Eva Leigh, my beloved! HOW THE WALLFLOWER WAS WON is one of my anticipated reads for the upcoming Fall release schedule. Leigh continues to be one of my favorite novelists with the second installment of her new series.

Finn was a fascinating character to me because he was such a mystery in THE GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO RAKES. Tabitha is everything I wanted and more in a heroine, especially a bluestocking. I loved the seamless diversity and inclusion in the novel, specifically through the friend group.

I'm glad that Avon and Eva Leigh gave me the opportunity to read this delightful book! I can't wait for Dom's story!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this! I adored it.

Tabitha is strong willed and a fantastic lead. Her hard shell that surrounds her strong will and vulnerability.

Finn is so sweet, and one of my favorite heroes. His insecurities, his reservations towards himself broke me. I want to protect him from this world.

My only hesitation is the third act break up: Tabitha’s words are cruel, and I was bewildered that Finn chased after her.

Ultimately, I love reading about the two of them, and watching the way they click together. I will protect them at all costs.

Three Rogues + One Ultimatum = certain misery or Love 💕 The road to love is a slightly bumpy ride, so hang on!



How the Wallflower Was Won is book two in Eva Leigh’s “Last Chance Scoundrels” series. The MCs in this story are Finn Ransome and Tabitha Seaton and they are perfect for each other! This story also has characters from book one, The Good Girls Guide to Rakes , including Kieran Ransome (Finn’s brother), Celeste Kilburn (Don’s sister and Kieran’s lady love), and Dom Kilburn (Scoundrel number three). The story picks up after the events in book one and I believe the series will be best enjoyed by reading all the books in order, otherwise a lot of background will be missed and may be confusing.

The story of Finn and Tabitha is an emotional tale, featuring the opposites attract trope combined with the marriage of convenience trope, and the story will utterly captivate you. I seriously didn’t want the book to end! The chemistry between the MCs is off the charts and Eva Leigh almost sets the pages on fire with the passionate and sexy encounters she creates. 🔥❤️‍🔥🔥

Whilst Finn and Tabitha are burning up the sheets and we know there is a definite attraction between them, will they ever take a gamble on opening their hearts to each other?

remainder of review here —> https://alphabookclub.org/2022/06/13/how-the-wallflower-was-won-eva-leigh-review-by-jaime/

I enjoyed this title more than the first one in the series! While Tabitha is written as a bit too much of a not like other girls character, her and Finn's romance is wonderful. The real star of the book is Finn. The way he shows that being intelligent isn't all about book learning is done so beautifully. It felt awful for such a great character to be so insecure in himself for so long.

I wish that the mention of the coffee shop had been explored as the ultimate way to realise both Finn and Tabitha's dreams.

I didn’t realize when I started reading the book that it was number 2 in a series. How the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh started a little strangely, not slow. Just strange. It took getting past the first chapter and getting into the second chapter to introduce the main character, Tabitha – the aforementioned wall flower. The setup is interesting since I was uncertain who to root for in the beginning. Finn is trying to set up his brokenhearted friend Dom with Tabitha. They need to find wives asap, but Dom is apparently more desperate, and Finn can wait. At first, I want to root for Dom but he barely registers, and then it becomes clear that despite Finn not thinking of finding himself a wife, he and Tabitha just click and they end up making a go for it. By the middle of the book, I was invested in the characters and happy to see how they turned out. Did I mention the sex?
The scorch level of this story is high – like forest fire hot level sex, so that’s fun. Good times.

I don’t know if the first book had more back story, or if the writer assumed that I would understand what their motivation was, but the first chapter was off-putting and I almost thought about not finishing the book. Glad that it got better. The author’s choice of wording was strange, and there were some seriously obsequious vocabulary choices, but I made it through. I liked it well enough in the end. Maybe I’ll go back and read the first. Maybe.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced electronic copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #HowtheWallflowerWasWon #NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the DRC.

This was a relatively low stakes historical romance. The characters genuinely liked each other from the beginning and the “s/he loves me, s/he loves me not” inner angst was pretty limited. It was refreshing though not my favorite from the author. However, I can’t wait to read the last one in the series. It seems like it is going to be an angst-fest. This book and the first one really built up the tension for the last book.

I loved this one so much. Rarely do I see a hero and heroine so obviously perfect for each other. They listened to each other, supported each other, amid see the best in each other. And, the sex was smoking hot. A huge win.

I love romance novels and Eva Leigh, but this one was well, fine. It hit all the romance buttons, but was ultimately forgettable. I enjoyed the first book in this series but this second book seems to be a sophomore slump for the series.

I LOVE THIS BOOK IT IS SO GOOD GAHHHHHHHHHH
LEARNING DISABLED HERO AND BLUESTOCKING HEROINE GAHHHHHHHHH

I loved the first book in this series and I loved this book even more. The pining, the sexy smart brains, the sexy hot bodies, the marriage of convenience that empowers them both, the f*uck around and definitely not catch feelings, the insecurity and the vulnerability and the true deep brokenness as they become whole together.

I loved this book so much I am having trouble being coherent about it. I am grateful for this book. I am ecstatic for this book. I am begging for this book.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC.

CW: child neglect

What I loved most about How the Wallflower was Won is how much it focused on the little things that make Finn and Tabitha such a compelling couple. I absolutely love a historical romance that features high stakes and tension, but this one is much quieter in how the leads find love with each other and how they fight to keep that love.

One of the most compelling parts of the novel is each of the couple's insecurities and how that informs their relationship with each other and with the people around them. Finn struggles with reading and so a marriage to a woman who values intellect is something that he thinks he is incompatible for. Tabitha is a wallflower, yes, but she's frightened most of leading with her feelings and not being able to actually trust them due to a bad experience in her past. These are very relatable insecurities and it makes everything that the characters go through completely understandable. They also manage to work out their problems in a very adult way rather than digging deeper holes for themselves, which I personally loved.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was throughly entertained, I love a good marriage of convenience. The way that Finn and Tabitha just understood and supported each other, I love them so much.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Smart people falling in love and having sexy times--an excellent second installment in the Last Chance Scoundrels series.

In The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes, we are introduced to Finn Ransome, the second son of an earl who--along with his younger brother Kieran--help their friend Dom jilt their sister, Willa. Finn has always been underestimated by his family (Kieran withstanding), treated like an imbecile and dismissed as a sorry spare to the heir. Yet after he and Kieran mess up their sister's wedding, they and Dom are given an ultimatum by their parents: marry within a year or forever forfeit their funds.

Keiran pairs off in the first book of the series, and here, Finn decides that he's found the perfect match for Dom: the brilliant and driven Tabitha Seaton. She has her own reasons for wanting to marry, because in order to join an exclusive, men-only intellectual society, she must have a husband. While Finn is a whiz with numbers and can follow philosophical arguments with ease, he has been raised to doubt his intellect because he cannot read well--hence, why he's trying to pair Tabitha with Dom rather than claim her for himself, even though he too has to marry and is powerfully attracted to her. Of course, Dom isn't interested (still hung up on Willa), so Finn and Tabitha agree to a marriage of convenience with no feelings involved. You can guess how well those plans work out.

They have incredibly chemistry in the bedroom...and carriage...and dining room...and bath. And each gives the other something they've never fully had before: acceptance and unconditional support. So what's the problem? Well, both hold back on expressing their budding feelings for the other, each suspecting that they will be hurt by being the first to put themselves out there. And there is a conflict that is almost a non-conflict that shapes the final quarter of the book. If you find it maddening that two people could resolve their conflict with a conversation, you might be frustrated at a few of the scenes that drive the plot.

All that said, it is lovely to see people become more fully themselves and to heal from past hurts through the careful love and support of a partner. Here, we see that with Finn and Tabitha, so if you can overlook a few overreactions, you will be rewarded by with passion and a well-earned love between the two leads. And of course, a grand gesture.

Next up: Dom and Willa, who will surely reunite after much strife in the final book of this series.

📚✨Book Review✨📚

How the Wallflower Was Won
Author: Eva Leigh

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Note: I received a copy of this book to review via NetGalley but all opinions are my own. This book will be released September 27th but Book 1 in the series, The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes is available NOW!

What I Liked:
📚There is so much to like in the book, but I think the thing I like the most is that our FMC Tabitha owns her shit. She’s smart and she knows it. She refuses to believe otherwise. When it comes to love and emotions she struggles, but she definitely values her brain and I adore that!

📚Give me a hero who gives the heroine a library and of course I’m going to love it. The fact that he recognizes her love language and what makes her happy so early on even though it is unpleasant for him is everything!

📚This series is pretty dang spicy for regency books and I am here for it. It’s also fairly progressive, again something I want in EVERY book regardless of the genre!

What I Didn’t Like:
📚A miscommunication trope. It makes the story but at the same time I can’t stand it. It’s not my favorite at all, but I still loved this book so that just goes to show that even when the book has tropes you don’t like, you can still enjoy reading them.

Final Thoughts:
📚 I can’t believe that I have to wait until 2023 to read Dom’s story. Also, it sure as heck better include Willa because their story is going to be so good, I can feel it!

This is the second book in Leigh's Second Chance Scoundrels series. I read the first one, the Good Girl's Guide to Rakes, and loved it. Unfortunately while I enjoyed this installment I didn't end up liking it as much as the first.

In this book, Finn Ransome tries to marry off his friend Dom as the two of them must marry within the next 8 months or be cut off from their allowances. Tabitha Seaton wants to join an intellectual society, but she is told the only way they'll consider her is if she is married. The two of them spend time together ostensibly to get Tabitha and Dom to marry, but Dom bows out and Tabitha and Finn decide to wed to fulfill both of their needs.

They support each other and of course fall in love and work to fulfill their mutual goals. However, they refuse to admit they have feelings for each other, and there is a *tiny* misunderstanding which separates them near the end of the story. This book is very steamy, which I liked, and ultimately I liked the main characters and how they supported each other, but the path for them to get together wasn't that compelling to me. This was kind of a standard opposites attract romance, just not as good as the last one or others that are similar (like "My Fake Rake")

Finn is a gambler who, along with his brother and best friend,must marry in order to avoid being cut off by their families. Finn decides to play matchmaker for his best friend and bluestocking, Tabitha. Finn can’t help but to have feelings for Tabitha so the plan to set her up with Dom falls to the wayside.

Tabitha has her own reasons for needing to marry, so she enters into a marriage of convenience with Finn. Both agree that this will be a marriage devoid of sentiment. Will Tabitha be willing to let go and allow herself to feel? Will Finn gamble his heat?

Fans of Eva Leigh will be pleased to see cameos by members of the extended Eva Leigh universe.

I received an ARC for my honest review.

Eva Leigh's latest is an utter delight and everything I'm looking for in a historical romance. We get a smart and confident heroine and a dirty-talking hero with a heart of gold working together in a marriage of convenience that is as respectful and honest as it is utterly sexy. Even though Leigh is writing a historical, the issues she brings up feel as relevant now as they would have then, and it's a thrill to watch her characters fight for a better world together. My only hang-up was that the dark night felt a little forced/dramatic for characters who, in general, were so good at communicating with one another... but at that point I was so enamored by the book, Leigh could have taken me anywhere and I would have happily been along for the ride.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Publishing: September 27, 2022
Series: Last Chance Scoundrels #2
Pages: 384

“How the Wallflower Was Won” was one up on the first book in this series. Finn and Tabitha have a way with drawing you into their characters as you watch the banter between the two.

Finn and Kieran are brothers and best friend Dominic find themselves given an ultimatum by their parents that they either find respectable wives within the year or be cutoff from having any financial assistance. Kieran has found his wife Celeste and now that leaves Finn and Dom. The story starts with Finn attempting to find a spouse for himself and Dom. He doesn’t count on any chance with Tabitha as she is a bluestocking wallflower who has had her share of misfortune with love. She takes to books as her solace and wants to become part of an upscale society club…her only problem is that she needs to be married. Finn tries to put Dom and Tabitha together but somehow the matchmaking does not work and they end up in a marriage of convenience to suit their own purposes.

There is chemistry sparking between Tabitha and Finn. They try hard to keep their marriage of convenience without emotion. Unfortunately, the attraction is very evident and it is shown on every flip of the page. I love Tabitha’s character as she is an intelligent and strong woman. Finn is strong and have a creative side but doesn’t believe this of himself and that is when Tabitha helps him to shine. As with any historical romances, I love a bit of heat and steam between the H/h and this story did not fail in that department as their relationship elevated towards falling in love. I really enjoyed this story and recommend if you want to read a passionate and fun-filled romance.

Ransome is cocky and a bit annoying but he finds himself trying to win over Tabitha's affections.
She is nothing like the other ladies, instead she is unique, bookish, smart, and curious. She could care less about money or status but needs to be married in order to join a special scientific group. Ah ha! Ransome now has his chance and maybe he can convince this unique woman that he is meant for her in more ways and not just for his status.
Good read, though not my favorite by the author.

Finn needs to find a wife in a handful of months to prevent his brother and friend from losing their allowances. Tabitha needs a husband so that she can join a group of the brightest minds and make some changes. Tabitha’s intelligence intimidates Finn because he feels he is stupid so clearly they’re not meant for each other.

I couldn’t finish this one. Politics ruined it for me by taking me out of the story. 1800s England and there’s talk of the terrible white Christian men, openly gay couples holding hands around town, Tabitha’s constant rambling about things that weren’t even thought of in that time like bodily autonomy. Maybe if I read further, someone might have had different pronouns as well. No thanks.

How the Wallflower Was Won is the 2nd book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series. It is another fantastic Historical Romance from Eva Leigh. Overall a steamy and heartfelt regency romance with riveting characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.