My first foray into Erica Ridley’s books was a smashing success!! I absolutely ADORED An Affair By The Sea. Alegra is a lovely main character and she’s such a strong and independent woman. Her romance with John was so great too and I loved that they were able to explore their passions and careers together.

It's a testament to Erica Ridley's writing skills that she can turn a farcical premise like this into something sweet where I was invested in the characters and their romance and holding out hope for a happy-ever-after.

Romantic and Funny

Allegra and John – A perfect pair. Allegra’s made up fiancée Pirate Captain Hamish L’Amour appears in the form of John Sharp who takes on the role thrown on him with full gusto.
Both find they are attracted to each other, but Allegra an amazing Piano player is just shy of her 30th Birthday were she will then inherit half her dowry to make her an independent woman in her own right. John a Solicitor who has a dream of becoming a Chef, finds it hard to trust due to his fiancée jilting him because of his dreams.
A sweet, romantic, funny, laugh-out-loud story with brilliant heart warming characters you’ll love.

Such a fun read. The romance. The characters. The whole thing was just lovely. I just will read anything this author puts out and I cannot wait to read more soon please and thank you.

I loved it!
Allegra and John were such a great couple. This story had a sweetness t it and also plenty of humour. I really enjoyed the dialogue. This one fit into my historical romance reading binge well.

A whimsical funny story with very down to earth character's in a seaside setting with no aristocratic titles in sight.
I received this in exchange for my honest review as given above

Another excellent story from Erica Ridley! Main characters are awesome. They complete each other while also making each other more than they are. The cousins are adorable. Never a dull moment in this book!

I receive an ARC of this book and leaving a review voluntarily.

This novella was absolutely enchanting! Erica Ridley is one of my favorite authors in romance and this did not disappoint! A perfect afternoon of reading with a cup of tea was how I enjoyed it.

Allegra Brown is excited to turn thirty, as she will be free of her evil uncle and get her inheritance. She has however been spinning tales of a fake fiance to her cousins for years who she calls Captain L’Amour. since he's supposed to be a pirate.

John Sharp is a lawyer who dreams of owning a tea shop. It went terribly wrong in London, so he moved to Brighton to start anew. In a chance encounter with Allerga and her cousins, he says he is her fiance. The rest of the novella explains how far this couple is willing to go to keep up their ruse and it's totally a binge-worthy read.

My honest review is given in exchange for receiving a free copy of the ARC. I just reviewed An Affair by the Sea by Erica Ridley. #SirensRetreat #NetGalley
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An Affair By The Sea by Erica Ridley is part of Siren’s Retreat, a novella series written jointly by Erica Ridley and Grace Burrowes. This book features Allegra and Jonathan Sharpe as the protagonists. The book has been published by WebMotion.

An Affair By The Sea was very cute. It focused on dreams and love and family. Allegra wanted her pianoforte and her freedom, and John wanted his own unusual dream fulfilled.

They met by accident literally and had many dramatic moments for their love story. I just love how historical romance books focus on the “supposed” spinsters finding love. It makes the story very sweet.

Allegra and John support each other and form a friendship before discovering love for each other. The novella transitioned from one emotion to other beautifully. I yearn to hear the compositions described by the author in the book. I know very few can express emotions with ease.

The characters of Portia and Dorcus are adorable. They seem like children with their banter and schemes that no one except siblings can pull off. They are also very cheeky and their antics made me chuckle while reading the book.

My favourite scene was when John spoke solicitor-speak. In real life, I am likely to call such men Mr. Know-it-all, but it was a kind of hot while reading the same. Erica Ridley gave us a perfect gentleman for our dreams. Thank you.

If this is only one story from the series, I know I have to read the rest.

Happy Reading!

P.S. I received a free book via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and WebMotion for the ARC of this!

I love Erica Ridley's books and this was no exception. The fake-dating/betrothal was such fun, and the characters were so complimentary to each other, that it was just a lovely experience watching them fall in love. I recommend this for anyone who wants a totally swoon-worthy regency romance without much angst. I can't wait to read more of the series.

The real treasure in this book is not the story, though delightful, it is the characters. They are a bit reminiscent of those offered by this author in her 12 Dukes of Christmas series. Extremely likeable, infused with humor, talented, and yes a bit on the quirky side. I absolutely adored these new Brighton characters. Allegra is a talented pianist who can tell a imaginative story as well as play an improvised piece of music. She definitely believes in coloring outside the lines. Unfortunately, she is dependent on her uncle, and works as an unpaid governess to her cousins. She has spun a story for them of a long standing "lost" love complete with a detailed description. Imagine her surprise when they come face to face with her imagination in the flesh! Mr. John Sharp is a sought after London solicitor who is also a talented chef. He dreams of having his own tea room. However, unlike Allegra, he believes everything needs to be precise or disaster will happen. Do opposites really attract? Read and find out. You will not be disappointed!

An Affair by the Sea is the second book in The Siren's Retreat series by Erica Ridley. Grace Burrowes has joined forces in this series, so the first, and third will be written by her. The second and fourth are by Erica. "All four books take place in Brighton, in a picturesque inn called Siren's Retreat—where, legend has it, all who cross its threshold with an open heart will soon meet their true love!"

This is quite a fun novel because Allegra Brown, the leading lady of the story, has made up a dashing pirate as the love of her life. She has kept her nieces enthralled with the stories of her dashing pirate who is away at sea. The fun starts when a close encounter with a dashing man, John Sharp finds him claiming that he is that dashing pirate. Their story is fun because reading about them keeping up the pretence made for some very funny scenes.

Allegra and John are both wonderful characters and their growing love was beautiful. They had some wonderfully passionate moments but some deep and meaningful ones too. I didn't have any idea how they could have a future when it would mean everybody finding out that Allegra had lied about her pirate. The author handled it perfectly and I was very happy with their happily ever after!

A thing that I really liked about this story is that although there were some aristocrats in it and balls etc, this book was very much about two very down to earth regular people. John is a solicitor and wannabe chef, Allegra has been a dogsbody for her uncle and just looks forward to her independence. It was a nice refreshing change that I appreciate.

This was a delightfully charming and fun novella and is the second of four stories in the collaboration between Ms. Burrowes and Ms. Ridley. The setting for the stories is an inn in Brighton called Siren's Retreat. There is a legend that goes along with the inn that if you cross the threshold with an open heart you will find your true love. Allegra was just biding her time until she can get out from under her uncle's control and go out on her own. She makes up a captivating tale about being engaged and her betrothed having gone off to sea. John is bored of being a solicitor and goes off to Brighton to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. When Allegra and John meet, there is a misunderstanding and he is mistaken for her long lost beau. They ultimately embark on a fake engagement which leads to some fun and highly entertaining moments. These were two very endearing characters and I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow and develop I to a real love story. A cute and quick story that was a lot of fun to read! This was a story that kept me smiling and laughing the whole time. Very enjoyable read and I highly recommend!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I love Erica Ridley's writing. I did not want to stop reading and became irritated anytime I was interrupted. There were parts I found hilarious and felt secondhand embarrassment.

An Affair by the Sea is a novella that bursts at the seams with emotion. The second novella in the Sirens Retreat series (Book 1 is a Tryst by the Sea written by Grace Burrowes) tells the tale of two lonely individuals whose visions of their futures do not include a significant other. Though Allegra loves her cousins, she yearns to be independent when her inheritance kicks in, and John is seeking refuge from a bout of misfortune as he hopes to pursue his true passion. A run-a-way carriage, interfering cousins, and a mistaken identity (of a made up person) changes both their destinies.

I loved this book! Allegra’s cousins were just what you would expect from young ladies who grew up with tales of piracy and adventure, and the love between them and Allegra was heartwarming and satisfying. Yet, we really do get to see the duality and loneliness of Allegra being the poor relation.

John Sharp was just the hero I didn’t know I needed. His need for order and precision contrasted against the being that was Allegra was perfect.

I’m going to go back and read book 1 and the rest of the series as soon as I can. 5 stars.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down to 3
0.5 🌶

From the start of the book, I found myself captivated by not only John and Allegra's story, but by the bond between Allegra and her two younger cousins.

Portia and Dorcas are absolutely hilarious and I found myself in hysterics every time they not-so-subtly tried to get John and Allegra alone.

John is a perfectionist of a man who has gone about his whole life doing things by the book to get him the results he wanted. And he believed that by doing the same, he could win Allegra's trust, faith and heart. But our female mc, being the wise woman she is, tore apart that notion and nurtured the prospect of improvisation and a change of perspective.
With each piece of advice she would give John, I found myself highlighting them because they gave me fresh perspective as well.

An Affair by the Sea is a cute, quick read and is the first novel I've read by Erica Ridley- a phenomenal writer.

Thank you to the author & Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

This is a wonderfully sweet, fairytale-ish novella about an on-the-shelf, orphaned spinster with dreams of being a composer/pianist, and a solicitor with dreams of being a chef. Once fate throws them together, will they discover that real life can be even better than what they had imagined?

This entry in the series has just the right mix of sly humor, banter, and romance, with a pinch of spice. Easy reading, perfect for a relaxing weekend--even if you're not vacationing at the seashore.

Note: Even though this is part of a series, it works fine as a standalone.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced reader copy. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author.

LInks to reviews posted.

Set in 1818 Brighton, England

John Sharp has spent the last decade as a highly respected solicitor, who never lost a case, striking fear in his opponents. He has a plan for everything, leaving nothing to chance. At thirty-three he's taken a year's sabbatical (or quit depending where you are in the story) to pursue his passion to become a chef, only to have it burn down around him his first day taking over a pȃtisserie. John escapes to Siren's Retreat to regroup, and plan to open his own tea room, unwilling to face the vagaries of working in someone else's kitchen.

Allegra Brown was an orphaned pianist, who became the governess of her younger cousins. She lost her mother at twelve and even though her lifestyle drastically changed, she has plans for the trust funds she's to receive once she turns thirty in two months. She's spontaneous and creative, even while believing herself shabby and plain.

Allegra created a fictional suitor to entertain her young charges, a Captain Hamish L'Amour. When they run into a man that fits his description while at Siren's Retreat, the girls instantly call him out. John unwittingly claims to be the captain setting the stage for two folks to be thrown together on a lark, as they pretend to be a reunited couple.

While John has always been meticulous, planning everything to the smallest detail, Allegra brings out a side he never knew existed and charms him with her humor, talent and approach to life. While John helps Allegra see her true worth.

There were scenes that didn't seem to fit the time period, but Ridley still delivers a sweet, romance with many charming moments.

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Thank you NetGalley. Allegra has been the companion to her two cousins since they were small. She has kept them entertained with stories and her piano abilities. Now the girls are grown and their father wants them married off and Allegra gone. She will be thirty very soon and will come into funds from her mother's family. They come across a man one day who looks just like the pirate the girls think she has been waiting for all these years. John is willing to act the part for the enjoyment of her company. Can they find happiness together? Time will tell as they get to know each other.

I’m absolutely obsessed with this book! It was so cute and funny and charming, I just love every inch of this story!
Allegra, sweet kind beautiful Allegra, is everything a romance heroine should be. She’s the poor relation with a heart of gold, head full of dreams and fancies and the fierce desire for independence.
John made me sigh out loud multiple times, both from exasperation and from swooning. He’s so willing to go along with anything but at the same time so scared of everything. So charming.
I loved the cousins, the setting, the vibe, all of it. The uncle is a bit cartoonish of a villain but he fits the story well, the whole thing is like a fairy tale. Loved it! Thanks netgalley for the advance copy!