Veena’s review of The Girl With The Pearl Pin (Society for Single Ladies, Book 1) by Lynne Connolly
Historical Romance published by Lyrical Press 10 Sep 19

Phoebe North certainly did not qualify as the bride the illustrious Duke of Leomore might chose, but circumstances make it so. Caught in a compromising situation at a London ball where the Duke has signaled his intent to take a bride this season, they take the ton by storm. Their engagement isn’t the only excitement at the ball – one of the stalwarts of the ton gets her jewels stolen and accuses Phoebe of the theft. The story is off to an exciting start with a lot of different plot lines that takes the author’s deft touch to braid together into a delightful story.

The Duke has vowed never to fall in love, thanks to the extreme example set by his parents. Brought up by his grandmother, he steps into the marriage mart to ensure the succession. Little does he know that Phoebe North would blow all his perceptions out of the water. Determined to be her knight errant and protect her from society’s cruelty, he finds himself sucked deep into what his fiancée considers a pretend engagement. I will say the duke stands steadfast in the face of Phoebe’s family, particularly her spoiled sister, who covets everything Phoebe has, including him, as well the London social scene.

For Phoebe to hold up her head in society, the mystery of the missing jewels must be solved. Who took them and why? It’s eye opening to read about the plot of the hired help who thieve from their employers, which is a step in solving the jewelry theft. The women’s group make able detectives as they work through the finer details in solving the case.

Aside from the mystery, the story came complete with a villain who has no qualms about resorting to kidnapping to get his nasty way. All in all, an enjoyable tale, though I did find it a tad slow in parts. I can’t wait to see the other ladies in the group find their happily ever after.

Grade: B

It was a regent book when it comes to the style, form, and language used here Everything worked well for the plot and building the situation. So why would I take tej stars away from that book?
First, The heroine... eh... Phoebe is A really shy and uncertain girl. That was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No one could have suspected that. She was rescued by the Duke of Leomore. Sounds good, and he said that she's his wife to be! A dream come true! For most girls but not Phoebe. She was so doubting that nothing anyone said would work to convince her in the very last. She made this story slow the pace very much and add something that was not needed to that degree.
Second, this novel is not clean. The heroine in one chapter shy and virgin, the other one she changes out of character and that was really disturbing. Don't get me wrong I love my books on the steamier side, and some got scenes but only when it resonates with the rest of the book. Here not so much.
It was decent but those two facts made the read not great, but just ok.

Move over Ton elite, New Players are in town!

On the outside she's a demure young woman, always relegated to second place beside her younger, beautiful and vastly shallow sister Lucinda. Miss Phoebe North has removed to London ahead of her family to keep her friend Angela Childers company. Angela is a wealthy young woman, not interested in finding a husband, but in husbanding her business ventures and her latest brainchild, the Single Ladies Society.
Pheobe has a terrible stutter, a lively intelligence, a keen sense of the ridiculous and is convinced of her unworthiness to be special. She is! Unbeknownst to all, including Phoebe, inside hides a wanton woman the match for any strong man.
Enter the Duke of Leomore, “Call me Leo,” whom we meet at the beginning of the story just as enticement gives way to alarm! Phoebe and Leo are thrown into the midst of a jewel heist and Phoebe is accused of the theft. Our noble Duke saves Phoebe from that situation but even his best actions can't quieten the societal gossips and jealous remarks.
Phoebe, I think is worthy of our most stalwart Heyer like heroine. Leo certainly can lay claim to being a kindred spirit to many of Heyer's heroes.
I did feel that the story had no need to devote so many pages to the couple's lingering kisses and intimacies. In fact I found myself skipping through the bedroom antics. Although, I must say that for a shy spinster of the time (1750's), Pheobe displays a fervency I'd have more attributed to that of the Duke's ex mistress La Coccinelle. Still we have been told Phoebe has an inquiring mind. Her libido certainly hasn't been squashed by her years of being ignored. She and the Duke will have to ensure the servants wear ear muffs.
What I really wanted was more focus on the catching of the jewel thieves. That became a bit elusive. Both the mysterious jewel robbery and the doings of the Single Ladies Society are frequently lost in the romantic tendrils of the novel. Unfortunately, the SSL doesn't seem to have really found it's stride yet. I expect/hope that will happen as the series develops.
I must say too that Phoebe's sister Lucinda is a wonderful 'Piece of Work'. Connolly created a truly dreadful, willful sister, that was so easy to dislike. I kept wanting people to giver her the 'cut direct' or some such thing. Totally spoilt brat!
The opening is rather brilliant. That really hooked me in.
And yes, I will want to read further books in this Georgian romance/mystery series and follow the lives of some of the more interesting ladies met so far.

A Kensington ARC via NetGalley

The first installment from The Society for Single Ladies series, The Girl with the Pearl Pin, is a pretty good read. I recommend and give it four stars.

Phoebe North certainly did not qualify as the bride the illustrious Duke of Leomore might chose but circumstances make it so. Caught in a compromising situation at a London ball where the Duke has signaled his intent to take a bride this season, they take the ton by storm. Their engagement isn't the only excitement at the ball, one of the stalwarts of the ton gets her jewels stolen and accuses Phoebe of the theft. The story is off to an exiting start with a lot of different plot lines that takes the author's deft touch to braid together into a delightful story.
The Duke has vowed never to fall in love thanks to the extreme example set by his parents. Brought up by his grandmother he steps into the marriage mart to ensure the succession. Little did he know that Phoebe North would blow all his perceptions out of the water. Determined to be her knight errant and protect her from society's cruelty he finds himself sucked deep into the what his fiancée considers a pretend engagement. I will say the duke stands steadfast in the face of Phoebe's family particularly her spoiled sister who covets everything that Phoebe has including him as well the London social scene.
For Phoebe to hold up her head in society the mystery of the missing jewels must be solved. Who took them and why? It's eye opening to read about the plot of the hired help who thieve from their employers which is a step in solving the jewelry theft. The women's group make able detectives as they work through the finer details in solving the case.
Aside from the mystery the story came complete with a villain who has no qualms about resorting to kidnapping to get his nasty way. All in all an enjoyable tale though I did find it a tad slow in parts. I can't wait to see the other ladies in the group find their happily ever after.

This was a great historical romance with a twist. The characters are captivating and the spilt perspective was elegantly executed.

I would read more by this author and I would recommend it to fans of historical romance with some action and adventure thrown in.

This was my first time reading a book by Lynne Connolly. To be honest, I don’t actually know what I was expecting.

This book is a bit slow, particularly in the beginning, but it gets better closer to the end.

The best thing about the book for me was the Society for Single Ladies, yet we saw so little of them… Hopefully they’ll get a bigger spotlight in the next books.

I liked Phoebe more than Leomore, he was a bit too possessive for my liking, but in the end he gets better. Phoebe is a clever young woman, and she deserves to be happy.

The mystery didn’t really work for me, I was pretty sure of the result right from the beginning.

Angela, Phoebe’s best friend, is one of the best characters of the book, and I think her story will be more interesting.

The romance wasn’t bad, but it could have been better… There just wasn’t enough chemistry for me between the main characters.

This is the kind of book that doesn’t really stick with you, it’s pleasant, but that’s just about it.

4.5 Stars. The Girl With The Pearl Pin (The Society for Single Ladies Book 1) by Lynne Connolly is a delightful historical romance that warms the heart. This is a love story brought about by a mysterious theft and a fake proposal. This fast pace story has a bit of everything including action, suspense, mystery, heartache, a slow burn romance with a lot of sweet passionate kiss scenes and some steamy open bedroom door love scenes, towards the latter part of the book.
I did became distracted and thrown off with the abrupt backward change in Leo’s words and thoughts approx two thirds the way through. And, I expected and wanted to see more mention, action, and participation from the women’s crime solving club since it is the basis of the series. Overall I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by this author.
Happy Reading♥️

This is my first book that I have read by Lynne Connolly. I look forward to reading more of her work and especially the second book in The Society for Single Ladies series. I fell in love with Leo, the loyal Duke. The author made him such a strong character that I hope he appears in more books. Pheobe North, was a strong and resilient woman that was very relatable. I would have liked more closure with Lucinda. I felt that her character could have been explored more.
Thank you to NetGally, the publisher and author for this ARC.

The Girl with the Pearl Pin by Lynne Connolly is book 0ne in The Society for Single Ladies Series. This is the story of Phoebe North and George “Leo” Cavendish, the Duke of Leomore.
Phoebe has come to town to stay with her cousin Angela whose companion has taken ill. Angela has promised to take her on events and introduce her to the Society for Single Ladies. Phoebe is very shy and when nervous has a stutters. When she attends one of the balls she meets Leo. Leo is there at his grandmother's request for him to find a bride. Leo and Phoebe dance but she ends up needing Leo's help which leads them to go outside where they end up talking and sharing a bond. But then someone comes running through that ends up leaving Phoebe being accused of a theft because that person left what he took with her. Of curse Leo steps forward claiming she is his bride to be which puts a protective coat on her reputation until they can clear this matter up. But both can't pretend long before there real feelings start to come through.
Enjoyed their story.

This book was purely delightful! It was an excellent balance of mystery and romance with a precocious lady and a handsome duke thrown in the mix. Phoebe is easily likable as the heroine - yet she has her weaknesses as well. Leo, the dashing Duke, is determined to avoid a love match but is ever honorable. A mishap throws them together and their fall into love is perfectly swoon worthy. There are some villains in the story - as their should be - but Ms. Connolly does a great job in not letting them dominate the story. Overall, there isn't a thing I would change about this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC!

This book absolutely, positively goes in my keeper file. A second chance romance that really puts this couple through heartbreaking emotional and physical pain.

This one I almost DNFed but finished it in about two days. I was so invested in the story and what was going to happen I just had to finish it. I do think that the story could have been better but overall I think that this was just a little slower than I would have liked. I really loved the connection between the two main characters. It was a very fun read as well as funny. But, it was nothing new to the field of historical romance and mystery. I do however, think that I would pick up the next one.

This is the first book in the new series Society for Single Ladies, which is a group of ladies who work together to solve mysteries. The ladies are widows and spinster who attend Ton events and are overlooked by Society. One of the ladies belonging to the group is Phoebe North. She has come to London for the first time to be a companion for her cousin. She is overlooked by Society until her cousin introduces her to the Duke of Leomore “Leo”. While they are fixing her gown in the garden, a necklace was stolen and they were found together when people followed the thief out into the garden. Leo announces that they are betrothed to save her reputation. They agree to continue with the lie while they try to solve the mystery of who stole the necklace. A fake betrothal plot that included a mystery of stolen jewels was great. Leo’s character was interesting, he started off seeming aloft but as story continues we get to see his true emotions. I love the concept of a ladies club solving mysteries and can’t wait to see what the next book will have.

What an exciting start to this new series by Lynne Connolly! An unexpected encounter with the Duke of Leomore, led him asking Phoebe to dance! Of course she was attending the ball with her cousin Angela, who was much sought after and she had just declined to dance with him. He turned his attention to her and led her on the floor. I adored the interaction between Phoebe and Leo!
What happened next ( oh yes you will have to read and find out how it came about!), Leo announce they were engaged to try to get her out of a sticky situation!
Oh my, I loved Leo.. He came to her rescue and of course it was truly just a "pretend engagement" to save her from being accussed as a thief. But what could come of it anyone? He was a Duke and she really was not in his league.
Filled with humor, a mystery, murder, pretense, romance and of course the SSL Ladies, you will be carried away on a jouney until the last page. Cannot wait for more!!

Phoebe North has come to London to help her cousin Angela Childers (the banking heiress we met in the Shaw series), Angela’s companion is ill and she has invited Phoebe to stay with her and attend events, she also introduces Phoebe to the Society of Single Ladies aka SSL.

Phoebe meets George “Leo” Cavendish, the Duke of Leomore at a ball Angela is hosting, he is there at his grandmother’s behest to being looking for a bride. He dances with Phoebe and immediately takes the role of her champion when a mishap rips her hem. He takes her out the garden and uses his pearl cravat pin to repair her gown, they talk a bit and he learns that Phoebe is shy and has a stammer, but she is intelligent and has a dry sense of humor that Leo finds incredibly attractive. They share a kiss and are preparing to return to the ball when a commotion breaks out and a man runs into Phoebe, she grabs at him but he gets away, but Phoebe did manage to hold on to something – a bracelet, but she also ended up with a cut to her hand. When guests begin to pour out, Lady Latimer sees what Phoebe is holding – her bracelet! She accuses Phoebe of stealing her jewels and Leo steps up and says that is not possible, he and Phoebe where in the garden the entire time and that he just proposed to her. Phoebe is shocked, but goes along with the ruse.

Phoebe is attracted to Leo, but feels that she is not suitable to be his bride, she agrees to go along with the deception until the end of the season and recruits the SSL to help find out who is behind the jewel theft. But things don’t go as planned and when Phoebe is kidnapped, Leo decides that suitable or not, Phoebe will be his bride.

I thought this was a good story, it has a little bit of everything, murder, mystery, multiple villains, petty relatives, steamy love scenes and a HEA, I personally, felt the Phoebe’s resistance and insistence that she was unworthy got a little tiresome after a while, but overall it was an enjoyable read and I would be happy to recommend it.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

The Girl with the Pearl Pin is the first in Lynne Connolly's Society for Single Ladies series. It's a bit of an accidental betrothal story, and an ugly duckling story, as Phoebe North is hardly the toast of the town. While visiting her wealthy city cousin Angela Childers, she is accused of stealing a precious diamond necklace. The handsome and much pursued Duke of Leomore swoops in to save her by announcing their betrothal.

I definitely loved Phoebe and Leo's interactions, the way they are able to be the best versions of themselves with each other. I love how Leo admires foremost Phoebe's straight speaking and her heart, and finds his head turned to her kind of beauty. They get to know each other in part by exchanging correspondence, which is lovely too.

On the other hand, I deeply disliked most of Phoebe's family, especially her scheming younger sister, whom her parents apparently indulge, and her highhanded former suitor. I realize that these characters provide a foil to the heroine, but they are nevertheless very unpleasant to read about, and I found myself dreading their appearance on the page. Fortunately, Leo and Phoebe do ultimately prevail, and no one is left with any doubts as to Leo's feelings and priorities, from her family to the ton to Phoebe herself.

The missing necklace and the work of the Society for Single Ladies--a group of spinsters, "failed" debutantes, and others deemed "single" by society--organized by Ms Childers towards tracking it down also provide a lively backdrop to Phoebe and Leo's relationship.

This is an excellent start to this new series, and I look forward to the stories to come.

Miss Phoebe North was really excited; at a garden party she had caught the Duke of Leomore’s “Leo” eye and is swept up by him. Of course reality has a way of playing cruel tricks on Phoebe because everything goes awry. As Phoebe is getting close to Leo she runs directly into a thief and is suddenly accused of stealing someone else’s jewelry. In order to save Phoebe Leo betroths himself to her; it isn’t a real betrothal though. As Leo gets to know Phoebe however his feelings change and the betrothal that was supposed to be pretend is suddenly becoming real especially since Leo keeps putting Phoebe in precarious situations that very well could betroth them for real. There are so many things that keep getting in the way and Phoebe is still a thief so for Leo to be attached to her is all wrong. Still Leo can’t help but love her despite the cost and Phoebe’s hesitation. Will Leo be able to prove all to Phoebe before it’s too late?
What a wonderfully written historical romance! The story moves slowly but intricately and quite lushly that it is easy to see everything happening. The author just knows how to write not only a detailed story but the characters literally come to life! The cover is so beautiful and well done that it really finishes the book. Okay sure the ending is not the happily ever after but it is a complete ending and it is a happily for now. So maybe there will be more to Phoebe’s and Leo’s story in another book. Yes, Phoebe the innocent intelligent hesitant heroine has a stammer which makes us appreciate her more especially ones with speech problems. She isn’t written like a great person she has flaws too so seems more real and breaks rules because of who she is which makes her charming and captivating. Leo is just the perfect sigh-worthy hero! He saves her numerous times and is just fantastic fodder for a book boyfriend so of course he is now one! This is definitely a keeper and well worth the read easily a five or more star novel!

Loved the idea of the Society of Single Ladies. A little mystery a bit of love and a great romance. I know this is a romance and everything works out in the end but I have to say I wondered at times. If not for the loyalty of Leo, this could have gone all wrong. A feel good story that made me sigh. Loved this story.

Founded by the wealthiest woman in London, an unconventional crime-solving club brings together single lords and overlooked ladies from every rung of society. It’s a perfectly scandalous match.
The Duke of Leomore stuns society when he announces his engagement to a woman who has just been branded a thief. For him, marriage will be a purely practical affair after seeing how his parents nearly ruined the dukedom.
Phoebe tears a flounce & Leo offers to mend it or her unfortunately her pins are rusty so he uses his pearl pin. He then claims a kiss, shouts sound & Phoebe bumps into a fleeing man, the next thing she knows is that she’s branded a thief, Leo ever honourable, announces she was with him as they were celebrating their engagement. As if being falsely accused weren’t mortifying enough, Phoebe North is now the talk of the town. And while she knows Leo did the honourable thing to protect her reputation, she can’t help but long for more. It would be an impossible match given their unequal stations, and Leo has made his view of marriage quite clear.
A lovely page turning romance, I love the author’s attention to detail & the facts she always includes in her books. The characters are well portrayed, I loved Leo & Phoebe & how their relationship developed also how Phoebe’s confidence grew. Leo was absolutely gorgeous & how he helped her at every turn was a joy. The pace was very good & flowed effortlessly. The secondary characters also had depth & I felt there was a definite teaser about Angela! The villains mostly received their comeuppances & the ending was very satisfying although I would have liked an epiloue. This is the first in a new series & I look forward to more to come
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read