Low conflict but high heart. Easily one of the best HistRoms of 2025.

Listen, authors, we want the British lady to end up with the Scotsman. A Laird. A Blacksmith. Any Scot will do. But leave it to James to add near-feral fisherman to our list of acceptable Scottish suitors.

Truly, it’s been a long time since I’ve read a HistRom that delighted me the way James’ Hardly a Gentleman has.

Look I love a British Duke as much (okay more, I love them more) than the next reader - but they can be stuffy, aye?

Not so with Caelan. I loved him from the go (and not just because of the opening scene you are thinking about). I think it’s because it doesn’t give a [insert profanity he is not afraid to use].

And Clara ❤️. You can’t help but feel for this girl. Trapped by a near-scandal with a sleazy prince. No one, not even her mother, on her side. No choice but to abscond to Scotland. I mean thank heavens she ended up at a castle, am I right?

That should be enough to convince you, but in case it’s not, there is:
- Found family
- Marriage of convenience (or a quick scandal-avoiding, hands-tied decision to wed)
- Lots of fishing, mostly without lots of clothes
- An amazing cast of side characters
- A castle and much talk of the books that will fill it
- Super spicy and Scottish

You know how they say the best revenge is a life well lived? Clara took that to heart and I think historical readers are going to love hearing her story.

Clara is done with England and polite society after the latest embarrassing season. She ends up taking a position as a housekeeper in Scotland, ready for a castle and adventures like in her books. Her boss is the laird, Caelan, who the village says locked himself away from heartbreak after his wife died a couple years before, though it's more from a general dislike of being around people. However, when they meet, he immediately wants her to stay with him and has to quash his desire for her. Clara feels that same disinclination to leave and possessiveness.

But even when Clara is found out and they must marry for properities sake, Clara doesn't want to live in the shadow of his first wife. She's used to dissapointing her mother and wants a true love with her husband. Similarly, Caelan wants his wife to desire him (which Clara has no issue with...all over the castle). They find a love that's passionate, possessive, and true.

Overall, I loved their chemistry and how into each other they were. There was good humor too, along with the sweet and the spicy. Get you a man who will make your dreams and desires come true like Caelan!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Read for: Scottish MMC, boss x employee, widower, year apart, he falls first, jealous, yearning, chemistry, humor

4 stars
2 spice

Adored this romance! Engaging characters (especially smart, independent, and bookworm Clara) A great summer read that I will 100% recommend to my library patrons.

Eloisa James is one of my favorite historical romance authors! I loved this storyline and themes! And the romance is always fire! Looking forward to more!

I adored this book! The heroine is the very definition of plucky, the hero is grumpy and totally baffled by this women who is definitely not a housekeeper who shows up at her door. They way they can't keep their hands off eachother is delightful, as is the side cast of characters. My one complaints it that there is moment that really accelerates the relationship that felts a tad sudden and the wording was odd but I will chock that up to this being an ARC! Overall, it's so sweet and enjoyable! Drink this book: grab yourself something with a smokey note like South African Pinotage if scotch is not your vibe.

1803. After a deeply humiliating experience, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage waiting to take a housekeeper to the Scottish Highlands. Of course nobody mistakes her for anything other than a lady, least of all Caelan MacRae, Laird of CaerLaven, whom she encounters fishing naked in an icy stream by his (small) castle. They proceed to fall in love.

This is an ironic romance, and it gleefully and affectionately mocks the gothic romances which Clara reads so avidly. The plot is rife with convenient coincidences; Clara is as naïve as her favorite fictional heroines; beneath his blunt manners (and impressive physique), Caelan is a true Highland gentleman just waiting for the right lady with whom to fall in love; the Prince Regent and status-conscious English aristocracy comprise a suitably distasteful cast of villains; the Highlanders, by contrast, are welcoming, supportive, and pleasingly quaint. What more could a romantic bookworm require?

Hardly a Gentleman presents a plotline that I couldn't resist: after slapping the notoriously naughty Regent, our heroine flees to Scotland in search of a castle. No fairy tale needed. Good thing, since the castle she ends up at--somehow, as a housekeeper--is a domestic nightmare. Not that Clara has any idea of how to clean up said mess, being a lady herself.

Clara's only goal (though her plan stinks) is to land herself a castle to fill with books. She doesn't need a still-grieving widower, a disgusting mess, or interfering family members. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), she ends up with all of the above.

Sounds good. Sounds fun. However, the execution is in as bad of shape as the laird's woebegone castle. Clara is as stupid as her bovine name indicates. The laird, Caelan, never even liked his wife, let alone mourned her--but, despite lusting after his new "housekeeper"--doesn't mention this to Clara until the end of the book. So, she falls in love with a man who she perceives to still be in love with his dead wife. Let's just say that sparks aren't exactly flying.

Eloisa James always shows humor, which is the case in Hardly a Gentleman. Usually, she tackles some kind of societal issue, which also occurs here. But, by and large, this book fell flat.

A thoroughly satisfying and delightful read for fans of historical romance. James' addition to her Accidental Brides series offers a tale filled with wit, warmth, and a touch of whimsy.

I enjoyed this book and the the two leads had great banter. Now it takes place over the course of not even a week which was alittle hard to believe but the banter and other side characters were so great that it worked for me!

This second book in the Accidental Brides series is a captivating and entertaining forced marriage historical romance. The characters are beautifully written, and their interactions are enjoyable, fun, and, of course, at times, steamy. I especially loved it when they accepted their love for one another. The ending was delightful. I highly recommend reading!

Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James is the second book in Eloisa James’ Accidental Brides series, although the books are stand-alone stories. I was looking forward to reading Clara’s story after meeting her (and her home-made reticules with animal faces) as Torie’s best friend in the book, Viscount in Love. No one writes quirky heroines better than Eloisa James!

Prince George's lascivious interest in Clara has ruined her chances to find a match on the London marriage mart. After a scandalous ballroom incident involving the drunken Prince, Clara is packed off to the Scottish Highlands by her mother to live with an elderly great-aunt. Inspired by the adventures she reads in her lurid novels, Clara poses as a housekeeper at Laird Caelan CaerLaven’s castle. It was hilarious to see how Clara tried to apply The Castle of Otranto and The Mysteries of Udolpho (both very popular books at the time!) to her situation.

Caelen, the Laird of Castle CaerLaven, is living in a filthy castle. All his attention is on fly fishing and writing books about fishing, which what he’s been doing since his wife, Isla, died. However, Caelen quickly falls for Clara. No one believes that Clara is a housekeeper and she quickly admits it.
The characters in the story are great and their personalities drive the story. The dialogue is witty and often very funny, not only the dialogue between the couple, but the conversations with the other characters in the story. The supporting characters are vivid and well-developed. Clara’s maid, Hortense, and Caelen’s sister, Fiona, could have their own stories. Working out the misunderstandings surrounding Caelen’s marriage to Isla was key to the plot and it took some time to resolve, but the HEA was very satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and silly. After Clara slaps the future King of England, her mother ships her off to an elderly relative in Scotland. No man in England will marry her now. Instead, Clara gets into a carriage meant for the housekeeper of Scottish laird, Caelan. He's a widower living in a filthy castle, doesn't even wash his hands after gutting a fish. She's luscious and curvy, with spun sugar hair so he doesn't mind having a housekeeper whose never cleaned or cooked and hires her own maid. It was also odd that they didn't even meet until the 25% point of the book. I had a hard time staying interested.

Hardly a Gentleman is a beautiful, slow-burn romance wrapped in some of my favorite tropes: forced marriage, hidden identity, and a broody widower who absolutely loses his heart while trying not to acknowledge it. Eloisa James delivers a love story that feels both sweeping and deeply intimate — and it’s a journey that is so worth taking.

After an embarrassingly public incident (that wasn’t even her fault), Clara Vetry finds herself banished from London society and sent to the wilds of Scotland. Her fall from grace is sharp, unfair, and painful — and you can’t help but ache for her. On her way north, Clara meets the unfortunately named Mr. Cobbledick (and yes, I absolutely laughed), who mistakes her for the new housekeeper bound for MacCrae’s crumbling castle.

Enter Caelan MacCrae — a man who at first seems almost feral, though not cruel. He simply has no patience for society’s expectations anymore. Having mourned his wife, Caelan has built a life where he answers to no one, including the judgment of others. He immediately recognizes Clara’s deception for what it is but allows it, sensing something different — something alive — in her that he desperately needs.

The slow, simmering connection between Clara and Caelan is the heart of this novel. They fall hard, but it’s anything but easy. Clara must wrestle with the shadow of Caelan’s first wife, believing she’ll never measure up. She also struggles with her own eccentricities — qualities that make her wholly charming to readers, but which she fears make her unfit for the role of “proper lady” she was once groomed for. But yet at the same time, embraces her quirks at the same tme. Watching Clara come to realize she’s exactly who Caelan needs — not in spite of her uniqueness, but because of it — is so deeply satisfying.

Caelan is a hero brimming with unspoken tenderness. His love is fierce but not always articulated, and James does an exquisite job of letting his actions — often gruff, sometimes clumsy — speak louder than his words.
This is a romance about two bruised people who, in finding each other, discover that love doesn’t require perfection — only acceptance. Their road is messy, emotional, and often funny (seriously, Cobbledick!), but every moment of their slow-burn fall into forever is earned. There is a great supporting cast of characters with Caelan’s sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and Wilhelmina (the silkie chicken).If you love hidden identities (that arent’ really hidden), moody Scottish settings, flawed characters who love ferociously, and heroines who embrace their glorious weirdness, Hardly a Gentleman is a must-read. Eloisa James once again proves that love stories are never about fitting into molds — they’re about breaking them wide open.

Caelen is a widowed Scottish laird who never cleans his castle nor wears many clothes. Clara flees to Scotland after she’s publicly humiliated in London by the future King of England, who is a real scumbag (I’m looking at you, King George IV). Rather than getting into her intended carriage to Scotland, she decides to have an “adventure” and jump in a carriage headed to Caelen’s dumpy castle, where she will be employed as his housekeeper. She shows up to find a naked Caelen fishing in the loch (so Scottish of him) and how can she not fall in love with him? A lot of witty banter and castle cleaning ensues and these two crazy kids fall in love. This book was cute- not super steamy, but Eloisa James always writes an entertaining read with sharp dialogue and smart/sassy heroines. Her hero’s are always lovable dipshits and Caelen fits that bill perfectly. If you like Eloisa James, this will not disappoint.

Smut- 1.9 stars
Romance- 4.3 stars
Story- 3.9 stars
Naked Scotsmen- 9.8 stars

Fun book about two people who are very different than their peers. I enjoyed the story's premise and the two main characters' interactions.

Caelan is a widower whose wife died two years ago. He's not interested in remarrying and prefers simply to be left alone to write his books about whisky and fishing. His family and the villagers believe that he is lost in grief over his wife's death. Most of his staff are gone, and his castle is a filthy mess. He doesn't care. However, his sister insists that he needs a new housekeeper and sends to England for one, as no one locally will touch the place.

Clara is a young lady whose fourth Season comes to a disastrous end. A beautiful and curvy young woman, she unfortunately drew the attention of the (married) Prince Regent. Matters come to a head when a drunk Prince makes a spectacle of himself and her, ending with him groping her and ripping her dress in full view of a ballroom full of people. I thought her reaction was great, but it didn't go over well with the Prince. Clara's mother, who is far more concerned with appearances than her daughter's feelings, banishes her to stay with a distant relative in Scotland.

However, Clara isn't about to roll over and accept her mother's plans for her. At a coaching inn, she bails out of her carriage and jumps into one taking a housekeeper to Scotland. She looks at it as an adventure despite having no experience. Her arrival at Castle CaerLaven is an eye-opener, as she stumbles on Caelan while he is fishing (kiltless) in the loch. The encounter is highly amusing and sets the tone for the book.

While Clara attempts to pass herself off as the new housekeeper, no one believes her. That doesn't slow her down, and I enjoyed seeing her put everyone to work - including Caelan. I loved the cleaning scenes and seeing Clara steamroll over his reluctance.

I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Caelan made no secret about his desire not to remarry. Clara is off men, thanks to her recent experiences. However, there is no doubt about the sparks that fly between them. After spending lots of time together cleaning and getting to know each other, Caelan realizes he wouldn't mind marrying again as long as Clara is the bride. Clara fights her feelings for Caelan because, like everyone else, she believes he's still in love with his late wife. She won't risk her heart on someone who can't love her back.

I got frustrated with Caelan's refusal to talk about his wife and the truth of their relationship, which allowed the misunderstanding to go on way too long. Caelan keeps proposing, and Clara keeps turning him down until an unexpected twist forces them to marry. The misunderstandings continue until a crisis forces them to face that which keeps them apart. I liked the ending and have high hopes for a happy future for them.

The secondary characters provided additional humor to the book. From Caelan's sister, Fiona, who ignores his protests to hire a housekeeper and has a matchmaking glint in her eye, to Elspeth, the maid, and Cobbledick, the driver, each one provides lighthearted moments and occasional serious advice. But my favorite was Fiona's son, Alfie, and his pet chicken, Wilhelmina. Alfie is adorable, and his unfiltered comments are fun.

The author says her inspiration started with the idea of a Scottish laird fly fishing in a loch naked and that was all it took to get me interested lol. On top of being absolutely hilarious this book had so much heart. I adore romances where one (or both) characters are unique and unappreciated and then find the person who revels in the parts of them that society doesn’t understand. Clara's optimistic, bookish nature was deeply relatable. While she is an avid book lover she is also not adverse to adventure and I truly believe Caelan and Clara are well matched in their adventurous natures. I was already have a fabulous time with this book but the ending really sealed the deal for me. Eloisa James left no conflict unresolved and she didn’t settle for mere happiness. She had to prove that Clara and Caelan are made for each other and I totally believed it. They are both so gone for each other and it's adorable to see.

Note - The story starts with Clara being groped and this inciting incident does continue to cause her some distress throughout the book so if that's a sensitive topic for you definitely check trigger warnings to get more details.

I giggled, I kicked my feet, I read bits aloud to my partner! Of course I did, this is an Eloisa James novel. Eloisa James is one of my auto-read authors and I was so excited and thankful to get to read this book through NetGalley and the publisher.

Historical Romance is such a comfort genre for me, the stories feel like a warm hug. Hardly A Gentleman is no exception. I settled in immediately for Clara and Caelan’s story, happy to root for their love and the circumstances that would lead to them ending up together. I loved the Highland setting and the larger cast of characters who adopt Clara and help her see herself through new eyes.

I had such a fun time reading this story and a lot of that is because it is Very Silly. Clara has a lot of strongly held ideas that do not always reflect reality and are based entirely on what she has read in romantic novels (same, honestly). She overcomes difficulties by deciding that whatever is happening is an adventure, and somehow, that works out for her? Sometimes this is endearing and sometimes it is a little bit annoying, but either way it definitely helps to carry the plot. If silliness is a deal breaker for you, this book is probably not for you.

Hardly a Gentleman was another wonderful display of Eloisa James’ charm and humor! I will say my attention kept slipping throughout the book because there wasn’t much to the plot and the relationship itself was pretty cutesy.

*Spoiler*
It’s happened a few times, and I’ve decided I really like when a widow/widower isn’t like *that sad* to be in their current situation lol. Everyone assumed this dude was just so bereft but that wasn’t the case at all.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.5/5


I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.

When the story begins with the hunky Scottish laird Caelen MacCrae fly-fishing in the altogether in the loch near his castle in the Highlands, you know you're in for a romping good time. Caelen's a widower who has let his castle fall apart due to sheer lack of interest, though everyone in the village believes he's heartbroken over the death of his wife two years prior. He'd much rather concentrate on the needs of his tenants, making whisky, writing books, and his beloved fly-fishing. His sister Fiona arrives, having walked over from the neighboring estate, proceeds to tease him mercilessly over his lack of clothing and cajoles him into accepting her help in finding him a new housekeeper. Caelen's Scottish house staff has steadily deserted him since his wife's death, so Fiona writes to agencies in England for a replacement.

Lady Clara Vetry takes the place of the new housekeeper due to mistaken identity at a coaching inn. Her self-absorbed mother has sent her off to Scotland after four Seasons end in public disaster, thanks to the unwanted attentions from the disgusting Crown Prince George. Mama wants Clara to redeem herself and to save Lady Vetry's social standing by staying with an aunt and marrying a Scottish lord. Being smart and resourceful, Clara takes the opportunity for a new adventure when she's mistaken for Caelen's new housekeeper.

Sparks fly when Caelen & Clara meet for the first time, the chemistry between them is off the charts. As they get to know each other more, and the passion flares between them Caelen proposes to Clara but she declines. She believes the "Grand Love Story" that the villagers tell of Caelen & his first wife, and doesn't want to be thought of as second best. Eventually Clara's full identity and circumstances come to light and they have to marry. The question then is will Clara share her fears of being compared to his first wife and will Caelen open up about the truth of his first marriage.

Hardly a Gentleman is a fun and riveting story. I was drawn in from beginning to end. The characters were fascinating, and I always like a story set in the Highlands. If you're a fan of a lot of spice, this book is extra spicy. Lots and lots of steamy love scenes between the main characters. I did not realize this book was part of a series (book 2), though it can be read as a stand alone book. I do plan to buy the first book in the series because I am very interested in reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with this ARC. My review is fully my own honest opinion.

Tired of attending the seasons waiting on an eligible man to recognize her as a potential partner, Lady Clara Vetry jumps on an available carriage headed to the Highlands for what she thinks is a position as a housekeeper. She ditches her own maid who was to serve as her chaperone during transport while she is supposed to be visiting her aunt. Unbeknownst to Laird Caelan CaerLaven, his sister had requested a mail order bride to be sent to help organize his house and be a companion to him. Neither Caelan nor Clara wanted a relationship, he was happy fishing in the nude and Clara wanted to be free to read and be out from under her mother’s disapproving influence. While all of Caelan’s friends and family thought he was still grieving the loss of his wife at an early age, he was struck by how much Clara was the first woman he has been interested in since his wife and he asks her to marry him. Clara decides instead of being a housekeeper she will buy her own castle in Scotland and fill it with books. Fortunately, as they live in his castle with the help of his family and hastily added staff, Caelan and Clara give into their attraction to each other and achieve their HEA.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.