What was this? Was this an attempt at writing bad Regency romance?

Historical inaccuracies from clothing to slang, did any research other than "I might have skimmed a few historical romance novels" go into this novella?

Long lost granddaughter of a duke, Lucy Locket is found by Bow Street officer and gentleman Lord Henry and is returned to her family. Tasked with helping her fulfill inheritance requirements and find a titled husband, Lord Henry grows closer to Lucy as he helps teach her the ways of the ton.

Though low steam, this was a nice debut novel from Sawyer North. There's a lot of attraction and tension between Lucy and Henry. He rescues her from life as a criminal when he recognizes who she is. They are kept apart because Henry is a second son and will not inherit a title, though the author very cleverly resolves that.

Definitely curious to see what else this author writes!

I thought this was an okay read, but I didn't feel at all motivated to read on to find out what happens next.

Lucy Locket, has been found and brought up by a 'gentleman of the road, when her father was drowned. Despite her humble surroundings, Lucy has been taught to speak and behave well, and can read and write.

Harry meets Lucy, when she is assisting in a highway robbery, and they both travel to London together. They spend their journey bantering with each other, and when Harry realises Lucy s the long lost granddaughter of a Duchess, he takes Lucy to meet her, and is then roped into 'instructing' Lucy on the rules and mores of the ton, in order to prepare her for her debut. Henry, a penniless second son, estranged from his older half brother, jumps at the chance to earn a hefty payout for his efforts.

Margaret/Lucy must marry quickly to secure her fortune and rescue the Duchess from penury, but will she be able to master her manners in time to attract a titled gentleman.

I found Henry a very poor hero, he really insulted and out Lucy down constantly, blew hot and cold, and was altogether a most selfish individual. I didn't find the romance between te two believable at all, and struggled to stay engaged in what happened next.

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

i legit wanted to like this book, but it was just way too over the top. for me, personally. that doesn't mean it won't be excellent for you!

Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all.
The premise of the story sounded very interesting, and I thought it could be a book I would like, but the opposite was the case. I think the best part about this book is the fact that it was short and a rather quick read.
Very quickly I noticed how rushed and simple the plot is. There was barely anything interesting about it, and the story progressed way too fast for my liking. There were barely any obstacles on the way and any problem was solved very easily and there were no consequences to actions.
The characters also weren't pleasant to read about as they were extremely one-dimensional and they felt like cardboard cutouts. Furthermore, they were pretty much stereotypical characters for the romance genre and there was nothing new or refreshing about them. It was actually exhausting to read about them.
At last, I got the impression that there was a big lack of research while writing this novel. Words and current slang were used in dialogues, which didn't exist at that time, which made the story unbelievable and stopped the book from being immersive.

Soooo... historical romance, specifically regency romance is my go to comfort reads! So when I got this I was exited to read it. Unfortunately it really fell flat for me.

The premise is that Lucy is the long lost granddaughter of a Duke who was raised by a highwayman. She gets caught in said highwayman’s activities and runs into a bow street runner. Eventually (rather quickly actually), she’s returned to her Duchess Grandmother, where obviously she can’t have her inheritance unless she marries a nobleman.

From there chaos ensues but it’s so just bleh. I didn’t like it at all. None of it seemed even remotely realistic (even for a romance) to the time period, the chemistry is seriously lacking, and the resolutions were completely ridiculous. That said it was a quick read and gave me some amazing hate read fun! All the side characters are reprehensible and I absolutely loved to hate them. They were actually really well written as terrible and foils to the couple.

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story has an interesting and intriguing plot. The granddaughter to a duke is thought dead and lives with an outlaw for years. She has a hard time assimilating into the TON when she does return. I found that the story doesn't match the great plot. I was bored through a lot of it and frustrated with the hero's actions throughout. I didn't find much chemistry between the main characters.

Thoroughly enjoyable story. Read it in an evening. Loved the heroine and her story. Will look for more by this author and will be recommending this book to all my HR readers.

I am torn on this book. On one hand, I like it- good story line premise, characters are good, it's a sweet slow romance, witty banter.
On the other hand- it fizzled quick and went down in flames - no romance past furtive smiles, hints and inner monologues - where was the actual romance? Not that I need that to make or break a story but it would have worked well for this book, plus, it would have helped with the scenes which most of the time were way to choppy and short. This was written as a novella but really it should have been made into a novel because there was so much needing to be stretched out, explained and written about. The plot line started really well but then was lost. It had shades of Pygmalion about it but in this, Lucy just totally seemed to forget her upbringing and settle right in to being a proper lady. Henry was a bit of a jerk and beyond a short fling, Lucy doesn't fit with her strong personalty for him.
Overall this isn't a bad read but it does lack in many areas. Would recommend for short, sweet romance (not steamy), an intriguing plot line, strong female lead.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Cute historical fiction romance. Lucy Locket was kidnapped and raised among a band of thieves. She is the long lost daughter of a Duke. Once she has been restored, her grandmother is determined to make her a lady and find her a husband, or their fortune will be lost.

Henry Beaumont is sure there isn't one ladylike bone in Lucy's body, but he is up to the task when the duchess asks him to do what he can for her granddaughter. Lucy tries to fight him every step of the way and sparks fly.

I struggled with this story. I liked the unique plot and characters, but I didn't care for the dialogue and aspects of characters was in consistent at times. I started skimming parts, to make it to the end. I will note though this year has been a hard reading year for me as many books haven't been able to hold my attention. Overall, an OK story. *I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. I thought the plot was really intriguing and different. However, it fell kind of flat for me and a bit unbelievable. I am unsure society would accept her knowing she lived with a man, even if he was a "gentleman."

The dialogue between characters came across as forced and often times childish, especially from Lucy. I also found that after living with thieves and highwaymen she gave up her identity quite easily. The characters themselves were not overly likeable, except the Duchess and her friends.

Steadman's character was very intriguing though. I would be very interested in his story.

Overall, I think this book had so much promise but failed to deliver what I expected. I think it needed a bit more work but I would check out this author again.

✨ First of all, a Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the gifted eARC of Everything a Lady is Not! Available now.✨

⚠️ Second of all, be warned, there are Spoilers Ahead! ⚠️

Lucy Locket finds herself in quite a predicament. For the last eleven years, she has been the captive of an infamous criminal, and now suddenly finds herself at the mercy of lawman, Henry Beaumont, whom Lucy recognizes as a face from her past. Henry is seen as a disgrace to his family’s name. In hopes to restore his honor, he seeks to bring lawbreakers justice. Having discovered Lucy making off with stolen goods, he thought she’d be easy to take down and arrest...that is, until she proves to be his equal in swordplay! Henry soon realizes Lucy’s true identity, he swears instead to help bring her back into society, even if she argues with him every step of the way. 😂
Let me start out by saying that this is in fact a very sweet story. I do love Enemies-to-Lovers, and I think that Lucy and Henry fit the criteria pretty well. The book is really a novella, being only a hundred and fifty pages or so and honestly I wish it had been longer.
While the concept of this story is great, it suffers from being condensed into such a short book. The pacing is also a bit confused in the sense that it's rushed in some places and dragged out in others. For example, Lucy and Henry remember each other very quickly in the beginning of the story. It also didn’t take long to bring Lucy back to her Duchess Grandmother. From there, it is quickly explained that Lucy needs to learn the social graces of a lady in order to get her inheritance. This was where the story decided to drag. It lingers so much on Lucy’s lessons and social faux pas, that there really wasn’t much time for anything else, including actual romantic development. This was actually a bit of a downer for me, because Lucy spent more time suffering from social humiliation than being able to enjoy her new life or find love.
In a romance, I need more...well ROMANCE. Yes, it’s nice that it wasn’t “insta-love”. The development from enemies to friends was VERY good! But then, because the book ran out of time, the romance felt super rushed. If the book had been twice as long, I think it would have had a lot more balance. I felt there was so much build up with no pay off.
Oh, by the way, if you are looking for a “closed door’ romance...look no further. There is NO premarital (or postmarital) steam! This was a disappointment for me. You all KNOW that Ksquaredreads LOVES steamy romances! And there was so much potential for it here. There was a scene where Lucy explains that her introduction to dancing was from a gypsy woman, and she proceeds to demonstrate, making Henry nearly swoon. I would have LOVED to see Henry let loose and have Lucy go crazy on him with her dance moves! But, alas, there is none of that. But if you aren’t a fan of open door sex, this will be lovely for you!
In the end, I think Everything a Lady is Not, is a sweet and heartfelt story. I just don’t think it was long enough. Rags-to-riches and enemies-to-lovers is such a good combo and I think is worthy of a longer story.

3.5/⭐️I would say this was a NEARLY four star read for me.
0/🔥 Zero in the steam department 🤷🏻‍♀️

OMG! I honestly loved this one more so than I even thought I would! Hey, there's always that risk factor when trying a new author, but don't you just ADORE when the gamble turns out in your favor? This one...SO DID!

I really loved our Miss Locket, or rather Lady Margaret aka Lucy, aka Crusoe (inside joke). The life she had was ripped from her. The one replacing it, while not necessarily ideal, was more than what it could have been. She wasn't schooled as a lady, but rather in life, and in these times...that's just not heard of. Pfft! Yeah, I'm sorry...I'm not stomping on culture of old, but tittering at another's words, throwing thinly veiled barbs, and dressing in the finest fashions whilst still being able to gracefully faint in it because something so offended the senses, just doesn't strike me as important as being able to care for oneself, provided for oneself, and extend those kindnesses to others. I mean, when Lucy has to step into the Lady role on the turn of a dime and is faced with the insipid foolishness that occurs....why, I don't know if I could have held my own tongue as long as she with those...those...just UGH! That old adage of a silk purse and a sow's ear, while used in this story is misapplied GREATLY. Now, let's talk about Henry...

He's got a past, but the weight her carries isn't really his to carry. It was granted him by the ignorant, and blood relative or not, an arse is an arse and he's one through and through (not Henry, but his brother!). I loved his secret meeting with Lucy from days gone by. I enjoyed seeing him surprised by the Miss he happened upon in the forest and was then taken by in more ways than one! I loved seeing his cover as a gentile gentleman blown when necessary (and totally called for!) and the final strokes taken to secure a future that seemed all but impossible were certainly applause worthy. You know what though? I actually liked his self-doubt too. He wasn't a pompous you-know-what like the rest of the "gentlemen" we encounter. He was open enough (perhaps because of his own experiences?) to realize that sometimes the thing the ton idolizes...aren't quite as important after all.

In the end, I totally loved it! I admit, I did come dangerously close to wanting to throttle Isabella (the nerve!) polite society be darned, and stomping my foot at Henry to get his head together already...but it was completely worth the diversions. If you're a fan of Historical Romance with witty banter, strong female characters, and men that aren't afraid to stand by their woman (well, SOME at least), this is definitely a title that should be on your MUST READ list!

This book was a quick, light and witty read. I enjoyed it for the most part, but wanted a little more romance brought into the limelight.

Lucy is the long lost granddaughter of a duchess. She disappeared at the age 9 when she was separated from her father while traveling and taken in by a gang of criminals. Lucy is a genuine and intelligent woman, if a bit rough around the edges. She doesn't understand the ins and outs of society and the ton after being raised in seclusion by men. During a highway robbery gone awry she is caught by former childhood friend now bow street runner, Henry.

Henry is straight laced kind of man. He strives to make the right choices and keep to the moral high ground. He has been belittled and labeled an "evil seed" by his older brother since childhood. Henry is determined not to succumb to what his brother believes of him. Inside Henry is a lonely, hurt little boy. When he decides to help Lucy and reunite her with her grandmother, he believes he is on a slippery slope to doom.

I loved the witty banter between Lucy and Henry. I did not love the aspect of Henry tutoring Lucy in proper society etiquette, it seemed odd. Henry doesn't mince words when it comes to her lack of social refinement and basically sits back during a fiasco dinner party where the guests rip Lucy apart. He lost some points for me there. The story improved when Henry takes Lucy to his sister in the country for help. I enjoyed the last half of the book much as more of the story came to light and the character were a little more developed.

If you enjoy witty dialogue, clean romance (there are only a few short kisses) and a light, low angst story then you will probably enjoy this.

I recieved a copy of this from Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Everything a Lady is Not by Sawyer North for the purpose of reading and reviewing by publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

Everything a Lady is Not is a lovely Regency romance that took me to Regency London and the countryside with a new and refreshing twist. The pacing engaged me from the first page and kept me enthralled until the last.

Lucy Lockett, AKA Lady Margaret, is a delightful heroine, and one I became vested in from my first introduction. Her heartbreaking back story touched me and had me wanting her to find her way in the new world she finds herself thrown into with any warning. Mr. North manages to write of her struggle with the emotions a woman would feel when facing an environment so different than what one has experienced in the past. That’s somewhat unexpected since it’s not common for a man to write romance.

Henry Beaumont is a dashing hero with all the characteristics I enjoy most in Regency romance. I loved his willingness to help Lucy learn to navigate the haute ton. I enjoyed his confusion when he develops feelings for Lucy and the pain of believing he must help her find a husband when he wants her for his own.

The romance between the couple is lovely and as a sweetness to it. There’s plenty of the sexual tension between them, an aspect of historical romance I love. Unlike most romances, I feared there might be no happy ending for them since I couldn’t imagine how it could happen. Kudos to Mr. North for building that fear. It added greatly to my enjoyment!

If you like historical romance set in the Regency era with endearing characters and a unique plot, then you will enjoy Everything a Lady is Not as much as I did. This is the first book I’ve read by Mr. North. I plan to go back and read the his first one. Happy reading!

I rather enjoyed this novel.
Great story line.
Wonderful, lovable characters.
Ready for more from this author!!!

*** I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.***

I received this from Netgalley in exchange fo an honest review. This is book one in a new series called Bow Street Beaus. This book was very frustrating. I really was getting annoyed with this book. We have a lady Lucy who is a dukes long lost grand daughter and has to be introduced into society and marry before her next birthday. I have read many historicals and I know that society did have rules about conduct but someone was always breaking them and there was leeway given. Henry was very much a huge jerk for 80% of the book. I just wasn’t very happy with this at all it was a really hard book for me to get through.

It is smooth reading in phrasing etc. I found the prologue to be the best! Therein young Lucy (9) and Henry (12) meet for the first time and she sits like a perfect little lady (albeit curious and outspoken) with her hands folded in her lap. The scene was so well described, it stayed with me throughout the story. I was a bit irritated and incredulous to read she's so awkward and cannot curtsy later in life.
There are a few other points which caught me up and could be contradicting or less plausible, e.g. the fortune has been held in reserve for Lucy, although she is believed to dead.
Irritating to me was Henry's self-loathing, repeatedly calling himself (in thoughts and spoken words) undeserving and depraved; it seems he's been egged on by his older brother to believe he's destined to criminal behavior. He considers himself a killer because his mother died after birthing him. Does anyone ever really believe that? His older brother was exceedingly vicious, however the "why" - if there is one - is not revealed.
I read an ARC supplied by the publisher via NetGalley; the thoughts expressed are my own.

I was surprised to read a historical romance novel by a male author but thought it was pretty well done. The dialogue was entertaining, the storyline was engaging, and the characters were interesting. It was very similar to Pygmalion, though certainly not a copy. While not my favorite, and would have liked to see more actual romance, i did enjoy the book.
#netgalley #everythingaladyisnot