically from an LGBT imprint!

The romance is fine, and I like both Nicholas and Amelia well enough, but, though well written, I just never really got sucked in. I would like to read Julia's book, but, based on my enjoyment level here, I'm not willing to spend 6 bucks on it. I'll keep it on my to-read and hope it shows up on Scribd someday. *crosses fingers*

A mixture of laughter and intensity. Serious but fun story that I enjoyed immensely. Kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. The plot line is excellent, the characters are well thought out and multidimensional. I absolutely adored the secondary characters as much as the main characters. Can't wait for the next book in the story

I really love Nicholas and Amelia's story of childhood sweethearts separated by the social mores of the time. Amelia is the younger daughter of a wealthy merchant/minor noble whose older sister Julia was born with a birth defect. Consequently, the girls are viewed as "tainted goods". Amelia is sweet and beautiful, Julia even more so, and they're both smart as whips. Amelia find herself betrothed to an Earl she barely knows and doesn't love her. Her best friend and childhood sweetheart heart, Nick, is called home from abroad to help manage the family estates. Nicholas' family have been peers of the realm for centuries and are confronted with the issue of his father's growing dementia. Nick is a second son and expected to clean up the mess and keep a lid on the families secret. He has also finally come to grips with his love for Amelia and plans on asking for her hand. only to find out that she is essentially betrothed to someone else. The titular scandal revolves around Amelia's scheme to break the engagement and remain a spinster. She doesn't dare to hope to marry Nicholas.
Things I like about this book
I enjoyed getting to know the main characters. Their lifelong friendship and love felt genuine and sweet. They were a couple I could root for. Overall, the story was an interesting twist on the typical tropes you see in the genre.
Things that bothered me
I wish Julia's character had been developed more. She was extremely interesting and I really wanted to know more about her. I hope that she has her own book because this girl really deserves her own story.
The character of Amelia's fiancé the Earl needed to be developed more. He was the villain of the piece but it was never really explained why to my satisfaction. If I'm supposed to "hate" someone explain to me why am hating this person other than the fact that he's not the hero/love interest that the heroine is supposed to end up with at the end.
All in all, The Importance of Being Scandalous was a lovely diversion for a rainy afternoon.

How do you get rid of an unwanted fiancée? Being rude to his family members isn’t working, wearing trousers and racing in the park isn’t working, even spending the night dressed scandalously in a gaming hell isn’t working. Amelia Bishop is running out of ways to chase off her unwanted fiancée after he shows his true feelings about her disabled and beloved younger sister. No matter what she does he’s determined to have her for his wife…even if he has to blackmail her. As a last resort Amelia turns to her childhood friend Nicholas Wakefield, between them they must be able to cause an engagement-ending scandal.

Ignore my terrible blurb! Have you ever watched the film “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”? This reminded me of the historical romance version of that, only instead of falling in love with Matthew McConaughey, she falls for her best-friend, who has been in love with her for years, and together they try and get rid of the odious fiancée after said fiancée threatens her family. Okay, maybe it’s nothing like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”… Anyway, don’t let my bad book descriptions put you off, ignore them and go out and read this book,  I highly recommend it. It managed to be sweet, touching and funny all at once.

What stole the show for me though wasn’t the main characters and their romance, although it was adorable. It wasn’t even the heroines shenanigans, which were hilarious, have you read Sarah Macleans Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake? It reminded me a little of that. For me, it was Julia, Amelia’s vivacious, disabled, slightly younger sister, and Jasper, Nicholas’ exuberant and rakeish best friend that stole the show. Amelia and Nicholas were cute, but they were fairly sensible characters so having Jasper and Julia in the background really added the book some much needed humour and irreverence.

This was a great historical romance and my first book by Kimberly Bell, I’m feeling very pleased with myself that I decided to take a chance and give this book a try. I am now impatiently waiting the next book in the series which will be about my favourite characters Julia and Jasper.

To put it simply: This book is absolutely adorable. It took me a little while to get into – through no fault of it's own – but once I did, I simply couldn't put it down! It's an absolutely delightful little read that's incredibly sweet with its romance; the chemistry between the leads is perfect and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Wow! What a wonderful surprise this book was for me. This being the first book I have read of Kimberly Bell and she did not disappoint! Nick and Amelia are a wonderful couple. But the other characters are awesome. I hope that Ms. Bell writes a book about Jasper, Julia and Lady Ruby. I'm looking forward to reading her next book. My only wish is that I won't have to wait for very long.

This was my first read by Kimberly Bell. I love to read a good historical romance so when I got read the synopsis for this one I was excited at the chance to read a new author of one of my favorite types of romance.

This story follows Nicholas Wakefield and Amelia Bishop, two childhood friends who have always felt a little bit more of a connection than just friendship. Nicholas returns home after years away to find out that Amelia is engaged to be married. And right when he was ready to declare his love for her? What bad luck. Come to find out Amelia isn’t that happy in her engagement and is looking for a way to break it off. What better way to break off and engagement then to be involved in scandalous behavior that is beneath her fiancé’s standards?

The more I read of this book the more I was conflicted. Typically when I read a book I either like the male lead or the female lead better than the other. But in this case they were both written so well that they were equally lovable. Nicholas is this love sick man who’s called home for family responsibilities but at the forefront of his mind is always Amelia; Amelia is this stubborn independent shy girl who is willing to do whatever it takes to put her family first, even if it means acting out of her comfort zone. I think part of the book that was the most realistic to me is that these two were friends for years, since childhood, and neither one of them realized that the other cared for them to the extent that they did. You can hear stories that happen like that in real life. And don’t even get me started on how well the author wrote the antagonist. I had enough of Amelia’s fiancé before I even got halfway through the book. But even he had some slightly redeeming qualities; he had his moments where he was just a heartbroken man still in love with his deceased Lily. The author wrote a well rounded romance, with a bit of action and drama to keep your interest. If you are a fan of historical romances then you should definitely read this one.

The Importance of Being Scandalous has such a sweet story at its core that it should have worked better than it did. The book has childhood friends discovering their deep love for each other as adults and showcases a sisterly bond that puts Disney’s Frozen to shame. Unfortunately a few plot holes and the weak characterization of the hero made it a difficult read.

Nicholas Wakefield and Amelia Bishop grew up together in the country and have always been the best of friends and, along with Amelia’s sister, Julia, they were constantly causing mischief at each of their neighboring estates. To Nick, Amelia and her sister are a breath of fresh air compared to the reserved manners of his parents, Lord and Lady Wakefield. Their disapproval of the Bishop family make Nick’s growing feelings for Amelia something he has to hide, but even when they are separated after he embarks on his Grand Tour, all he can think of is the woman he left behind. The letters he writes to Amelia are full of his true feelings; however without his parents’ support of the match and no means to support a wife, Nick never sends his letters and Amelia never learns the depth of his love.

When Nick left for the continent Amelia was upset she’d never told him how much she cared for him. The Bishop family has been ostracized in their community due to Julia’s having been born with a spinal defect and Amelia grew up defending her older sister from anyone who was cruel to her. Amelia saw Nick’s unwavering support for Julia as something special and his friendship with Amelia was so important that she hid her own growing feelings for Nick to save him from any awkwardness. For the two years Nick is gone Amelia achingly feels his absence but knows that she has to move forward with her life so that Julia will always be taken care of. A chance to redeem the Bishop family’s name comes in the form of the Earl of Montrose who arrives at their doorstep accidentally and seems to fall immediately in love with Amelia. He woos her with promises to provide for Julia and to use his name to open doors for Lord and Lady Bishop in London. Their courtship is a whirl for Amelia and when he proposes she accepts for the good of her family with hope that Montrose will become as important to her as Nick.

Nick’s journey through Europe is cut short by a summons from his mother. He rushes back to learn that his father is showing signs of dementia and severe memory loss that affect his ability to manage their estates. Unwilling to burden Nick’s older brother with problems to distract him from his duties and his own family, Lady Wakefield tells Nick he must put his own ambition to become a barrister on hold in order to assist his father. This is an unwelcome turn for Nick as he’s decided to tell Amelia how he feels with the hope that she will wait for him while he pursues his studies. When Nick tries to explain his hopes to his mother she breaks his heart by revealing that Amelia Bishop is engaged to another man. Running over to the Bishop’s house to confirm the news, he finds Julia in residence and with nothing but praise for her sister’s fiancé. It’s a blow for Nick and when he sees Amelia again he cannot bring himself to tell her how much he missed her and that he loves her. Deciding that she’s better off marrying an earl than an unnecessary spare with no immediate prospects, Nick tells Amelia that he’s happy for her and that they’ll always be friends.

Seeing Nick again is a wonderful surprise for Amelia but it also complicates her feelings for Lord Montrose. Already hesitant about marrying a man she barely knows, Amelia starts to question some of his motives about their courtship. She’s disgusted to realize that his main reason for marrying her is because she reminds him of another woman and that his kind words about Julia were empty platitudes. Her confrontation with Montrose over her discoveries doesn’t go as Amelia hopes, as he’s unwilling to break the engagement. He threatens to sue Lord Bishop for breach of promise if Amelia cries off, which would only cause further damage to her family’s reputation. Amelia therefore decides that Montrose must jilt her and with her sister’s help, she comes up with inventive ways to be scandalous without completely ruining her reputation. Through it all, Amelia finds that Nick is still there by her side to help her in her schemes and to save her when her plans go awry.

I have mixed feelings about The Importance of Being Scandalous.  I like the idea of two best friends scheming together to get one of them out of an unwanted engagement but there are big problems with the choices Ms. Bell makes for her characters. My notes are full of nitpicks, questions about historical accuracy or jumps in logic that kept popping up. For example, Julia’s birth defect seems to change its severity depending on how it best serves the story.  One moment she’s bedridden and close to death – and a day later she’s riding horses or walking around her house. The worst offense for me is in how Nick is portrayed throughout the book.  He’s intended to be a good man caught between his family’s need and his own desires for Amelia but ultimately he’s so weak that I’d hesitate to even call him a Beta hero.  Ultimately he’s powerless and easily cowed, never standing up for what he wants or having much of a backbone until Amelia forces the issue by taking the reins in their relationship.

More time and effort is spent fleshing out the strong relationship Amelia has with her sister. Julia’s disability has forced her to live vicariously through Amelia and so she initially endorses the match with Montrose, seeing it as Amelia’s only chance at independence. Amelia has a bit of a martyr complex in that she feels that her entire life must be dedicated to protecting Julia and she should make choices that won’t separate her from her sister. At several points in the story, Nick tells Amelia that he’ll always be there for her and Julia, even before they finally clear up their misunderstandings about their love for each other; and yet when he proposes as an alternate to Montrose, she balks. Apparently her love for Nick doesn’t include trusting that he won’t take her away from Julia. It’s a tough sell in a romance when the main character refuses to make choices for herself and instead bases them on someone else’s happiness.

Kimberly Bell is a new to me author who has some good story ideas that didn’t unfold as I hoped they would in The Importance of Being Scandalous. I am intrigued enough by Julia’s character and Nick’s best friend that I may give her a second chance to show me that those good ideas can become a great book.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SCANDALOUS is a funny, sweet and romantic story. I loved the characters. Amelia is walking the line between being a good daughter/sister and going after what she really wants. Nicholas knows exactly what he wants, but he has to get a backbone and go after her. The secondary characters really made the book fantastic. Amelia's sister, Julia, and Jasper, best friend to Nicholas add so much to the book and without them I don't believe that the book would have been as great of a read. I hope that the next book from Kimberly Bell features Julia. I really want her to get a happily ever after.

Rating:

the book girl gives THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SCANDALOUS a 4/5

This is the first book by Kimberly Bell I've read and I am already looking forward to the next one!  "The Importance of Being Scandalous" is chockfull of rapid fire witty banter, high-jinx and yummy hanky-panky.  The heroine's sister is a wonderful ringleader of bad influence and questionable judgment.  Speaking of bad influences the hero's best friend Jasper's one of the best secondary characters I've enjoyed in a while.  I better see lots and lots more of him.  Nicholas, the hero, is a well-bred second son in a reserved family.  He's a bit insecure due to his merely existing to be a "contingency plan".  Amelia's family isn't "acceptable" so she and her sister are rabble-rousing troublemakers.  Often found terrorizing maids and racing their horses in the rain.  Nick's been in love with Amelia since he first saw her.  The only one who doesn't know of his feelings is Amelia herself.
"The Importance of Being Scandalous" is a sexy historical romp and joy to read.  Kimberly Bell has a winner of a romance with her foray into Victorian England.  This installment in the A Tale of Two Sisters is fun, romantic, thrilling, and sexy.  HUZZAH!  Kimberly Bell portrays the sisters' rapport perfectly as they riff off each other while they're in antics and capers mode.  The character of Jasper is synonymous with "shenanigans.  This is my first Kimberly Bell book; since I'm eagerly awaiting the second sister's story, it won't be my last.

The Importance of Being Scandalous, is a story about being engaged to a man, but then, the man you have always loved, returns from his Grand tour...but SO much more.

But I'm not going to get too much into the story, as I wouldn't want to give the story away. But I will say, I did like both Amelia and Nicolas from the beginning, but Julia! She truly stole the book for me!

When it came to the plot, I found it a little slow in the beginning, but it was only when the truth, and the insanity came to life, that the book really gripped me, and I honestly couldn't put it down! As it really did become a a splendid book!

I give The Importance of Being Scandalous 4 stars!

Nicholas Wakefield, second son to the Marquess of Wakefield, comes home after years abroad at the behest of his mother. He’s not exactly sure why she has summoned him home, but he does know one thing… that he is still desperately in love with Amelia Bishop. He intends to finally declare himself and let Mia know his feelings extend beyond friendship. But then his mother drops not one, but two bombshells that rock his world. His father is slowly losing his mind and she wants him to stay and help run the estate, and the woman he has loved forever is engaged to be married.

Amelia and Julia Bishop are very close. Not only sisters, but best friends and partners in crime. Julia suffers from a spinal deformity and has spent her life undergoing surgeries and visiting with doctors. The Bishop family is a close, loving one and after being shunned by the ton for Julia’s medical condition have lived a life of peace in the country. Amelia has accepted a proposal of marriage from Lord Montrose, but she has quite a few reservations. But her sister has urged her to wed and settle into married life with the rich, titled gentleman and her mother seems to be thrilled by the union. Then Nicholas, her other childhood best friend, comes home and Montrose condones some things said about her sister at their engagement party and all her reservations turn into the desire to end her engagement and stay unwed and by her sister’s side. Only Montrose won’t let her go and uses blackmail in order to keep her by his side. So what’s a girl to do, but turn to scandal in order to force him to break their engagement.

I liked so much of this book. The relationship between the sisters, the wonderful, witty dialogue, Nicholas and his undying love for Amelia, and finally the awesomely wicked comic relief of Nicholas’s friend Jasper. Kimberly Bell is a new to me author, but I feel like she is one that I’ll keep on my radar so I can add future releases to my TBR pile. I liked how well she wrote the friendship between Amelia, Julia and Nicholas. The three of them and their antics made me smile over and over. Nicholas had such a close relationship with Julia that she already knew all about his romantic feelings for Amelia. I did wonder why she kept pushing Amelia to marry Montrose knowing how much Nicholas loved her sister and how determined Amelia was to end her engagement, but I chalked it up to Julia wanted Amelia to get the chance to settle down and live the life she didn’t think she would ever have.

My one complaint is how long it took for the engagement to end. I kind of felt sorry for Montrose at first, then I absolutely didn’t, then I just wanted him to go away and for Amelia and Nicholas to succumb to their feelings for each other. I wish there had been more page time of Amelia and Nicholas talking about their relationship and how they wanted to move forward. The love scenes between the two were so well written, I just wish I had gotten more of them.

I’m just going to put this out there and hope for the best, I WANT JASPER AND JULIA TO END UP TOGETHER. From about the 50% mark I got this in my head and couldn’t let it go. I went to Goodreads, no synopsis. I went to the author’s website, no synopsis. I can’t think of a better hero for Julia and I will be so upset if someone else sweeps her off her feet and into his arms. I’ll keep my fingers crossed until Lady Julia’s Secret releases in January of 2018. Final Grade- B-

Favorite Quote:

“I love you Amelia Bishop. I have loved you every day since the day we met. And I will love you long after I am gone from this earth.”

Nicholas Wakefield has been summoned home from his two year sojourn where he studied art, pleasure, and generally enjoyed himself.  As the second son of a marquess, Nick is not the heir, and is surprised to learn that his parents require him to begin learning to administer the country estate.  The heir, Philip, is in town and is currently heavily involved in politics.  Nick finds out that his father has begun to have memory loss, and he is getting worse.  Nick is actually glad to help and to have a purpose, and truth be told, he’s glad to be home.  Though he enjoyed every bit of his journey, Nick has loved Mia, the girl next door, since he was nine years old.  He wrote letters to her every day, which he never sent, but now he’s ready to declare himself.  Only – one of the first things he learns is that Mia is engaged.

Amelia (Mia) Bailey and her family are considered social outcasts, so when she receives a marriage proposal from a respected earl, she accepts in order to uplift her family’s reputation.  Her fanatical mother and her sister, Julia, strongly encourage the match.  Besides, she gave up on love years ago when her crush, Nick, was attracted to a young dairy maid, breaking her heart.  She’s happy to see Nick when he comes to call, because their twelve year friendship is solid.  Though Nick is heartbroken at losing Mia before he could even propose, he vows to continue to be her friend.

Mia begins to discover that she feels “tingly” things while with Nick that she doesn’t feel with her fiancé, Embry.  Though she intends to carry on with her engagement, it soon becomes apparent that Embry is not the gentleman she thought him to be.  He has no intention of letting Mia slip away, and he’s prepared to go to drastic lengths to keep her.  Mia is also under extreme pressure from her mother, who is desperate to re-enter society at any cost.  Even her sister, Julia, who doesn’t take part in society due to an injury, urges her to go through with the marriage.  She realizes that she and Nick love each other, but there may not be a way for them to be together.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SCANDALOUS is a combination of a sweet romance and a madcap adventure.  I never grasped why Nick’s mother despised her neighbors so much – it seemed that her disdain went so much deeper than their inferior social status.  It also seemed that the ostracizing of the Bailey family was extreme just because they weren’t “old money” and had a daughter with an infirmity.  Mia’s mother went over the top in her desire to get back into society, and I never felt that it was fully explained.  Still, Nick’s steadfastness and dedication are truly romantic, and once Mia determined not to marry Embry, their encounters sent the steam billowing.  There is also plenty of humor, drama, scheming, scandal, and some memorable secondary characters, which made for a very enjoyable and different read.  I am looking forward to the upcoming second book, as I can’t wait to see how author Kimberly Bell matches the seemingly unlikely pair of Julia and Jasper, Nick’s very dissolute friend.

I can now truly appreciate the importance of being scandalous!

There’s a plethora of adjectives needed to describe the characters in this book- flamboyant, rakish, daring, handsome, loyal, beautiful, willful, dedicated – take your pick. I love them all…adjectives and characters. Nick, Amelia, Julia, and Jasper are my favorites of course, and I have a special place in my heart for Amelia and Julia’s dad. Mom and the no-good fiance? Not so much. Not all all really. Shame on them both, but they did make things interesting, not that they get any brownies points for that.

I adored Nick and I’m glad he came to his senses and found his spine before I stopped adoring him. Nice way to keep me on my toes waiting for the joining. Nick and Amelia were as dedicated to each other as two people could be, their love story having a little resemblance to Romeo and Juliet, except the hate between the families was only held by the mean mother. It was refreshing that dad was so supportive of his girls. Excellent job on Bell’s part nixing the cliche of mean, controlling dad. Kudos!

I anticipated each scandal. Couldn’t wait to see what she’d try next to get rid of Montrose. He was a total arse, as they say. He bugged me beyond belief, which translates to him doing his job since he was the villain of the piece. Oh, the shame! Wait, he had none.

But the real show-stealers? Jasper and Julia. These two are a mess. And the interesting part is they never met each other. Their dialogue alone was enough to keep me entranced. I found myself laughing out loud several times at the things they said and how they said them. They most definitely kept things interesting. Jasper added a little wild to Nick and Juliet did the same to Amelia. But they also saved them in so many ways, the main one being making them face who they really were and going after what they wanted. As bad as I wanted Nick to give Montrose a blow to the head, nose, face, etc. it was true to his character to restrain, but I appreciated that he didn’t just whimper away. He spoke his mind. Jasper was the punch-throwing one of the group. My heart tittered a bit, not that I condone violence, mind you. I just love me an alpha male.

I think Nick and Jasper are both catches each on their own, but what if someone could join them together? Perfect book boyfriend. I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself. I know the second in the series is coming, and I’m hoping it’s about Jasper and Julia getting together. Sending prayers to the book gods.

Such a fun read!

The characters in this new series (Tale of Two Sisters) are a whole lot of fun. Of course I loved Nick and Mia--yeah, a conversation could have resolved much of their problems, but somehow Ms. Bell made it seem believable that they took so long to figure that out--but their supporting characters were just as much fun. Given the series name, you know that Mia's sister Julia has to get her own story (next? Please next?) but I've also got high hopes for Nick's BFF Jasper (*cough* Julia's story *cough*) and Jasper's twin sister Ruby...so much to look forward to!

This was my first book from this author, but definitely not my last. I really enjoyed Ms. Bell's sense of humor and her unique take on family life and friendship in Victorian England (I agree, it is such a shame that Prince Albert met Victoria before Julia. Though I know Ms. Bell will more than make it up to her in her own book. Did I already suggest Jasper as the one to help her get over the loss? Yes?) and cannot wait to see what the rest of this series brings!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Well, this book was awkward for me from the start, but not because of anything about the book itself. The main character and my husband share a name and that made for some awkward reading moments! Otherwise, I found The Importance of Being Scandalous to be a fun romantic romp!

Nicholas and Amelia have been in love with each other for as long as either of them can remember, but the problem is, neither one of them realizes that the other feels that way – actually they both are sure that the other only sees them as a friend. This and the fact that Amelia is in an engagement that she wants out of makes for an entertaining series of events. While this could certainly feel a little contrived or oft-done, Bell makes it feel fresh here because of her side characters, particularly Amelia’s sister Julia. Julia is one hot ticket and a good foil for her sister. And Nicholas’ good friend, Jasper, is a hoot and a half. He is the grandson of a Duke and is really the most scandalous of them all, and he doesn’t care for his reputation! I loved how Julia and Jasper participate in the attempts to get Amelia out of her engagement. Each attempt just gets more and more challenging and madcap. This was a fun and quick read that I think a lot of you will love. There are romantic moments, but it was more about an adventure.

I’m assuming that the second book in this series will be about Amelia’s sister, Julia. While there is no information available yet on the book, the series is called The Tale of Two Sisters, so I’m thinking it might be a safe assumption, and if so, I’m excited to see Julia in her own novel.

Oh this book. It has some very well done and clever banter (one of my favorite things) and it has a sister relationship that I adored. But it also has a “get rid of the fiance” story line that goes through the entire book and I got super tired of it.

Growing up on neighboring properties, Nicholas and Amelia or Mia, have been very good friends most of their lives. And while both families are wealthy, Nicholas’s family is extremely strict, all about appearances and would never involve themselves in a scandal. They had an heir, and a spare (Nicholas) and Nicholas’s parents want their sons to follow in their austere footsteps. For the past two years, Nicholas has left England and has traveled to Paris and beyond, getting rid of the strict confines of his family home for the first time and pondered about his life. He has loved Mia forever, but his parents do not approve of her family, so he never found the courage to go against them and declare for her. When his mother sends him a letter that his father is ill, Nicholas comes home, to care for his father and finally declare love for Mia.

Mia and her sister Julia are extremely close and have grown up in a warm, boisterous household. They love to play pranks and they do everything together. Julia has a spinal deformity, that makes her walk with a limp. Due to this, and their more outgoing behavior, they are shunned by the ton –  whispered about, and not invited to society events. Julia has come to terms with the fact that she will grow old alone, and when Mia surprisingly gets an offer of marriage, from a titled gentleman, Lord Montrose, she encourages Mia to accept, so she can move above and beyond their scandalous household. Mia does accept, but when her betrothed starts to say negative things about Julia and her disability, Mia knows she made a mistake. With Nicholas back in town, their feelings for each other start to come to surface and Mia wants out of her engagement. But her fiance refuses to break it, threatening to bankrupt her family is she leaves him.

To start with the positive, Mia is super cute, Julia is super cute, heck – even Nicholas is super cute. The three of them are good friends having known each other forever and I enjoyed the three of them hanging out. Even when Nicholas hangs out just with Julia, I really enjoyed those scenes. Like when Julia and Nicholas are spying on Mia and Montrose…

“Shh!” Nicholas adjusted until he could see the couple standing on the terrace below. “What are they doing down there?”

“We don’t know. Mother’s in fits thinking Embry’s trying to call off the engagement.”

Hope surged inside him. He squashed it down. “Why would he do that?”

“Because we’re unmannered wantons.”

“Well, obviously.” Nicholas grinned as he dodged the elbow she tried to jab into his ribs “Bu surely he knew that before today.”

They were warm, with clever banter and just really well done relationships. Mia and Julia together made me smile so much. They get into trouble together, they fight, but they love each other so much and I loved how their relationship is portrayed.

This book starts with Mia engaged to Montrose and she quickly learns he isn’t who she thought he was. After Montrose refuses to break their engagement, Mia, Nicholas, and Julia start to come up with elaborate schemes to embarrass and anger Montrose, so he will have no choice but to let Mia go. But this goes on the entire book. I got tired of it. Instead of giving Mia and Nicholas page time to court and woo, it’s silly events aimed to hurt Montrose that seemed very over the top. The love between Mia and Nicholas gets pushed to the back. Nicholas is still yearning for her, which is done well, but the two of them together – we miss out on.

I have to also mention Nicholas’s friend, Jasper, who comes to visit and adds to much to this book. He made me smile and laugh. He is truly devilish and naughty. Like when he catches Mia and Nicholas in bed together…

“Good evening,” he said, getting comfortable on his stomach. “You must be Amelia Bishop.”

She pressed her face into the carpet beneath Nick’s bed. “Unfortunately.”

“There’s nothing unfortunate about it. My name is Jasper and I expect we will become the best of friends.”

The man was ridiculous, and it must be catching, because Amelia couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Will we?”

“Oh yes. In my experience, it is extremely difficult to get our Nicholas to misbehave. And yet, here we are.”

This is a pretty cute book.  I just wish that the fiance getting dragged through the book had been cut off much earlier.

Grade: B-

Red has always been my favourite colour. So the cover had my eyes transfixed and had me reading the blurb. Seeing that it has a friends-to-lovers theme, I was interested to read the book. This is the first time I am reading a book of Kimberly Bell so I was pretty happy to find that I loved it!

The characters are so engaging and witty. Amelia is strong and bold. She is such an innocent in certain ways. I loved her support of her sister, Julia. I didn't like Nicholas much in the starting. He seems more of a coward but he grows into the man he is supposed to be. As for the secondary characters, Julia made my heart weep with her plight. But she also got me in her corner because of her strength. Another person who had my attention is Jasper. Both of them were simply delightful in their roles.

A story needs a strong antagonist to make it a hit. In this case, I loved Embry's character because of the way it adds to the shenanigans in the tale. I hated him because of his psycho mind. In addition to it, the familial bond between Amelia and Julia is another highlight which had me invested in their tale. The story is also fast paced with the various antics which kept me entertained. The flow of scenes is smooth and the dialogue is easy to follow. The only part I didn't like much was Nicholas's cowardice in certain parts and there was also a certain discrepancies in connection with the Regency times. The romance was both sweet and hot in turns. I had no problem getting in sync with their love.

Right now, I am looking forward to Julia's story and I think she and Jasper will make a superb pair. Oh I can just imagine! All in all, this was a delightful story which runs the gamut of emotions.

My one line review : A delighfully witty romance with loveable characters.

My rating : 4.5/5

My reread factor : 4/5