Cover Image: Miss Lattimore's Letter

Miss Lattimore's Letter

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This book gave me all the feels. If you love Jane Austen-you will love this book.

Really loved this book!

It’s original, fresh and fun!

I really like how strong the heroine is in this story. The plot moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged.

If you love Regency romance, this one is not to be missed!

Was this review helpful?

For some reason, I had a really hard time staying with this book. I'd read a bit then forget it for a few weeks then come back to it and read a little bit more. The premise was very cute, and the story wasn't that slow, it was just hard to stay with. I'm glad I read it though, because it was, for the most part, a cute and clean love story.

Was this review helpful?

This book was kind of a let down after the first one. I appreciate the writing style as it reminded me of Jane Austen's style of writing, however the protagonist kind of got on my nerves after a bit. I grew tired of the love triangle and sort of got confused by all the characters.

Was this review helpful?

I keep seeing this described as a comedy of manners. Sophie at 28 is nearly on the shelf, a chaperone for her younger cousin, but when she sends a gentleman a letter saying he is about to propose to the wrong woman she suddenly becomes a sought after matchmaker. Sophie finds Sir Edmund attractive but he only asks for her help in finding a wife. A man who courted and then humiliated her suddenly arrives back on the scene after 10 years. Everything is frothy, nothing too deep here. I couldn't stay interested in the interactions between the various couples.

Was this review helpful?

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Was not able to read the entirety of the book and cannot give an accurate or overall rating/review . As a librarian for a big library system, we most likely have a copy of this item. I will look forward to reading it in future since I am sure I will.

Was this review helpful?

I really wanted to like "Miss Lattimore's Letter", but unfortunately it just didn't hit all the Regency Romantic Comedy notes for me. Sophronia and Edmund were entertaining at points, but their relationship didn't hold my interest.

Was this review helpful?

I was lucky to be gifted an eARC of this book to review, though I am a little behind and read this much later than the release. This book follows a sudden matchmaker in regency England and the shenanigans that ensue because of it. This is a perfect book for those looking for a historical rom-com. It was truly quite funny, and I snickered multiple times.

I loved the character of Sophie, as she is thrust into the limelight (of sorts), and as she has to deal with the ramifications that come with this popularity. She is just trying to make it through the day, while everyone is bothering her with their questions. This is really just a fun ride, and I really enjoyed Sophie's look at British society.

I will say, however, there was a disconnect for me. I enjoyed quite a lot of this story, but the character felt a little 2-D for me. They all felt surface level, and I felt like we never got any deeper understanding for many of them. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something didn’t fit into place. This was written in a way that is reminiscent of Jane Austen and other classics. And while I love Austen, maybe I wasn’t ready for that type of writing.

Overall, this was a fun story and I really enjoyed my time reading. This is a great pallet cleanser, or an easy book to scratch that historical romance itch you may have.

Was this review helpful?

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Was this review helpful?

i'm not the biggest fan of historical romance but i found this fun to read and that should say a lot! i found the MC to be very witty and funny and that made reading from her perspective so fun to read. reading this book was like cozying up with a cup of tea in winter and i really enjoyed it.

Was this review helpful?

What a great next book in this series! Suzanne knows how to capture you from the jump. I enjoy reading romance because it is fun and inviting and this title fit that to a T.

Was this review helpful?

A charmingly fast paced read! Sophronia quickly finds herself dubbed Lady Cupid after trying her hand at matchmaking, in an attempt to spare a couple of a loveless match. As more people reach ask for her assistance, is she doing more harm than good? And can she make her own match and find a happily ever after?

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book! I was so engrossed by the characters right off the bat. Suzanne Allain's writing is out of this world, if you've been in a reading slump this is a great place to start, it absolutely blew me away!

Was this review helpful?

This book was kind of a let down after the first one. I appreciate the writing style as it reminded me of Jane Austen's style of writing, however the protagonist kind of got on my nerves after a bit. I grew tired of the love triangle and sort of got confused by all the characters.

Was this review helpful?

I really, really want to like historical romance/regency romance books, but I just don’t think they are for me. I liked Mr. Malcolm’s List, so I requested this one from NetGalley. I didn’t get around to reading it, so I listened to the audiobook. I had to start it several times, and I did like it once I got into it - I just don’t like having to work that hard to get into a book. This is a terrible review…

I think if you like regency, you’ll enjoy this.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkely for my ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Sophie Lattimore is a twenty-eight-year-old spinster who lives with her aunt and cousin. Her cousin, Cecilia, is having her first season out, and Sophie is meant to be her chaperone. When Sophie overhears a man talking about proposing to the wrong woman, she sends a letter to him so that he can marry the right woman. Sophie becomes the talk of the town when everyone hears about her successful matchmaking skills, more people want her help. Sir Edmund is a charming man who wants Sophie to assist him in finding a match, and Sophie begins to fall for him. Then, the man who was the love of Sophie’s life, before he married someone else, shows up, confusing her feelings. One of the women who was the subject of Sophie’s matchmaking also shows up, disappointed in her marriage. On top of that, Sophie has to help her cousin find an appropriate match, but now she doubts her matchmaking skills. With all of these conflicting romantic relationships, Sophie has to wonder if love is for her or if she should stay a spinster forever.

This regency romance story showed a different side of the typical romance. Most stories show a couple getting together and getting married at the end, but not what comes after. Sophie hadn’t gotten married at the end of her coming out season, so she was considered a failure and a spinster who was now too old to get married. She had to deal with the fallout from the marriages that she had arranged but weren’t working out well. This story shows what could go wrong in a regency romance.

I would have loved to see more action in the story. There was a lot of describing things that happened, rather than showing them happen in real time. Some conversations were condensed, when I would have liked to see them happen on the page. I really enjoyed the story, and would have liked even more of it.

Miss Lattimore’s Letter is a fun regency romance.

Thank you Berkley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

If you’re a fan of Jen Turano’s Gilded Age romcoms, I’ve got a Regency author you need to try too! Miss Lattimore’s Letter by Suzanne Allain brought several of Turano’s madcap adventures to mind, along with Jane Austen’s Emma and a dash of Georgette Heyer. It’s always refreshing to find a clean read I can recommend from a general market publisher, and I’ve really enjoyed several that Berkley is releasing lately!

Reading Miss Lattimore’s Letter was delightfully like watching a play unfold in front of me, not surprising given the author’s background in screenwriting, and I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as the characters’ antics and vivid personalities stole the show. Much like Austen’s Emma, Sophie has some maturing to do as the story begins – particularly when it comes to meddling in other people’s relationships. This is also the source of much of the book’s endearing wit and humor, however, and the author makes Sophie so likable that you (and the other characters) can easily overlook her misplaced meddling. In other words, Miss Lattimore’s Letter – while certainly not a retelling of Emma – is a nod to all of the best parts of Austen’s own erstwhile matchmaker with none of the frustrating parts.

Sir Edmund may not be a Mr. Knightley – or a Mr. Darcy – but he shines all on his own. His easy banter with Sophie, his feelings for her (you easily get the impression that he feels much more strongly for her than he shows outwardly), and his integrity are all things that put him in the ‘swoony hero’ category for sure.

Bottom Line: Miss Lattimore’s Letter by Suzanne Allain is full of wit, hilarity, and of course romance. The setting of Bath almost becomes a supporting character at times, and Regency romance readers will find much to smile about during their visit on these pages. A hodgepodge of Austenesque personalities make up the actual characters in this novel (the setting of Bath, notwithstanding) who experience heartwarming growth together, and it’s difficult to imagine the story without each of the players. I found the author’s writing voice to be delightful and warm, and I could easily envision the scenes playing out in front of me. Hold on to your bonnet & reticule for some madcap mayhem to close out the story – a perfect choice for Jen Turano & Jane Austen fans!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Was this review helpful?

I haven’t read a historical romance in a while and it was nice to escape the current century by going back to Great Britain’s Regency Era in Miss Lattimore’s Letter. Sophronia Lattimore is an interesting choice for a main character because she is literally a “nobody” in her own circle. She doesn’t have even as much recognition as Jane Austen’s Anne Elliot in Persuasion who was at least part of a notably social family. Having fallen into a scandal early after coming out into society, she fell back to become social wallpaper. With no means to support herself after the early death of her parents, she lives with and relies upon the goodwill of her Aunt Foster, earning her keep as a chaperone for her younger cousin, Cecilia.

Sophie’s aunt is not especially loving or concerned about Sophie, even going so far as to give her advice about how to be more invisible. Her cousin follows her mother’s lead and is a bit self-absorbed, although not obnoxiously so. While they can be categorized as unthinking, Allain has written them as authentic, not as caricatures who are easy to dismiss.

Being invisible has its advantages. Sophie is in a position to overhear and observe many people, deducing who, in her thoughtful opinion, should be together and who should not. She writes a letter changing the course of two courtships and is thrust into the limelight as a consummate matchmaker. It is not a role she relishes or feels equipped for, but one she embraces to spend time with Sir Edmund Winslow. Sir Edmund, it seems, is in want of a wife.

It’s not rocket science to see where this is going, but the journey is a fun one. Written in third person from both Sophie and Edmund’s POV’s, Allain’s writing style is light and mostly playful. In my head it is narrated by a woman in the same way that Geraldine James narrates the movie of Austen’s Northanger Abbey (2007). It’s easy to see the movie of Miss Lattimore’s Letter as you read, so it’s no surprise to learn that Allain started as a screenwriter. This would make a darling movie like her first book, Mr. Malcolm’s List.

The book is definitely Austen-esque and readers will enjoy this quick read by the pool or with a cup of tea. Cheers to happy endings!

My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot

Was this review helpful?

Sophie, a 28 year old “spinster”, is accidentally dubbed a skilled and knowledgeable matchmaker when she writes a letter helping two couples choose the right partner. But when her popularity rises she finds herself not only mixed up with her friends love lives, but is now being courted (maybe?) by two men herself!

This was a sweet, entertaining, lighthearted historical romance. I really enjoyed reading the intertwining of characters love lives and waiting to find out who winds up with whom. I will say you have to pay attention because the POV changes to different characters, even mid chapter. But it was kind of neat hearing what certain characters were thinking at that time and kept me on my toes. I love loved the interactions with Sir Edmond and Sophie! I could have used a dozen more scenes with them! The family evolution with Sophie, her cousin, and her aunt was a great side story as well!

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting with this one but I honestly really enjoyed it for a quick light read!

Thank you @berkleyromance for the gifted eARC!

Was this review helpful?

This is the first book I’ve read by Suzanne Alain.
It won’t be the last!
I really enjoyed the interaction between the main characters.
It was great to have the two points of view. This way we know Edmund’s real motive. LOL
I want more!!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?