Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋
Intimate Scene Length: 0
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): only 1 kiss
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person from the heroine (I think there was some from the hero but it was mostly the heroine)

Basic plot:
Isadora’s father dies and their family’s future is unknown. The new heir arrives and rumors swirl. Dora knows the only thing she wants from this life is to be an actress and she won’t be forced into something that’s not her choice by this new guardian.

Give this a try if you want:
- Mid Georgian period (1798)
- Low steam – only a kiss
- Enemies to lovers feel with lots of back and forth banter/bickering
- You’re okay with some misunderstandings being the plot focus

Ages:
- Heroine is 20, hero is mentioned to be not above 30, so 28/29?

My thoughts:
I’ll admit it. The cover got me on this one. The new, updated cover was so pretty I just had to try it. But I didn’t like it much.

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It just wasn’t for me. Many reviewers say if you’re a fan of Georgette Heyer, this book is for you, and I have only read 1 by her and don’t really want to read more so perhaps I am not the target audience for this one.

What I struggled with was that the whole thing rather felt like one big argument. It seemed the hero and heroine were always going at each other if they were in the same room together. The writing style too just wasn’t for me – which that’s just a personal thing. Overall I didn’t really connect with any of the characters here or feel any tension or romance. The humor wasn’t humorous to me. I guess I’m just a big stick in the mud here.

I did love the heroine wanted to be an actress. That is just fun and different to me from the usual heroine goals I read. I did like how passionate and vocal she was – dramatic but endearing.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into this one.. Not because the writing was bad. The writing was quite lovely, but I felt disconnected from the characters. It was a clean read, I enjoyed it, but it didn’t stick with me the way I thought it would.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

I just could not get into this book, I struggled and struggled to read it. I did not like Isadora, there was very little romance which is what I was reading for. Wouldn’t read again unless I wanted just historical fiction.

I received this ARC from netgalley, this review is given honestly and voluntarily.

3.5 stars

The writing is good but I really didn't gel with the two protagonists. Isadora was naive, implusive and judgemental. Titus is authoritarian and a poor communicator. The only redemiing feature seems to be that they have a mutual sense of humour. Isadora is supposed to be 'theatrical' so perhaps that is the excuse for such silliness. There's a good amount of internal dialogue which helps to make the characters more rounded. It's a very clean read with a kiss in the penultimate chapter. I've downloaded another of the authors books so I haven't given up on her style yet.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was great and I enjoyed reading it. I laughed and was intrigued the whole time.

I found the hero nice and charming but the heroine was a bit childish and annoying sometimes. She seemed to always jump to conclusions and had a temper.

The rest of the characters were a hoot and made the story fun!

I received a complimentary copy of the book via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are completely mine.

I had a hard time getting into this book. The beginning didn't hold my interest very much. It took awhile before the book got better. I did like the characters a lot. But the plot didn't hold my interest very much.

1798 England
A delightful story written more along the lines of Georgette Heyer, we have our heroine, Isadora at a loss when her father passes away. She has always put on plays and dreamed of being an actress.
Now she has to worry who will now inherit the family estate and what will happen to her and her family?
Roborough, a distant relative arrives and seems to be a good sort, but Dora acts contrary, always debating one thing after another.
Thus begins a rather winding path as the new heir hopes to sell the estate, to pull out his current faltering one that his father had left in a mess.
A really clean, well written character study that will keep your interest until the end!

I like the traditional HR’s Elizabeth Bailey writes, she has a sure touch and a good grasp of the period. I really enjoyed this book, it was refreshing not to have a ‘perfect’ Mary Sue of a heroine for a change.

Isadora Alvescot is the only child of the widowed Mrs Alverscot. She lives at Pusay with her mother, and her aunt and cousins, and she is determined to be an actress on the London stage. Impoverished and untidy, the family are all waiting to find out what is to become of them now Isadora’s father had died. The estate has been inherited by Lord Roxborough who hasn’t been in touch with the family except to write and tell them they can stay at Pusay for now.

When Lord Roxborough arrives unexpectedly- he surprises Isadora who is rehearsing, and puts her back up immediately by giving her some critical feedback, this sets the pattern for their interactions, and as the whole family and Osadora’s best friend try to pair her off with Roxborough, she is determined she will change her name and go on the stage.

Roxborough has also just inherited the title on the death of his profligate gambler of a father. He has a mother and two sisters to support as well at the Alvescot. As he looks over the estate and tries to come to some solution to his problems he and Isadora have a series of misunderstandings that lead to a number of fiery interactions, caused by his reluctance to reveal his intentions towards the family and estate, and her volatile temperament and tendency to jump to conclusions constantly.

After a series of arguments and reconciliations they both realise they have feelings for the other, but can they both trust each other and have the courage to let each other know.

I thought it was enjoyable, a bit silly In the way of a romp, and nicely written.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

This book starts off so slow I had to put it down and come back to it often. The family is in morning after the father passes and are waiting for the heir to show. Isadora is a stubborn intelligent and strong character. She’s enjoyable but I have to say this patience. It doesn’t pick up until around 70% then finally you can dig in. It was okay.

This story is a common one, father dies leaving family in severe debt and the heir either kicks them out or falls in love with one of the daughters. In this case, it is the fall in love plot. This story was about a heroine who wished to become a premier actress to make money to save her family, but she was really just the housekeeper since her mother was ill. In addition to her family, her aunt and two young cousins lived with them. The hero or heir did not show up for many months after the father had passed and the family was upset at the lack of etiquette. What they did not know was that the heir's father passed away also and he had to take care of that before he could take care of them. This would have been a lovely story, but the heroine was portrayed as a belligerent, disrespectful woman when I think that that author was trying to portray her as independent. And I saw very little.of her love of acting, it was more like the creation of drama. The hero was very lack luster and plebeian. His mother was out of control and he moved the entire family in with his family. It was not a good mix and he should have known better than to remove them from their home and put them in his where his snob of a mother didn't want them. This was supposed to be a romance and I read it twice and had the same feeling both times, I didn't see any romance. It was fiction, but not romance. I give this book two stars for grammar and spelling. There was little continuity and any romance was feigned. The characters lacked dimension and the conversations really didn't make sense.

I am a fan of Elizabeth Bailey. I enjoy her writing style and subject matter, and although I enjoyed reading The Viscount Besieged, it started off a little slow. It is a character driven book with very little action. The vast majority (the first 70% of the book) takes place within the Alvescot home and grounds. The first quarter of the book is spent expressing Isabella’s (the heroine’s) questioning whether or not she should trust Roborough,the newly arrived heir to her father’s estate. She goes back and forth, and although HE seems to be a charming and thoughtful person, Isabella on the other hand is quite a shrew. She jumps to conclusions and reacts impulsively to things that she overhears. There are loads of misunderstandings throughout the book, and too much of the story takes place in the mind of the characters, with the author elaborating on their feelings and emotions.
The secondary characters are quite charming and add a lot of humor to the story. Mrs. Alvestock, Isabella's mother, is wonderfully described:

Roborough had begun to realise that comfort constituted the sum of Mrs Alvescot’s ambition. He knew the type: so indolent, so easy-going that any undue exertion or call to tax their very limited brainpower became a strain upon them, yet so universally pleasant and easy to please they were invariably surrounded by loving families who did everything they could to encourage their laziness. Isadora, in every way opposite, must, he supposed, have taken after her father.


That said, once the action moves onto Roborough's estate, it becomes far more exciting. There are twists and turns, added characters, who by the way are warm, witty and add a lot of charm to the story.

And once the H and h finally realize they are in love, it is very sweet. Their growing fondness grows quite naturally, and Isabella becomes much more likable. Their dialogue is witty:

Why in the world should you not trust me with the truth?’ A short laugh escaped him. ‘That is rich, coming from you.’ ‘You mean because I would not trust you? Whose fault is that, I should like to know?’ Roborough raised his eyes heavenwards. ‘I might have known. It is my fault, of course, that you could not find it in yourself to trust me — despite the fact you discovered me not to be my father, who had given you cause for offence, despite the fact you were the one listening at doors, not I — and making what you chose out of everything you overheard.’

The sweet ending is worth the wait. I sincerely enjoyed this book. "I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #TheViscountBesieged #NetGalley

The female main character ruined the book for me. From the first chapter, she was so childish and irritating - getting angry at the slightest things. She thought so highly of herself; that would have worked if she was actually a great person, but gawd, she was most certainly not!

It was either her way or no way!


I don’t understand what the male MC saw in her?! I was so confused at the ‘romance’. How could he even stand her?

My goodness, seldom have I met a set of more irritating females than the characters in this book. Our female lead was so ridiculous, I took an instant dislike to her. What a refreshing change this book was. It was redeemed by the Very thoughtful and charming male lead character and was a very entertaining read. A true romance.

A nice little Regency romance filled with secrets, misunderstandings, and familial bickering. I would have enjoyed it more, but the heroine was very difficult to like. She was whiny and petulant and I couldn’t understand why the hero was interested. I do like Elizabeth Bailey’s books, but I’ll stick to her Lady Fan series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.