3.5 Stars
The bespectacled, very bookish Miss Rebecca Peabody, who pens enlightening essays under the name P. Corpus, simply must marry. Since she abhors that disgusting “bedchamber business,” she decides Lord Aynsley is the perfect man to become her husband after all his is forty three & already has some children. John Compton, the Earl of Aynsley, needs a wife to see to his brood of seven motherless children, a wastrel ward, and an uncle with a most peculiar habit. But he’s not interested in the way-too-young Miss Rebecca Peabody . . . until he discovers she is the brilliant P. Corpus who writes political essays with such passion, a passion he vows to unleash.
I really like the author’s books but this one just didn’t captivate me. I'm not keen on such a wide age gap, his eldest child was only a year younger than Rebecca. However the characters had depth & were very likeable. The story flowed well & I did enjoy the slow burn romance, it was Rebecca who saved it for me & I finished it so that iI could complete her HEA with her
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I loved the heroine, Rebecca. She is very strong, opinionated but not in a bad way, loving, and dedicated to her family. The hero, John, was okay. I felt the story was a little more about Rebecca and her trials and tribulations then about him or them. I am not saying there was no romance. It was definitely there and it was a slow, again in a good way, romance. Many romance books feel like the relationship is rushed and it’s boom they love each other. Not this book, which is refreshing. There is a small sexual scene were they consummated the marriage. It is a sweet and clean romance novel.

Rebecca is living off the generosity of her sister and her sister’s husband. The problem is Rebecca’s brother-in-law is on the opposite side of her political views. She can no longer live that way. She goes to John to propose marriage which he laughs at her for even thinking a marriage would work. The problem for John is the age difference. He then realizes that she is P. Corpus. His views align to her views and he likes that she an intellect. One thing I did not like is John finding out about Rebecca’s secret identity very quickly and before they married. John finding out Rebecca is P. Corpus is one reason he married her. It was a great read. I have always loved this authoress.

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of A Proposal of Marriage by Cheryl Bolen. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this delightful novel prior to publication. My opinions are mine alone, and no one has influenced them.

A Proposal of Marriage is a lovely Regency romance with engaging characters and a traditional plot for this genre. I thoroughly enjoy the marriage of convenience troupe, and Ms. Bolen is a master at making them work. The pacing of the story kept me enmeshed from the beginning to the end, making it a pleasure to read.

Rebecca Peabody is an endearing heroine. She has lived in the shadow of her beautiful sister unable to see her own beauty. She has several facets to her character because she goes from bold to retiring throughout the book. Her boldness has her proposing to the hero, a man who is much older than she. When it doesn’t reap what she expects, she returns to retiring persona.

John Compton, the Earl of Ainsley, is an honorable hero, my personal favorite. He has a large family, and his children are the most important responsibility he has, and one he relishes. Although a widow, he is not looking for a wife. I loved his determination to do right by his six boys and a daughter ready for her first London season.

When he comes to the realization his younger sons need a woman’s love and his daughter needs guidance, he goes to Rebecca and proposes to her. Even though, she believed he is too old to be interested in the physical side of marriage, he is confident he can change her mind. I love how he gets her to understand her sexuality exists, and it’s something she desires.

The romance between Rebecca and John is a slow build as they learn more about each other once they wed. I’ve never been a fan of spring and autumn relationships, because for me, I could never find a man so much older than I attractive, so it’s hard for me to accept other women do. Rebecca is an old soul, mature beyond her years while John has remained young at heart, so their marriage works beautifully. I could see Rebecca and John as soul mates and wanted them to find their happy ending.

If you enjoy Regency romances with the signature aspect of building sexual attraction, and one with characters you’ll grow to love, then you will find A Proposal of Marriage an engaging reading experience as much as I did. I have read Ms. Bolen’s novels for years, and this one is an excellent example of why I enjoy her books. I’m glad I found this while searching titles on Net-Galley. Happy reading!

Will she gain more than she expected...

I thought this story would turn a certain way when in fact it was very much more than I expected.
Rebecca is young, why her proposal is rejected. A youth Aynsley sees more like an impediment than an advantage because of their difference in years. Yet something drives him to her, and this spark ignited, he is seduced by her way of thinking and her ideas.
And once he overcame his feeling to be too old for her, he will have to reform her view of the marital bed, as she believes it is a disgusting business.

While their marriage began as a convenience, they rapidly realize they have more in commun than they expected.
Yet a new challenge await them as Rebecca must be accepted by his already made family. And winning everyone’s heart is not easy task when jealousy, doubt, fear, lies enter the game.

Rebecca is a kind and caring person, while she threw her attention to others’ plight, wishing she could do more to improve their life. But she also hopes for more from life. And Aynsley offers her his brood of children to love.
The banters between the siblings is source of a lot of fun, I just loved little Chuckie.
Aynsley is different of the usual rogue/cad/rake/scoundrel, he is older, quite contented with his actual life. Yet when a slip of a girl crash into his life, his first gesture is to reject her before he is intrigued by this unusual female.
Their story is a tale of seduction but also love in all its forms.
4.5 stars

My only complain is by the end, Rebecca surrendered to society’s rules and dictates.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This is the story of Rebecca Peabody and John Compton, Earl of Aynsley. Rebecca decides that the best way for her to gain the independence she wants is a marriage of convenience. She chooses John because he is older (beyond that repulsive bedchamber business), and has seven children who need a mother. John has no intention of accepting her proposal, but she fascinates him. A May-December couple, both intelligent, politically minded, and opinionated (both write political essays under pseudonyms), seven children (sometimes unruly), a nephew who needs guidance, and an eccentric naturalist uncle must come together to form a family. How will it work? Will the family accept Rebecca? What kind of wife, mother, and lady of the house will Rebecca be?

This is a sweet fun romance. Rebecca is smart, but a little naïve. John is tough, but cares very much for his odd family group. I loved the way the children accepted Rebecca, cautiously and slowly. Rebecca takes things, including Uncle, in stride. The relationship between John and Rebecca develops slowly. This is another lovely story in the Brazen Brides series. I recommend it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

At twenty, Rebecca Peabody is a true bluestocking. Even though born in the colonies, Rebecca considers England her new home, but has her own ideas about politics. Fed-up with balls and sloppy kisses, she wants her independence and decides to propose marriage to Lord Ansley. He's three and forty, already has seven children and wouldn't be interested in bedroom activities. Lord Ansley isn't interested in a new wife but can't stop thinking about Rebecca and he's confident he could change her mind about bedroom activities. When he deduces she is writing essays under the name P. Corpus, he's so excited that he's found a woman interested in politics he impulsively proposes. Adjustments are many when you have seven children, a bizarre uncle and an immature ward in love with his daughter whose jealous of his new wife. Only love and honesty can make this marriage work. One of my favorite tropes it's a keeper!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE by Cheryl Bolen
Rachel has taken it upon herself to ask the man to marry her, she has a lot of things that would attract him to her.
She also has a secret and he loves listening toher views on politics and he has lost his wife and his oldest daughter has been tending to the little boys.
She only has one condition and it makes him laugh as it does her sister when she told her what she had done...
Love hearing how she fits right in with most of the people at the estate and love the idea of the farm she tends to create with help from John's nephew.
Such a great read and revealed a lot about not only that time in history but the things that made it special and how things carried on into the future.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
#AProposalofMarriage #NetGalley
I received this review copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A loved this clean historical romance! I really enjoyed the non-traditional storyline. I thought Rebecca was a really interesting character, and I thought her development was well done. The relationship between Rebecca and John blossomed quite naturally. I also liked the children and their unique personalities interspersed throughout the book. I even enjoyed the political talk! Overall, a great read!

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. A sweet tale of 7 motherless boys and a very different kind of debutante. No graphic sex so suitable for any reader. My rating is solely based upon the verbiage used. I thought it was too precise and stilted to make for a truly enjoyable read.

This book has a very interesting premise. However, the execution is kind of lackluster for my taste. The romance between John and Rebecca isn't fleshed out well and isn't believable for me. There's no solid foundation for their attraction and romance for each other. The third act felt rushed as well. The characters aren't well-developed as well and I did not care about any of them throughout the entire story. I also did not like the way the conflict happened and the resolutions. It felt annoying and rushed.

Really enjoyed this book! I love this author and she never seems to disappoint. The characters are interesting and quite lovable. The story is sexy and entertaining. I this was so much fun! I highly recommend!

I have just started to read more of Cheryl Bolen's books and I am glad i have. The story is wonderful. Good plot, writing and descriptions of time, place and characters. I enjoyed it and will try to read more from this author. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys historical romances.


ARC from publisher and netgalley, the opinions are my own and given voluntarily.
I recommend this book.

3.5 Stars
I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I found Rebecca such a breath of fresh air in the world of historical romance heroines. I liked that she spoke her mind and went after what she wanted. I would have liked to have known a little more about why she was so against having a physical relationship with any men - what exactly was she told and/or what exactly happened to her that made it seem so repugnant to her? Her immediate attachment to Aynsley's children (especially Chuckie) made her even more endearing. Her difficult relationship with Emily was realistic and, although Emily was a bit of a brat, you understood why she acted the way she did. I thought Aynsley's anger/frustration with Rebecca over not telling him she was P. Corpus was a little hypocritical considering he hadn't told her he had also been writing political letters under a pseudonym - especially considering she hadn't written anything once they were married. That aside, I did enjoy seeing how their relationship developed and evolved over the course of the novel. Overall, a perfect read for anyone looking for a smart, entertaining read.

I have very mixed emotions about this one. I liked it and then I didn't and then I liked it again. This is a May-December romance - John is 43 with seven children from age 19-3 and Rebecca is 20. This book is very well written and the characters are really well developed. It is a true window into their lives. But, when it comes down to the pros and cons - there were just more cons for me than pros...

Things I liked
- the honesty of how John and Rebecca's relationship developed and her interactions with his kids
- Rebecca's competence and strength of character
- John's love of his family and care for Rebecca

Things that bothered me - even though they were probably historically representative of the time:
- John's nephew by blood being in love with and marrying his daughter (e.g. cousins marrying each other)
- John's relationship with his deceased wife - whom he says he didn't love but obviously liked enough to have a lot of sex with - seven kids don't just appear out of the ether
- the way John and Rebecca got married and then got to know each other
- Rebecca feeling that she wasn't attractive when she wore her glasses - and John saying he was used to seeing her in them, but not really hammering home that she was beautiful with them or without them - especially considering Rebecca can't see without them!!
- John being unwilling to tell Rebecca about his own subversive writing persona - but being mad she wouldn't tell him about her own.
- the strongly patriarchal vibe that goes throughout the whole book

I've been reading romance for a long time and have read hundreds of historical romances - I know that this book is probably more representative of the time than a lot of books that apply a more modern lens - but as much as I liked John and his progressive views, I still had trouble with things and even now as I think about the book they continue to bother me.

I recommend it for those who like traditional regency books. This is the fourth book in a series - but is totally fine to read as a standalone!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

I enjoyed this book but it kind of bogged down in the middle of it. It is the story of Rebecca Peabody, a young lady who is so adverse to "bedroom business" that she goes out and finds a man old enough to be her father with seven children. John Compton, Lord Aynsley, has no desire to remarry until Rebecca proposes and he sees the merits of such a match. Aynsley marries Rebecca and takes her home to meet his children. Here the story seems to bog down with the day to day activities of raising a family. The story picks back up toward the end with more drama between Rebecca and Aynsley. Overall, It was a good book and I would recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and a chance to review it. They in no way influenced my review.

A woman, Rebecca, proposes a marriage of convenience so she can be free to continue to write her political essays under an assumed name. The man, John, accepts to have a mother to his many children and to help with his eccentric uncle. I found the heroine to be a bit naïve and not very much bothered when she finds, once married, she has no time to write her essays but instead helps her husband write his speeches. John admires her for her organized and political mind. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Author Collective 20 for my honest review.

I love Cheryl Bolen novels, loose yourself in her historical romances
John needs a wife for his 7 children whom we all come to love, and Rebecca needs a husband to continue with her political interests, with “ no bedroom business” expectations so she chooses an older man. A marriage of convenience begins, Stepdaughter Emily doesn’t want another mother an throws a spanner in the works but that doesn’t last long as Rebecca’s character wins her round., and John wins his wife’s love as their desire for each other grows. Can be read as a stand alone but great addition to the Brazen Brides series.

Thanks to NetGalley for a arc copy for a honest review.

This cover is so pretty I love all the read color’s. I wish I could of given
A Proposal of Marriage more star’s. It was an okay read really nothing special stand’s out a 2 1/2 star read for me

Happy Reading
Lisa

I have to admit when I first started reading I was a little put off by the age difference between John and Rebecca. But it became apparent that he is young at heart and she is an old soul and somehow they are truly meant to be. Rebecca's obvious love for his children, even the ones who don't welcome her with open arms, is beautiful. Just as John's willingness to wait for Rebecca to overcome her fears of a physical relationship and work towards a true partnership with his new wife. Despite my initial misgivings, I loved this book, and hope to see this family in future books!

I haven't read any of Cheryl Bolen's books before. I enjoyed this book a lot. There is a lot of humour. I like how 'unorthodox" the heroine is. The age difference took a while for me to get over because I am not usually a big fan of that but the writer does a wonderful job letting us know how the couple is still very well-suited to each other. Love the HEA. :)