This was my first Emily Rath book but I knew I was in for a wild ride (heh). This book is the first in a series and it ends on a cliffhanger which I didn’t expect. Rath just gives us a taste (heh) but I’m sure book two will be bananas. There was a little too much twitching for me but this was fun!

What a whirlwind of emotions I went through! The author is revamping this Second Sons series and this first book is insanely good I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the second!
This is a why choose romance with three separate love interests. The tension and pinning is immaculate! The FMC also goes through a lot of inner turmoil trying to distinguish what is right and wrong and maneuver her relationship with the love interests. This book is also dual pov so you get to see the thoughts of everyone in the book which is my favorite!
If you love regency era romance that feels like a more adult version of The Selection Series by Kiera Cass and reminiscent of Bridgerton by Julia Quinn then this is going to be the series for you! If you enjoy tropes like; why choose, forbidden romance, one horse and he falls first then this could pique your interest!
Thank you to hambright and the author for sending me an ECopy of this book in exchange for my honest review, I hope I’m chosen to read all the books in this series because I am hooked. If not I will still be purchasing these books as they are rereleased because I am invested in this love story!

Beautiful Things was such a fun and unexpected take on Regency romance! It’s a tension filled, why-choose, slow-burn with a heroine who refuses to be boxed in by marriage.

Rosalie is bold, witty, and refreshingly modern in her refusal to settle for what society expects. The setup gave The Bachelor meets Bridgerton vibes, and I loved the chaos of it all! The three love interests were charming and distinct, though the romances did feel a little one-sided at times (the guys aren’t romantically entangled with each other, just close friends). But regardless, the chemistry sizzled and the tension was undeniable, even when everyone was in denial.

Beautiful Things is full of banter, spice, and characters more open-minded than the era would realistically allow. And honestly? I didn’t mind. The vibes were immaculate. If you are looking for the spice level of the Jacksonville Rays series, you will be sorely disappointed, but nevertheless, this book had many other elements that make it worth the read!

My only criticism was just how often EVERYONE had to mention how plain, and untouchable Rosalie was because she had no money, prospects, or title and yet she was so different, beautiful and siren-like to the point where these men couldn’t keep their eyes or hands to themselves. That and I hated George with every fiber of my being, and the Duchess at the end there.

With that being said, if you’re into historical romance with a modern edge, a fierce heroine, and a reverse harem twist, definitely give this one a read. I’m already starting book two with the MAJOR cliffhanger I was just left on!!

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5)

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 The narrators have gorgeous accents and are fabulous performers especially during conversations, changing their voices brilliantly.
🤩 I enjoyed the setting and general setup, why the duchess brought Rosalie to her home.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 The slow burn was way too long for my liking. I would have liked the book to start at about 50%.
💫 The summer house party just wasn’t quite as fun as I was hoping for. I wanted more wine, more sneaking around, more pleasure seeking.
💫 I was hoping for more chemistry between them as a group of four.
💫 I prefer less jealousy & drama between the MCs in my polyamorous reads.

I don't read a lot of Regency era romance books, but I do read a lot of why-choose. When I read the blurb for the book, I thought "Hmm, I'll give it a try."

WOW, 5⭐️! - This is in the list of top 5 books of the year so far. The Regency politics, the forbidden aspect of romance (add on the why-choose component!), the yearning, stolen touches - I adored every aspect.

The FMC, Rosalia, comes from no money, has no political status, but is invited by the Duchess to vacation at their home. There she meets the "Second Sons" - the second-born males that have the family name and responsibility, but no title. The brother of the Duke (James) and his best friends (Burke & Tom) know that Rosalia is off limits, and that they each have feelings, but can't seem to stay away. This makes for a story with plenty of intrigue and excitement to keep you reading!

I am diving into the rest of this series as soon as I can!

Thank you to Hambright PR and Kensington Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

When Rosalie Harrow receives an invitation to stay at the home of the Dowager Duchess of Norland, she can't refuse. At 22, Rosalie is unmarried and in debt with no society connections. What Rosalie assumes will be condolences for her mother's recent death turns into an invitation to stay at Alcott Hall, where a group of young society ladies are all trying to win the heart of the bachelor Duke of Norland. Rosalie is not interested in marriage and knows she isn't a prospect, but the Duchess won't share the true reason for Rosalie's invitation. This mystery quickly takes a back seat when Rosalie meets the other eligible men staying at Alcott Hall. James, Renley, and Burke all have different backgrounds, but are best friends just the same. Their attraction to Rosalie is immediate, and vice versa. Rosalie refuses to be labeled and put into a cage by marriage, so how will she choose between the three men? Does she have to?

I had an absolute blast reading this book. If you love "Bridgerton" and want more spice, this is the book for you. I could not put it down and kept messaging friends to see if they'd reached a certain scene in the book. I love Regency era romance, and the slow-burn to red-hot romance was everything I wanted. The book is written in multiple POVs, and I loved being in the head of such different characters. I fell in love with each of the men and, like Rosalie, can't pick a favorite. The mystery behind Rosalie's invitation and the society intrigue added even more to the story. This book does end on a cliffhanger, but I am not upset because it means I get to stay in this world for a while longer. This book was the perfect summer escape for me, and I can't wait to pick up the next one in the series. If you love spicy historical romance, this is a must-read!

Follow me @smorebooksplease on Instagram for more bookish fun!

soo, um im pissed off, i suffered through around 350 pages, JUST FOR IT TO BE A CLIFFHANGER, like nu uh.
so much for a spicy, why choose, cause the spice was basically none existant.
the posh dirty talk was....different, for sure.
i honestly didnt love, this but i pushed through.
rosalie was a cute character tho.

thankyou so much netgalley for the ARC in exchange fie my honest review!!!!!!

This is the book you want if you are looking for something post-Bridgerton, but want even more spice. It is the romance novel you want if you crave alllllll the drama, want a swoon-worthy romance, and a Regency setting with a why choose twist.

Emily Rath’s writing is rich, detailed, and effortlessly engaging. 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 is a slow burn that unfolds through the perspectives of the FMC and three MMCs, who have been lifelong friends and are practically family. Then Rosalie Harrow enters the estate, and everything changes.

This book is chock-full of drama, chemistry, and it ends on a cliffhanger that will have you immediately reaching for book two. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a refreshing take on this genre. I can't wait to see how this story unfolds.

3.5

Emily Rath, the queen of RH!!! She has done it again!

Although her 'Pucking Around' series is my favourite and is all 5 stars, I still enjoyed this one a lot! You can ask my friends, I couldn't stop reading.

Even if the character developments were a bit lacking, I was still very invested. I loved the "slow-burn" aspect of it, and I LOVE that we get two books with the same characters!! I always want more, and I love that I am getting it!

I love her prose and find her writing beautiful and easy to read.

Of course, she always writes absolutely swoon-worthy men!!! I am so excited to read the third book about her friend, and I love the side characters and just the overall story.

I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a Regency-era RH romance novel! Perfect to get out of a reading slump, it will enthrall you from the very first page!

Beautiful Things by Emily Rath is the first book of her Second Sons series. It is a why choose romance in a Regency setting. This is definitely not your grandmother’s historical romance and I am here for it.

I really enjoyed this one! I liked the modern style of writing in the Regency setting. I absolutely adore Rosalie’s character, and I’m pretty sure I fell under her spell too. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and switching between them kept the story interesting all the way though. And, yes, it is a slow burn but it doesn’t feel like it. It just feels like a good buildup to anything happening.

I’ll never understand or remember the pecking order of the aristocracy titles. There is a list at the front and it is super helpful. I can’t tell you how many times I looked at it while I was reading. I mean, I still don’t really get it but the chart definitely helps.

This book was originally self-published in 2022. I’m so glad to see that this series has been picked up by Kensington and is being re-released trad. I’ve listened to Emily Rath’s Jacksonville Rays series as audiobooks and really enjoyed them. But I don’t think I would have found this series without the trad PR push right now and I definitely would have missed out. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so I will be continuing with the next book soon!

𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 is a regency, why choose romance that I absolutely adored! Beautiful Things is being rereleased by @kensingtonbooks in a new, gorgeous special edition paperback! I had not read this book before but I’m so glad I did now! If you are a fan of Bridgerton but want all the men?! And extra spice? Consider this book read.

“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦.”

Beautiful Things follows Rosalie, a destitute woman who crashes a house party and becomes entangled with three gentlemen. I really enjoyed Rosalie’s wit and her interactions with the three love interests. Like most why choose romances, each MMC had something different to offer our FMC and I loved the balance between them all. This is the first in a duet, and it is a slow burn! I’ve heard book 2 brings the heat level UP and I’m excited to start it!

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

The three love interests each have a different personality and are in different places in society. But they are best friends and I really enjoyed their dynamic, especially watching them all fall for the same mysterious woman. There’s also plenty of court scheming and secrets to keep the plot interesting.

I am shocked by that ending. I really do not like the duchess and I’m so interested in seeing how this story plays out in book 2. I can’t wait to read more about Rosalie and her three men!

Thank you @netgalley, @kensingtonbooks and @emilyrathauthor for the gifted eArc to read and review!

To say Beautiful Things is a fun book is an understatement. It's rare that a book actually has me laughing out loud, but this book did me in on multiple occasions.

This book has everything a Regency Romance needs - lingering touches, longing glances and of course all the banter! Times three! I loved Rosalie's dynamic with all three love interests - all relationships were so well developed they absolutely could have stood on their own.

The dialogue felt believeable enough to me - obviously this book is not period accurate, but it hit all the right boxes to not take me out of the immersion. I feel like that is a very make or break thing for a lot of historical fiction.

I highly recommend you get this book if you are looking for a lighthearted and fun Romance. Especially if you are a fan of Anthony Bridgerton! Trust me you are going to LOVE Lord James.

4.75 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️

"𝙏𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚."

Brb gonna casually go binge read book two because my GOD THESE FOUR ARE SO HOT???!
So fun fact, this is my first regency romance and I fear I've been missing out??? This was absolutely addicting and I fear I would fall to my knees for Burke and Fenley in a heartbeat.
Now Rosalie? She has such a complex character that I really did enjoy greatly. I really love the fact she has proceeded to stand her ground over and over that she is to not be caged by no man and I find that so brave, seeing as the time period the book takes place in.

If Emily writes it I will read it! I loved her hockey series so when I seen that this was a why choose regency romance I said sign me up!

If you're a fan of Bridgerton then I think you'll enjoy this one. It had the Bridgerton vibes. While this is regency it had a modern tone which I found I loved. The banter was great!

I adored Rosalie's character. She's not looking for marriage to get herself out of debt and she's willing to work hard. She's got sass and is quite frank which I like in a FMC. Plus her suitors 🤌🏻 Let's not forget the cliffhanger! I will absolutely check out the rest of this series!

Thank you Emily Rath, hambright pr, Kensington publishing, and NetGalley for the gifted ebook.

🌺Why Choose
🌺Regency Romance
🌺Spicy

This is not my usual choice in book, but I thought why not give it a try. Overall I really enjoyed it. It does end in a major cliffhanger so have the next book ready!!

Rosalie Harrow is twenty-two and unmarried, afraid of being caught in the cage that marriage often creates for young women in Regency England. She receives an invitation to Alcott Hall, summoned there by the Dowager Duchess of Norland. The Duchess has a task for her, as she does not see Rosalie as an appropriate match for her son, the duke. While she may not be fit for the duke, other bachelors find interest in Rosalie amidst a house party of eligible high society. The three gentlemen are all very different, and Rosalie can't help but want them all.

I enjoyed this book! It's messy, romantic, and scandalous, while maintaining the air of a historical romance. I found the men in the book frustrating and out of pocket at times, as I grew fond of Rosalie and her position within society. However, their charm and love for her cannot be denied. I am excited to read more!

DNF at 50%

The blurb sounded great and I loved the idea of a slow burn, Regency era why choose romance. The beginning was promising, but unfortunately by the halfway point I was just bored and couldn’t force myself to finish reading.

I was so honored I was chosen to receive this ARC!! I have been a long time fan of Dr. Emily’s Jacksonville Rays hockey series but hadn’t yet dived into her Second Sons series!

If you’re looking for a why choose Bridgerton-esque story with banter, swooning and a forbidden romance, this one’s for you!

Rosalie is headstrong and independent, but after a series of tragedy in her life, she’s looking for a way to make it on her own terms. Which is opposite of what a young woman in the time period should do. Not only that, but she starts to find herself attracted to the dukes younger brother, his best friend, and a naval officer. And they all have eyes for her.

Lord James, the dukes younger brother, is too serious and duty bound to have a dalliance with a penniless orphan of a woman. But there’s just something about Rosalie that captures his attention, and he hates himself for it.

Lord Renley, a Naval officer, is back from a tour and looking to marry in order to be able to afford to rise to the ranks of Captain. Only…the only woman he has eyes for is Rosalie. Who won’t marry and is penniless as is.

Then there’s Mr. Burke, the handsome, irritating best friend of the other men. He has no title but is endlessly charming and owes the Dowager Duchess a great deal for his position in life.

What are the 3 men to do when they realize they’re all falling for the same woman and that the dowager duchess is playing chess while they play checkers?

I so very much enjoyed every second of it and cannot wait to read more in the series! Thank you so much again Dr. Emily and Hambright PR!

I will start by saying I don’t think historical romances are for me. I was interested in the first few chapters. The writing was beautiful but then I started to get bored. I do love a good slow burn romance but usually only when all the love interests are very clear with their infatuation and not in a historical setting. I truly think the reason this book didn’t work for me was because of the historical setting. This was my first one.
This might be perfect for some but then finding out the end of this book doesn’t resolve anything and there is another even longer sequel? I personally cannot read more.

Thank you to Hambright PR for the opportunity to read Beautiful Things.

This book was all about the vibes. It was so messy and I loved it! Rosalie is a fun main character to follow and it was fun to watch her grow and change. A fun, regency era read!