This easy read narrates the courtship and early years of marriage between Will, Earl of Rastleigh, and Helen Swift. Both have to overcome their emotional scars to develop a better and deeper relationship. The plot is unsurprising and the characters could be better developed. Otherwise, an ok beach read.

I really wish that authors would understand the concept that sometimes? Less really is more.

That is really the main issue that I have with this story. There was so much detail that I just... got bored and stopped caring.

Don't get me wrong, I know there are people who are going to love this novel because of the detail the author included (and they definitely had a strong writing style), but for me things became so bogged down that I struggled to keep reading. I don't care that she got a new horse, therefore I don't need three pages of details about it. Just like I didn't need two chapters dedicated to the firing of his butler and housekeeper (although seriously how what they were up to escaped the notice of people is beyond me even with the author explicitly saying that Will wasn't usually "in residence" there. What they did went above and beyond).

Yes, there were the occasional burst of "the unexpected" and there moments where the story seemed to pick up, only to slow down again. Sadly, the good wasn't enough for me to say that I enjoyed this story, even though I know others will.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

3.5⭐'s

This was a very big H historical romance. I love marriage of convenience romance, more so historical than contemporary. It seems like a well worn trope, but when you love it, you love it. Mary Balogh is my Queen of the MOC, but others do it well. Louise Allen, sometimes Georgie Lee, of course we can't forget Lisa Kleypas. Meredith Duran, Lucinda Brandt and a few others that are hit or miss. My point being, it's a well worn trope. It seems like authors are trying to create more elaborate, more unique ~ unbelievable ~ scenarios than ever. This was a long winded way of saying that this moc tale was just that, a moc tale. Well written (although it took me a bit to get used to the authors rhythm) enough for me to get lost in it for a couple of hours. But more importantly, there were no "independent" "fiery" lasses. The historical equivalent of the "speshul" snowflake.. I"m getting tired of "moc" & "quotes", so I'm going to wrap this up; if you like this trope done traditionally, this is good. Probably could've just written that sentence and saved myself a lot of typing.

ARC/Netgalley

I absolutely loved this book! I received, A Comfortable Alliance, as an ARC through Netgalley. I requested it because the plot was interesting, but since I had just finished reading one of the best books I have ever read, I approached this with reservations. In spite of that, I found the book so well written and sweet, that I want to read it again—immediately!

The plot contains the sweetest romance I have read in a long time with a hero, Will, the Earl of Rastleigh and heroine, Helena Swift, who are not only likable, but also admirable. Their evolving love story shows them overcoming past heartaches and loneliness. Their characters were so fully drawn and their dialogue so natural that I could picture perfectly. I loved the way that they did not “write off” family and friends who were either weak or lacking in character. In spite of the fact that they were self sufficient in their own company, they allowed others into their lives and helped them become better people--Will and Helena were truly good!

The plot has something for everyone: famous historical events, romance, mystery, and human drama. It was absolutely fascinating! Historical events such as, the Duchess of Richmond’s Ball, the Battle of Waterloo, and King George IV’s coronation were included. Contemporary historical issues of the day were touched upon: the abolition of slavery, women’s rights, and the Irish question among others. But none of these were boring in any way. Catherine Kullmann has done such a wonderful job of researching this era that her seamless writing enriched the story and gave it authenticity.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was and I’m so happy that I “discovered“ Catherine Kullmann.

#AComfortableAlliance #NetGalley

A COMFORTABLE ALLIANCE by KATHERINE KULLMAN is a most enjoyable historical romance novel which takes place in England in the 1830's, after the end of the Napoleonic war. I enjoy the whole society scene, together with the scandal mongers and self important members of the "ton", who contrast well with the more sincere members of society.
When Will, Earl of Rastleigh, meets and marries Miss Helena Swift it is seen by them both as a comfortable alliance. Will they every go from being good friends to loving one another?
I will leave things there as I do not want to spoil the read for you.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from BooksGoSocial. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A Comfortable Alliance by Catherine Kullmann. BooksGoSocial, 2021.

This engaging new regency romance is the story of when Will met Helena. Will is the very appealing and long sought-after Earl of Rastleigh, looking for an attractive intelligent wife. Young, intelligent, and attractive Helena has not thought about wanting a husband since the man she intended to marry succumbed to injuries sustained at Waterloo. When Will meets Helena, he realizes she is exactly what he wants, so he sets out to make her his wife and the mother of his children. Neither is looking for romantic love.

As I’ve found with Kullmann’s other books, this is a positive, well written, easy to read story with historical facts to enjoy and enough background detail provided on characters and situations to make the story flow. My only distraction was that Helena, with her obvious intelligence, took six years to question whether she wants to live with her mother and play with her brother’s children for the rest of her life. Otherwise, the main and supporting characters are kind, believable, behave consistently and are easy to like.

A Comfortable Alliance is as comfortable to read, as warm and captivating as a wood-burning fireplace on a cold winter night. I read until I finished it, and warmly recommend it. I would give it 4.7 stars if I could.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of A Comfortable Alliance for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #AComfortableAlliance #NetGalley

A lovely novel with a surprising flow. The timeline is perhaps unexpected, mainly because it really begins at the start of a marriage instead of ending at one. It’s unusual timeline makes it’s very promising. I’ve greatly enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it.

4 stars

A sweet, quiet, charming story of love & family.

[What I liked:]

•I really like the characters! Helena & Will especially. I liked seeing them grow as people & as a couple. I enjoyed seeing them work through their fears & flaws, & seeing them enjoy life together.

•The writing gives such nice details of nature, setting, fashion, political events, manners, social expectations, etc. It really felt like reading a Regency story, rather than just a vaguely historical one.

•It was extremely refreshing to read a book that had depth of emotion, but wasn’t full of extreme danger or hate or fear or betrayal. I do like those books too, but it’s nice to find a quiet read sometimes & this hit the spot!


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Occasionally the dialogue is clunky, full of all sorts of background details that seem out of place In everyday conversation. For example, at one point Will is telling Helena about his childhood. He says his mother remarried in 1803, & then gives all these details about his step father’s estate. Maybe that’s how people talked back then? It just felt odd to specify the exact year, rather than say, “when I was ten”, or just not be so exact, or what have you.

•The plot is meandering, which I think works for this book, but if you’re used to a very straightforward & tight plot you may not like the approach. What I mean is, there are small scandals & domestic disputes that give the narrative conflict, but these are more explored in terms of how they shape Will & Helena’s growing relationship (which I think works well!). There is no grand, over arching danger or threat; no external tension runs throughout the entire story. So don’t expect that, & perhaps you won’t even miss it.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]