ARC received by NetGalley. Thank you!

Spice Level: very low

Verity and the Forbidden Suitor follows the story of Verity, a young girl of the "ton" and Theodore, a bastard son of a nobleman turned doctor. Due to Theodore's status the love between the two are forbidden...thus living up to the name of "Verity and the Forbidden Suitor." Verity is also dealing with some personal struggles of her own (trigger warning: PTSD, parental abuse/neglect). Can these two find a way to each other and the love they share?

The book is a continuation of a series making the first 30% of the book extremely slow going. There is a lot of background story and catching up that is attempted. Honestly, I found it to be a bit of a slog and put down the book multiple times. There was just enough to keep me intrigued, and I am not a quitter if I can help it, so I kept coming back to Verity. In the end, unfortunately, the book fell short for me. It didn't have the originality, pull at the heart strings storyline and well developed characters and plot that are needed to make a great read that keeps you up all night turning pages. Perhaps if I would have started with the first book my experience would have been different.

I did appreciate the diversity that was represented! It is too infrequent in regency romance that a diverse character group is presented in my opinion. The plot created a cozy storyline that was easy to follow. The spice level was almost zero making it an appropriate read for any lover of romance and happy endings.

This is my first time reading J.J’s work and I am impressed-very impressed.

The plot was very captivating and all the characters endearing. To say it was interesting will be an understatement.

There was a balance between the past and the present. There was no guessing game about the setting. Everything was laid bare as the reader was invited on Verity’s journey.

Even though, I had not read the previous book in this series. I was not at a disadvantage as I could still relate to the characters who had appeared in the earlier book.

Written from mainly a dual point of view, this book examines how labels are put on people, who are mostly undeserving of this.

It was not hard to feel the pains of the lead characters as they navigate their journey towards their happily ever after.

I will recommend this to fans of historical romance who can dare to believe that anything is possible.

Been a fan of McAvoy for years! This second foray into regency romance is just as wonderful as her first, "Aphrodite and the Duke". I loved getting to know Verity and the Doc. I loved their chemistry, their obstacles, and the Du Bell family is hysterical. I do hope Hathor gets a book as I am dying to find out just who can tame her. I'd also really like to know who Henry is so enamoured with. Loved it and looking forward, hopefully, to more!

From the moment I learned there was a sequel to Aphrodite and the Duke I couldn't wait to read it. TWO DAYS! It took me two days to read this beautiful novel. That's how wonderful the plot is. I could not put it down.

Readers are introduced to Verity in Aphrodite and the Duke. (If you don't realize she is the main character your are reminded in the first chapter.) The beloved younger sister of the Duke of Everly. They would do anything for one another. Verity would even trust her brothers health and healing to Dr. Darrington.

They only met one another briefly but somehow it made an impression on each others minds. So when they meet again they are instantly draw to one another. There's only one problem. Verity is a lady highly respected in society. While Dr. Darrington -Theodore - is the illegitimate son of a marquee. (I seriously do not understand this society back then. You encourage your sons to "sow their wide oats" -gross- and then act shocked and turn up your nose at the result of said sowing. But that's another rant.)

Verity and Theodore take some risks to get to be together. But when they are discovered by Theodore's stepmother things become even more dangerous.

I give this book 4.5 stars. This is the book Bridgerton TV show fans have been waiting for. This is a historical romance set in Regency period, in this novel members of the "ton" are not just White, but also Black and mixed race. As a woman of color and a huge fan of Regency romances, I was looking for a book like this, and i know I am not the only!

This book is the second in a series by the author, but can be read as a standalone (which I did). Verity is the daughter of a duke and after her brother's marriage she is sent to finish out the season in her godmother's home. Despite their high social status, Verity and her family has had some problems in the past. Her godmother's family is large, warm and boisterous (similar to the Bridgerton clan but mixed race!). During the season she falls for a doctor who is the illegitimate son of a marquess, and thus unsuitable for marriage.

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! I loved the love story between Verity and Dr. Darrington. All the characters were wonderful: Verity and her tenacious spirit, Hathor and her loveable pest personality and Dr. Darrington's best friend Henry. It also deals with important concepts like PTSD. I will definitely be reading the first book in this series Aphrodite and the Duke.

The only things stopping me from rating this book 5 stars were (1) in the beginning I was little confused with all the characters and who they were but that could be because I did not read the first book, and (2) there were just a couple of times that it seemed a little too modern the dialogue between the characters and took me out of the book. For instance during a spicy scene, one of the characters refers to the women's "ass" when it seemed too modern for the time.

Overall I loved this book. I highly recommend it to all regency romance, historical romance and bridgerton TV show fans. I hope the author writes more books in this series or at least more regency romances with characters of color!

“Verity and the Forbidden Suitor” is a Regency Romance book by J.J. McAvoy. This is the second in a series by Ms. McAvoy, but can be read as a stand-alone, though reading the first book will help fill in some information. This book focuses on the budding relationship of Verity, the daughter of a duke, and Theodore, a doctor and, sadly, not the same social class as Verity. They meet, there’s electricity, there’s hidden stories, there’s love, there’s desire, there’s … well, a lot. I found the re-introduction of the characters to be a bit confusing in the beginning (there seemed to be a lot of names), but as the story continued, who was who became clearer and easier to remember. I liked parts of this book and the underlying story, but I much preferred the first book. However, if Ms. McAvoy writes another book in this series, I will definitely read it - I enjoy the research she’s done into the Regency era and the spunk of the main female characters.

So awkward yet so charming! I do wish it were spicier but it was still a good book nonetheless. However, the cover is no where near as gorgeous as the first one.

It’s Regency England and Verity, a daughter of a duke, is in London expected to Make a Suitable Match. She’s not interested in marriage though. She has what we’d call PTSD and thinks a husband would discover this and think her mad. She’d rather be alone.

Theodore is a bastard and a doctor. He can treat the nobility but he will never be accepted by Society. He is not interested in marriage because of his bastardy.

Verity falls in love with this hunky, smart conscientious man. She doesn’t understand why they can’t marry. Theodore falls in love with Verity but knows what he’d be subjecting her to if they were to marry.

It is quite a conundrum and it makes for a great read. The characters from the first book in the series are all there in their quirky splendor but this book could easily be read as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.4 🌟’s!

📝tropes: class diff, doctor x writer heroine, nursing back to health
🌶: 1.5/5
❌ CW: PTSD/nightmares, parental abuse/neglect, death of parent, grief

these two reminding me that i am #alone UGH. the two most pure, awkward, sensitive bebes in love😭

what a freaking romantic, angsty, and unputdownable HR this was!! jumped right into this after reading book 1 (which i loved and recommend as well!) and i just truly could not stop thinking or reading about it once i began😩

this one follows the sister of the hero from book 1, verity, as well as a physician that we were introduced to previously, theodore. THESE TWO YOU GUYS. their romance and interactions are truly the most awkward, tentative, yet swoony ones i’ve ever read??? like THEO TRULY IS SUCH A BEBE that is charmingly awkward and runs away from verity because she’s just too magnificent of a sight to behold.. LIKE WHAT HELLO PLS HE IS TRULY A GEM 😭🥺 the way that both of them have this budding romance with very emotionally-charged interactions and dialogue but can’t be together bc class diff and Society made for truly such an engaging and angsty read.

some notes i took while reading:
- “Dedicated to the people like me who sometimes doubt they are deserving of a happily ever after. You are.” brb crying from the DAMN pre-FIRST PAGE
- theo being a #feminist 💅 he has no drawing room SORRYYY🥰
- their back and forth is just so pure SOBS 😭
- “Abena, enough, or I shall see to it that you do not eat again until tomorrow!” “Mama, that is murder!”
- not him personally making the soup for her. dead.
- ...“I… I loved him, for he, like me, was…a mess of raging thoughts and emotions desperately trying to keep calm under the eyes of society. A perfect match for me.”
- their letters !!!

in all, i am having a fun fun time reading this series and i highly recommend it to everyone!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher Random House Publishing (Ballantine, Dell) for the e-ARC via Netgalley. Releases April 11, 2023!