I loved this heroine so much! Eloisa James is always a hit for me, and this was no exception. I thought Yasmin and Giles were a really believable couple and their HEA was well-earned. From the first time he said he was "enlusted" with her, but absolutely positively couldn't marry her, I was on board.

I'm also a sucker for any epistolary element, and loved the scene where they read the letters to each other.

Giles has been in love with Yasmine forever, but as she is totally unsuitable for a bride he limits himself to one dance at every ball they attend. He acts like he has a big ol stick up his but whenever she's around, and openly shows his feelings about the way she acts and dresses and the way all the men flock to her side.
Between the very well-known scandal of her mother, and something that happened to her as a young woman Yasmine decided that she was going to dress and act exactly like how she wanted. It makes her feel good about herself, and she knows that no matter what she does people will find a way to put her down or complain about what she's doing.

When they are thrown together time and time again, they realize they have actual real feelings for each other. ... The main problem to their happiness is Giles' sister Lydia... she is constantly acting out, and acting horrible towards Yasmine. She constantly tries to steer her brother towards someone else and is generally a giant pain in the butt. I would have loved it if she would have gotten some comeuppance for all her actions. But throughout the book until just about the very end Giles stands by her side and is just like, she really is a good person, she's just acting this way because of our parents, and how others treated her at school... like no, she needs a whooping. At the very least sit her down and tell her how awful she is being... anyhoo on to the actual main characters lol

When Yasmine and Giles were good, they were so good, you could feel the love bursting out of them, but Giles lets his jealousy, and insecurities get in the way he starts acting like a total tool. Yasmine stands up for herself and is like if this is how you really feel, we don't need to be together. Let's spend some time apart. Thankfully with a little help from an outside source, and the fact that they truly love each other they made it to their happily ever after. (I'm hoping if we see Lydia again in future books she gets an on-page spanking from someone about the way she has acted,)
I am looking forward to seeing who will get the next happily ever after!

You know when you are feeling crappy...maybe you have a cold or your best friend just moved across the country... and all you want is to crawl into your bed/couch, with a cup of tea or milk and Oreos, and read something that puts s smile on your face. Something that has like ZERO conflicts? Something that many people would consider stagnant or uneventful? WEEEEEELLLL...read this book!

Look, for me, I always thought reading Eloisa James was like playing Russian roulette-- either it was a BOMB (looking at you, Desperate Duchesses) or it was beyond magical (When the Beauty Met the Beast). This Would-Be Wallflower series has added a third category to the Eloisa James world-- the 'cozy blanket' read.

Yasmin and Giles are attracted to each other, give in to their impulses and realize they actually love each other. Some hiccups happen-- in this case his ATTROCIOUS sister Lydia, but it all gets resolved, quickly. The book is one note-- a good note, but nonetheless a solid note. It was better than the first book in the series and so im looking forward to Silvester's book-- because it HAS to be his book, right?

The one thing that would have REALLY elevated this book? Having a full blown dressing down of Lydia! Yasmin or Giles...or both! needed to have taken her to task. Yasmin took a LOT of shit from EVERY ONE so she needed to have come full circle and put her foot down. That was a big pet peeve of mine for this read.

Thank you to the publisher for this e-ARC via #NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion and feedback.

Two people that are trying to over come their past can’t stop thinking about each other. Giles family has left him believing that he has to be a certain way. Yasmin is trying her best to show ever one that talk behind her back isn’t going to hurt her! Until their love for each other outshines their beliefs. Great read

For a book that was supposed to be around Yasmin and Giles, Giles' sister Lydia seemed to be the main character/villain of this story. She was disgusting and I could not stand anything about her. She absolutely ruined the book, but Giles was no prize either. He constantly took his sister's side, shamed Yasmin even while lusting after her and blaming her for everything.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you know me, you know that I loved How to Be a Wallflower with my entire heart, body, and soul. So naturally, The Reluctant Countess was one of my most anticipated reads. It did...not go well. Good fucking grief.

In book 1, Lilford's sister, Lydia, makes an appearance and she seems like a lovely if awkward girl. I thought nothing of her. I was so innocent. She is quite literally the villain of this book and I was not prepared. She was horrible to Yasmin and truly ruined this book. She wasn't horrible in like one or two scenes. No. This book basically revolves around Lydia.

From the beginning, she hates Yasmin for absolutely no reason. She shames her, insults her, and is unreservedly cruel. As the book continues, you understand *why* she is acting the way is, but it is absolutely no excuse. She's in every other scene, a consistent plot point, the catalyst for fights between Giles and Yasmin, and a truly terrible person to every single character in this book. Just about every character is like "hey Yasmin maybe Giles isn't worth it because his sister is a literal biohazard." Truly, her fiance had to be dragged to the altar.

There was a moment where I truly thought she was going to get the proper punishment but no dice--she technically got ruined but Giles and Yasmin covered it up and she learned zero lessons. I thought she would've maybe chilled the fuck out after this or at some point on the page actively apologize to Yasmin but it NEVER HAPPENED.

At times Yasmin stands up for herself, but more often than not, she is stoic and the bigger person. It is 2022, I am done with taking the high road. We go low and we go unhinged. Yasmin was simply too nice, and honestly she didn't really feel like the Yasmin from book 1. She understood that Lydia was a demon in petticoats, but she actively forgave her at the end and tried to convince Giles that Lydia was "trying." Trying to poison you in your sleep maybe.

Giles was a flake. He was back and forth between being appalled by Lydia's actions (but doing nothing besides stoking her flames), or letting her read Yasmin to filth at every turn with absolutely not defense of the woman he supposedly loves. Lydia has a wedding (a large plot point) and Giles and Yasmin keep their relationship a secret as not to upset her which causes many issues. When he consistently refuses to acknowledge Yasmin's presence in public because of Lydia's *delicate constitution* and Yasmin is hurt by this, I lost any respect for him. Yasmin was a side character in this book. (I was also angry at Yasmin for being too nice, but her reasons at least made more sense.)

Lydia slut-shames Yasmin repeatedly and Giles at one point (many points but this was the *main* one) sides with Lydia and also slut shames Yasmin. It is at this point where I stopped making excuses for Giles. There were some truly lovely scenes between Giles and Yasmin. The sex was very hot (hotter than book one) and their chemistry was great. I love me a starchy duke who's a little bit freaky in the sheets. When Lydia wasn't on the page or being talked about, the book was good! However, those moments were few and far between.

But cuteness doesn't excuse the fact that Giles, near the END of the book not the beginning, consistently brings up how Yasmin dresses. He was toxic, possessive, and jealous to a horrible extent, and had zero trust in Yasmin. She dressed how she dressed because a. she actually had a sense of style and b. she felt CONFIDENT. She tried to cover up for him, but she felt uncomfortable and men STILL hounded her. He BLAMED HER FOR MEN'S LECHEROUS ATTENTIONS (Lydia was harping in his ear). Of course, he eventually was like "wow I was wrong!" but it was too little too late.

Eloisa said Lydia was in part inspired by Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I find that rich since Elizabeth actually stood up to the wench. Yasmin was forgiving right on through the epilogues. Lydia was 10x worse than anything de Bourgh did. (There were other Pride and Prejudice references that I did enjoy, like Giles and his laughable attempts at proposals.)

I get that Lydia’s justice is in the ✨nuance✨ of her ending but I demand jail time for making me this angry. I don’t care about the irony of her becoming her mother. I don’t care about her having an unhappy marriage. I want on page confrontation and thick chunky soup poured all over her toxic ass head. The crime did not fit the punishment. Good sex scenes did not mollify the punishment of reading this book.

Overall, Lydia made this book wholly unreadable. The hint of her redemption in the epilogue absolutely took me out. Why make a character as horrible as she was, and not have an on page confrontation or SOMETHING that makes it all worth it??? You're telling me forgiveness is the friends we made along the way??? Absolutely not.. (I do love when a character starts a villain and makes a true effort to change by the end of the book. I would have loved to read about Lydia and Yasmin having a sister dynamic with real love, but we got none of that.)

⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.25/5


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

Why did I request this book from Netgalley ?

I used to be an avowed and enthusiastic reader of Eloisa James. Her books moved onto my keeper shelf regularly. I moved away from reading her book because my romance preferences changed, not due to any negativity around her work.

This book was a sad disappointment. The heroine moves to England to live with her grandfather, a duke, after a scandal in France. She is beautiful and flirtatious. The hero is very attracted, but despises himself for it and neither likes nor respects her. She is well aware of this.

It's a romance so they get together even though these issues are not really resolved. It all left me feeling sad.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS is the second installment in Eloisa James’s Would-Be Wallflowers series. It follows Yasmine and Giles who were often seen in the first book, if I remember correctly, butting heads despite displaying some excellent sexual chemistry. THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS gives the reader a better look into what has made Yasmine—the supposed seductress daughter of a French nobleman and his British wife, a mistress to Napoleon, and the granddaughter of an English Duke—and Giles—an Earl who is seeking a “proper” wife after seeing firsthand how detrimental scandalous family members can be to the family reputation—who they are, and why, despite their obvious feelings for one another, seem so reluctant to be together.

I still see myself as a historical romance novice, but I couldn’t help but be sucked into this world of peers and their antics that Eloisa James created, so much so that I wasn’t even tempted to put the book down. And while there was quite a bit of back and forth between the couple and their relationship, that conflict made the story frustrating and heartbreaking (in the best possible way!), but also attention-grabbing, and romantic at the same time.

I could not wait for Yasmin’s story. I was so happy to read it but as I started reading it, I started to have mixed feelings about this story. There were aspects that were splendid and or aspects that I had to push through to finish the book. I don’t feel that Giles truly loved Yasmin as she deserves. I also struggled with Giles being wishy washing. I’m so disappointed because this is the first book from Eloísa James that fell flat for me.

The Reluctant Countess by Eloisa James.

"Mon Dieu"! To say that I LOVED this book it's an understatement. I finished the book in less than 24 hours. I have two small kids and a full-time job, so if you are in the same situation you know how hard it is to find time to read a whole book uninterrupted, but somehow I manage to do it. (I sacrificed sleep but it was well worth it).

When I think of historical romance stories this is what I imagine my grumpy Hero (Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford) and my sunshine heroine (Yasmin Regnier). Their banter/quib kept me entertained and engaged throughout the book. There were so many ups and downs in this book I was hyperventilating at some points! Giles is just an angel for dealing with his sister Lady Lydia (think of Pride and Prejudice Lydia but worse!). It definitely took Yasmin a lot of time before finally accepting Giles, I wanted them to be together and I knew they would eventually get there but sheesh we go through a lot for them to finally have their happy ending.

I hope there is a book about Sylvester the Duke of Huntington...that seems like that could be a good story! I loved that Merry, Cleo, and their husbands had some parts in this story, it was nice to remember those books. .

If you love entertaining banter, a grumpy hero, or a sunshine heroine, this book is for you. You will fall in love with historical romance books all over again with this one.

5 out 5

Fire level 3 (some really great scenes)

Eloisa James is a brilliant writer. I must say her dedication hit home and drew me straight in. I had a hard time putting this book down. She goes into exquisite detail that helps you visualize the scene and characters. The characters are all so very well-written and emotion pours from the pages. Yasmin and Giles had that love hate relationship in the beginning that always makes for an interesting story. There are a few side characters, like Silvester, that I would love to read their story.
I received this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a honest review.

This was the first book of this genre and by this author that I have ever requested an ARC for. I enjoyed reading something a little different and will definitely look for more books by this author.

This was a book about Lady Yasmin who was was no stranger to controversy and Lord Giles who tries so hard not to follow his heart and fall in love with Yasmin. There seems to be a lot of inappropriate behavior going on behind closed doors for the time period this piece is set in, but I found it intriguing enough to keep my interest.

Ooof no. This was whiny and the heroine let let everyone walk all over her. She never got mad enough, there was never any anger at Lydia, she kept forgiving and forgiving. Very disappointed

I was super excited for Yasmin's story to be next in this series, and Eloisa James did not disappoint. This book gave some Pride and Prejudice vibes, which is one of my favorite books of all times.

There were times where the miscommunication between the two was a bit tiresome (maybe once or twice), and Lydia was the worst, but I like the overall story and the chemistry between Yasmin and Giles. Getting more background on Yasmin, while also seeing Cleo and Jake again was wonderful. I can't wait to see what is next in the series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

I loved Yasmin and her uncle; they were amazing characters and made me laugh. However, I did have a more challenging time warming up to Giles because of how he treated Yasmin. After Giles's treatment, I think I needed it to go a bit deeper into their connection for me to feel the romance.

I was really looking forward to this book because I needed Yasmin's story! And, as usually happens, I am now very intrigued to hear what happens with other characters, but in this book, Yasmin and Giles' dance around each other (sometimes literally) with a lovely tension. There is also a great deal of self-discovery on the side of the romance, which I do appreciate from Eloisa James' books. However, one of the most interesting bits of this book was the contentious relationship between Yasmin and Lydia. Though I have read books before where family members have disapproved of a match, the way it was approached in this book felt new. I think this is in part because it was a younger sister (not a matriarch or patriarch of the family) taking issue. The book had love, humor, and dysfunctional family dynamics. Overall, it was a great read and it leaves me wanting more books to read from Eloisa James.

Giles is attracted to Yasmin but finds her utterly unsuitable to be his wife. Yet, he cannot help dancing every ball, but only once, glaring at her suitors, since they are idiots, and stealing a kiss, but never again...right?

Yasmin can't help trying to find the man under the harsh exterior, by trying to coax a laugh and conversation. For Giles is the first man that makes her heart flutter after her disasterous first love eight years before. Now, she will let no man dictate her life or make her feel shame, but she can't help beliving Giles could be the exception to the others.

To keep her away, Giles is rude and uncompromising but Yasmin is intrigued by that and likes the challenge since she breaks her rules for him. I wasn't a big fan of Giles and found that he focused too much on the physical and didn't try to get to know her emotionally or her mind. Considering he doesn't even learn her background, including her thoughts and feelings concerning her past and the trauma, it felt very surface level. They both seemed to not get deeper than what the other appeared (attractive and lovely/mysterious), which felt like there wasn't much of an emotional connection.

What really was annoying was Giles just letting his sister run rampant which let her almost ruin his relationship multiple times. He clearly did not learn time after time. And after that ending I both don't want to see Lydia EVER again and need to know wtf happened post-ending to get that epilogue. If Eloisa gives her a redemption she would have her work cut out for her because Lydia is such a selfish, hypocritical, bad person. Because she has such a large role in the story, it would have benefited from some type of resolution/redemption/punishment in the story so the ending didn't make you so mad and feel pointless in a way.

Overall, I needed more emotional connection between the leads since it felt very flat and one-dimensional.

Feat: opposites attract, historical romance

Thank you to netgalley and Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars
1 spice

Love Eloisa James. How could you not? The story is just the relationship between the 2 main characters. There is no leading drama or mystery to solve. The characters are likable enough and you do want them to be together in the end. I will definitely want more of this series and can’t wait for more. Thank you #NetGalley for the advance read.

I’m so conflicted about this book. I loved Yasmin—she was one of my favorite parts of the first book in the series (which I didn’t care for). Her grandfather was amazing. But Giles was an ass; I really hate the plot device where the hero has no respect for the heroine for 75% of the book, only to suddenly realize she is worthy of his respect. That is what happened here, and I hate it.

The worst part of all was Giles’s sister, Lydia. Woo boy, where to start with this one? Eloisa James has been one of my favorites for years now, but she seems to be on a streak of creating cartoonishly bad villains. After the two Kindle Vellas with Lady Regina and now Lady Lydia…ugh. The extent of Lydia’s villainy was over-the-top. I get that some people are simply terrible people for no reason, but come on. This was too much (especially the chapter towards the end—you’ll know when you get there) and completely unpleasant to read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Lady Yasmin hopes the scandals she’s left behind in France won’t follow her to England where she lives with her titled grandfather. She’s fascinated by Giles the Earl of Lilford, who always requests to dance the first waltz with her then avoids her like the plague. He seems to hate her, but she can’t deny there’s a certain chemistry between them. When he asks for her help in keeping his sister’s reputation intact, Yasmin discovers the deep feelings he has for her. Feelings, she reciprocates.

As a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope, I enjoyed the dynamics between Yasmin and Giles. Her close relationship with her grandfather enriches the story as does Yasmin’s close friends including sort of suitor Silvester, the Duke of Huntington.

Giles’s sister Lydia reminded me of the character of the same name in Jane Austin’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and the similarities to the classic don’t end there. Giles gives off some major Mr. Darcy vibes and James states in an author’s note that she was inspired by the character Lady Catherine de Bourgh in a particular scene. The similarities are slight and in no way took away from my enjoyment of this book.

A ball inspired by Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM and a scavenger hunt added to the fun antics. I found Lydia’s character a bit annoying, but she is a major factor in the conflict, so she’s not really supposed to be likable.

The romance between Yasmin and Giles is swoon worthy, but I would have liked a bit more from the epilogue.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Avon Book, an imprint of HarperCollins, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.