Cover Image: A Dash of Romance

A Dash of Romance

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A Dash of Romance By Paullett Golden

A lovely well written novella and short stories . A gentle historical romance that was of a will she won’t marry that came about by a mistaken identity .

An easy read if you love historical romances and there were a number of interesting characters in this book with additional very short stories T the end. 3.5/5

Was this review helpful?

Stilted dialogue, info dumping, and telling me everything but showing nothing, this wasn’t to my tastes. I like to feel immersed in the world, instead of as if I’m trying to force my way in.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this historical romance with the two main characters that were Abigail Walsley and Mr. Percival Randall. And also the rest of the characters to.

Abigail Walsley is the daughter of a local vicar. She has dreams of writing novels so when an unexpected proposal comes she tells a lie to the man asking her. But after telling this her lies become real.

Percival Randall lives in London with a life of luxury that is until a mistake is told that change his life. This mistake takes him to a village outside of London.

This was a fun story to read. It had quite a few laughs that had me laughing to.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

An Unexpected suitor.
A lie from a Vicar's daughter in desperation to refuse a proposal from a local Lord creates a domino effect. A gentleman from London arrives in the village and reinforces the lie. An agreement is made between the Vicar's daughter and the gentleman to pretend their attachment is real, but is it really pretending. A second son grows up when he finds love can change his life. A charming story with witty repartee that causes a few snickers with some anxiety of heartbreak. Included at the end are several very short love stories.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my 3rd book by P Golden, and it was also my favorite. This author is definitely in my top 5 favorite historical romance authors. The story was beautifully written. And I couldn’t get enough of Percy and Abbie. I loved the banter, chemistry and romance between them. The small country village was charming and worthy of the story. I wish I could visit the literary society.
The snippets of stories that followed give us excitable, so very heartfelt moments. Just more to love about this.
I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It was really good.

Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. ♥️
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Was this review helpful?

This book had a little of everything to make it an enjoyable read. We’ve got mistaken identity (boy that was a good one), fake fiancé, independent woman trying to have her own career, a rake of a second son, and forced marriages, all while our hero and heroine are in the process of becoming adults, age not withstanding. Whew, that’s a lot, and it’s done nicely. There’s some good intrigue, good banter in the dialogue, and a nicely moving plot. It was a delight to read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A Dash of Romance is my first Paullett Golden book. Not my last! This was a delightful read full of sweetness and laugh out loud humor.

The story involves a fake betrothal and "two dreamers who write their love story one scene at a time."

Percy and Abby were interesting characters individually, but together they grow in confidence and finding their purpose in life. Percy wore his heart on his sleeve and I love a hero that so unexpectedly falls hard for the heroine. Love hit him like a ton of bricks, but he didn't back down.

After the book included several pieces of "flash fiction." This concept is new to me, but I enjoyed most of the short stories (some were only a page or two long) and nice illustrations.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Was this review helpful?

In order to avoid an unwanted marriage proposal from a neighboring aristocrat, Abigail makes up a secret engagement. Percy, who fits the description of her fantasy fiancé, is a second son of an Earl with no clear purpose in life. When Percy is identified as the secret fiancé, they agree on a partnership in order to save both their reputations. Percy discovers a way of life other than his frivolous pursuits in London and Abbie rethinks her position on marriage. They become friends and when that blossoms into romance they both turn into insecure wimps. The story then drags on. The short stories following the novella come across as the first attempts at writing and don’t bring anything new to readers of romance.

Was this review helpful?

Great book! Charming characters. I also enjoyed the Flash Fiction stories in the back of the book. If you're looking for a fun, romantic read, try this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to give my feedback.

Was this review helpful?

Devonshire - 1795

Miss Abigail (Abbie) Walsley, 24, is the daughter of The Reverend Leland Walsley. the vicar of Sidvale. She enjoys writing romance novels and also writes a column for the newspaper under the nom de plume, Mrs. Buttons. Abbie has kindly been reading to her neighbor, a viscountess, but now the woman is insisting that Abbie become her full-time companion. Abbie is totally against it until the woman’s foppish son shows up and proposes marriage to her. His plan is to have her live permanently with his mother while he carries on his life in London. Refusing him, she says she is betrothed to a Knight which confuses her father.

Mr. Percival (Percy) Randall, second son of the Earl of Camforth. He has been given until his 30th birthday to find a bride. When he meets Abbie, through some lies, he ends up becoming betrothed to her.

Percy enjoys making Abbie uncomfortable by attending her women’s writing group. He says things that tend to somewhat embarrass her but always in a teasing manner. He is intrigued by this young woman and is determined to win her love.

A sweet, clean romance which is always a plus for me. I didn’t fully understand the way Abbie and Percy became engaged making it seem somewhat implausible. I get somewhat bored with the hard-to-get scenario I find in some books such as this one. However, the added Flash Fiction is certainly an interesting concept.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This fun little collection consists of a short novel and a collection of flash fiction. The short novel is an endearing story about two people who wind up fake betrothed when Abigail invents a fiancé in order to escape an unwanted proposal, and her random description of her fiancé just happens to match that of our hero, Percival. Somehow, the story of their betrothal is spread all over town, and if Percival is not best pleased to find himself betrothed to someone he has never met, Abigail is even less pleased to have her fake fiancé turn up in the flesh.
This is a sweet romance about two basically good people who both need to grow up a bit, and do. Just about everyone in this story means well. I liked the heroine's vicar father, who seems to be very good at his job, and I appreciated how quick Percy was to accept that it had all been an accident, not an attempt to entrap him. There is a fairly endearing set of pseudonymous letters between Abigail and Percy, delivered as advice columns in a local paper, which I did enjoy. The main flaw is that to my mind, they spent a bit too long on the ‘but he/she can’t possibly love me’ merry go round, based on very little evidence – there really wasn't anything keeping them apart for most of the book.
The flash fiction was more variable in quality – some very good, some rather awkward. Some nice paranormal elements, and one genuinely unsettling story about love at first sight (or is it?). As a bonus at the end of the novel, they were fun; I wouldn't buy them as a collection in their own right.
Quite a pleasant read overall.

Was this review helpful?

This book was about a vicar's daughter whose good deeds have gotten her into trouble. The heroine has been visiting the local aristocratic neighbor who is a lonely old woman. When the neighbor begins pushing her into becoming a companion and she refuses, the neighbor forces her son, who is suspected of being homosexual, to offer her a marriage where the heroine stays as a companion to the neighbor and the son can continue with his life in London and he will visit to attempt an heir and spare. The heroine is in shock and proceeds to tell her neighbor's son, Lord Dunley, that she is in a secret betrothal to a man in the next village who has golden brown hair, hazel eyes, a second son and a knight. But she is describing her fictional character from her unpublished book, Sir Bartholemew. Only one person is more surprised than her when Lord Dunley finds the man, sends him and his father a letter wishing the secret betrothal to be stopped and contacting the men at White's gentleman's club to find him, except the man himself, Mr. Percy Randall. When the heroine realizes that Lord Dunley has done the impossible of finding a fictional character and brought him to life in the form of Mr, Randall, she is aghast. And now stuck in a fake engagement! Mr. Randall, the hero, is at first upset and angry because he had been courting the daughter of a fellow White's member and been kicked out for leading her on when he was already engaged secretly. So when they meet is the climax of the book instead of the beginning of the climax. What began as a most excellent story lagged and slowed to a crawl as they worked out what they were going to do. For the most part, it was the heroine's fault. I think the for all of her confidence, she wasn't as stalwart as she should have been. They should have realized their love so much sooner. Even though I think the heroine had the most delays, the hero did his part in dragging it out. There is a part of the story with one of her reading group member's, but I can't share everything. I hope that that story is next,,There was too much introspection that couldn't been turned into wooing. But otherwise, it was an excellent book. The spelling and grammar were on point. For the lack of smooth reading, I give it 4.5 stars, but I recommend it for a good story and likeable characters.

Was this review helpful?

I was not feeling the first few chapters, it seemed like a predictable story of manipulation by marriage (too harsh?) But I was pleasantly surprised by the turn to a more equitable marriage bargain.

I loved the hero/heroine in this book. The development of their relationship was funny and adorable. I also liked that both of them needed to grow and change and those changes were natural, and influenced, but not completely dependant on each other. It was lovely and refreshing.

The shorts were a little at odds with the rest of the book. I don't get why this was an anthology and not a novel(la?). The short works were pithy and quick, snapshots of emotional turning points. Some funny and sweet, others melodramatic.

All in all this was a surprisingly fun book to read.

#ADashofRomance #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

What an absolutely unputdownable book!! This was dashing and captivating and left me concluding the story with a huge smile and a sigh of contentment. I loved the sweet hearts that both our lady and gentleman tried to keep guarded. Is there anything more enjoyable than unrequited love or seeing a match made from forced circumstances? The push and the pull that danced between them was so utterly delightful and delicious. I loved the families! They each brought such good will (mostly) and well wishes to our main characters. The flow, the storyline and the tender moments kept me glued to my reading chair, I never wanted this to end, even though I was desperate to reach the happily ever after. I absolutely adored this book and it's author.

Was this review helpful?

Will a fake betrothal result in a lasting love ...

A dash of romance, a touch of wit, a bit of subtle sensuality, a dab of musing and a lot of cleverness are Mrs Paullett Golden composants for this tasty recipe.

While this is my first read by Mrs Paullett Golden, it won’t be the last, I loved her dry humor and how she put two very opposite characters together.
So very different when she has purposes and he has none, only to enjoy the leasure and idle life of a peer’s son.
And even if the heroes are adult, it is still a tale of coming of age as both must decide what are they expecting from life outside their parents’ clutch.
Abigail and Percival are so lovable characters, she is one to give selflessly, because she finds fulfillment in her writing, yet she thought. Percival enjoys his society’s life, and if not for his father’s ultimatum, everything would be perfect, until he finds himself estranged in the countryside with a vicar’s daughter who is not whom he expected.
Mrs Golden is a gem at narrating parlor talk but also well-bred thinking, quips and witticisms pepper the pages of this surprising novella.

Oh my! The tea party at Abigail’s sister house was like stepping in a Jane Austen novel.

The last part of this book is something I knew nothing about, but yes, from time to time I have read short to very short stories in authors’ newsletters, and calling it Flash Fiction is definitely the right appellation.
Do not miss them, their length can vary from a page to a bit more, yet they are all very amusing to intriguing to read, straight to the point to tricky texts. Illustrated like the novels in my youth, do not pass them.

5 stars

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

A Dash of Romance by Paukkett Golden is a shorter fictional romance novel set in the late 18th century in England. It follows the accidental betrothal, meeting, business partnership and perhaps more between a vicar's daughter with a flame for writing and the second son of an earl who spends his days in London. This book was perfect to read while on vacation. It was light enough to ease into it without much thought, but the dialogue had a wit that had me laughing. While it may be shorter than other novels it still carries a story worth reading and characters that bring out the best in one another. One thing that I would especially like to point out is the addition of the "flash fiction" at the end. They are something unique to this novel and I enjoyed their incorporation.

Was this review helpful?

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words for this ARC. Well! These two couldn't be more different if they tried! A fib to put off a very inappropriate proposal leads to much with, levity, revelation and finally maybe love?? Sweet story with no eroticism.

Was this review helpful?

More is certainly not less

Much thanks to the author, who provided me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think there are any big spoilers, but beware to those who are super sensitive, I guess.

This book is comprised of 15 different stories, all sharing genre and tone and style, so it’s not jarring to go from one to the next. I admit I was wary when I began reading, and I’m not entirely sure why. I’ve read anthologies before, and I’ve read short stories before, yet there remains a stigma against them deep in my brain, a malevolent whisper insisting short fiction is cheap fiction. Where that ludicrous notion came from, I have NO idea, but this book is a perfect antithesis—I enjoyed each and every story.

The main event is a novella starring Abbie and Percy; it fills about 75% of the book. To ward off an unwanted suitor, Abbie claims to already be engaged to a knight with dark hair and hazel eyes. The unwanted suitor searches for a man fitting her description so he can intimidate and bribe him into giving her up. He finds Percy Randall, and shit meets fan.

There weren’t any major flaws, just a few weaknesses. Some readers might consider the premise too far-fetched or the plot predictable, but I was too busy enjoying the skill and enthusiasm that comes through in Golden’s writing to care about plausibility or predictability. For myself, I could have done with a little less inner monologue and a little more action to hold my attention in the middle.

That action could have better utilized the plot device that was Lord Dunley; I was surprised he never appeared to try to break Percy and Abbie up. He just performed the inciting incident and disappeared until the end. Regarding him, it seemed like Golden tried to have her cake and eat it, too; she wanted Dunley to be aloof and disinterested so as to not be a contender for Abbie’s heart, to keep him out of the way, yet she wanted him to care enough to make the time and effort to scour the countryside for Abbey’s fictional secret betrothed. He couldn’t be bothered to get her name right, yet he wanted that badly to eliminate his competition? And after going to the effort of tracking Percy down, ceased to do anything else about it? Just let it go? Doesn’t quite make sense to me.

But I can’t fault Golden for that too much, because she was obviously focused on character development over plot, which is rarely a bad thing. Percy and Abbie were both endearing and relatable, flawed and sympathetic. I enjoyed watching Abbie hold tight to her self-respect even as she opened herself up to rejection, and I enjoyed watching Percy mature and gain some self-respect of his own. Percy’s humor and personality brightened the pages; Abbie could have used a little of that charisma in her personality, but she had her own quirks and was by no means dull.

I did get the pregnancies confused; I remembered Abbie’s sister Pru was pregnant, but I totally spaced on Mrs. Bradley being pregnant too. When Mrs. Bradley’s baby was born, I thought it was Pru having her baby, because it made more sense for Abbie to be present at her sister’s delivery than the innkeeper’s wife’s; I knew Abbie was friendly with the innkeeper and his family, but we never saw Mrs. Bradley nor witnessed the close relationship she and Abbie must have had for Mrs. Bradley to want Abbie at the birth, so it failed to register. Then when all of Abbie’s and Percy’s families converged and it was once again mentioned that Pru was still in a delicate condition, I did a mental double-take, ran a search, and realized I’d gotten the two women mixed up. Does it matter? No, but I wanted to mention it because I’m nitpicky like that.

The last quarter of the book is a collection of short stories ranging from a few hundred words to a few thousand. Three were notable to me. First, my favorite was the gothic Haunted, in which a group of marriageable women and their chaperones go to stay in an Earl’s haunted castle; the woman who doesn’t get scared away by morning shall become his wife. (It’s not as cheesy as it sounds.) It was everything I want in a story—creepy haunted castle with secret passages, rumors of werewolves and vampires, ghouls and ghosts, a misjudged man who only wants to be loved despite his “beastly” appearance, and a stalwart heroine with common sense and an open heart. It was like Christmas to me, it really was.

Secondly, the one I would choose to be turned into a full-length novel (aside from Haunted, which is a given) would be Beguiled. That one left me thinking, “Wait, what? I’m sorry, what?” And lastly, the one I found a little baffling was Beneficence. I think I understood, but vagueness didn’t do it any favors, you know?

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this new endeavor from Golden and look forward to next summer’s anthology.

Was this review helpful?

This was a nice, fairly quick read. Annie, who’s a writer and independent and Percy, who grows quite a bit as a character through this, are pretty perfect for each other. I liked Abbie’s friends who make up the “Ladies Literary Society”.

I liked the short stories that were included. I tend to like ficlets like that though, quick reads that are almost like a small portion of a bigger story. .

Was this review helpful?