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Member Reviews

This is so very lovely. There are lots of the usual tropes with a very overbearing and nasty mother who directs what Emily should wear, see or do. There is also the meanness of society who do not like those who aren’t outgoing, bubbly and laugh a minute. Amongst this all is a 3 year old orphan who needs a family and some love and care. Wrapped into this is a lovely, gentle romance between Emily and Freddie who aren’t quite sure if they are made for each other or whether they will despise each other and avoid each other for the rest of their lives. They are opposites and this is laid out clearly by the author giving details of the minutiae of life including the pain or hairpins and the rigid roles of conformity. A book of joy and hope,

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This book was so adorable. Absolutely loved the banter between Emily and Freddie. The frustrated pining! I love it.
I am very picky when it comes to historical stories, this one I give high approvals and will be reading the author’s other works!

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This was a great start to ‘The Dashworth Brothers’ series, it was hard to put down! It is so great, I was amazed by the writing and I have added Ella Matthews to my favorite authors.
Emily and Freddie have a great chemistry together. Their story was incredibly well written; very realistic, touching and it always keeps you wanting to turn the page. You experience so many emotions while reading; love, joy, happiness, compassion, empathy, a bit of sadness, but overall happiness and love. All of the characters - primary and secondary - are realistic, lovable and relatable.
Emily is a gem, but she doesn’t have much self-esteem, dus to the fact that her mother always reminded her of the fact that she wasn’t good enough in her opinion. The result being not feeling worthy enough to stand up for herself. The same inner voice of not being good enough plagued Freddie albeit for whole different reasons. I liked that the author showed two people who behaved completely differently because of it, and how it shapes you as an adult. I liked that many readers will be able to relate, since one might withdraw whereas another might play the lackadaisical joker. I also liked it that they always tried to self reflect, and use these new point of views in the way the viewed others. Like how Freddie viewed his brothers. And especially Emily, who decided that enough was enough and she would fight for her happiness. You go, girl!
Freddie in turn was such a sweetheart! He was so incredibly kind and thoughtful! He did what he could to make Emily happy and I loved him for that. The bench and the cushions, the bookshelf.. I liked that he became more sensitive to and acutely aware of how she felt.
I liked the slow but realistic progress they made in their relationship; I liked that it wasn’t just smooth sailing from the beginning and that Freddie sometimes said the wrong things or that they both assumed something else than that was meant. But there clearly was love growing and they had such great banter. It was truly lovely, romantic journey to witness.
Freddie’s eldest brother, the duke, is some kind of enigma but there’s a hint he might be more like Freddie than he appears to be. And his other brothers - you can’t not feel for them and for what they went through! I really want to read more about them, get to know them better and find out if they will manage to strengthen their family bond.
I would have liked an epilogue but the book ends with the option to receive a bonus chapter. So I subscribed to Ella Matthews’ newsletter and downloaded it. And I have to say: I would have preferred this as part of the book instead of a separate download. Ella, your writing is so good, people will subscribe anyway! And if they’ll only want the bonus chapter, they ‘ll just unsubscribe after downloading it. So please add an epilogue instead.
The next book will be about Edward: ‘The Wallflower’s Unlikely Season’. I really can't wait to continue on with this series! This book is coming soon so I will keep on the lookout for it!
Content 411: This is not a clean book but I loved that the romance was based on honest emotions and not lust. I was happy to see that their first time came naturally and the timing wasn’t rushed. It was done in a tasteful way, although I was disappointed with the second scene. I’d skip that.
Thank you Netgalley and Ella Matthews for providing an advanced copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I really enjoyed this story, it kept me engaged throughout. The good points that the story didn’t end with a wedding saying they all lived happily ever after. I appreciated the ending and the fact that there’s going to be follow on books with the other characters, as I found myself getting invested in their stories also. What I wasn’t keen on was the sex scenes, but that’s just due to my preference. I would rate this book at a 15 rating, so not family friendly, but if you can skip the naughty scenes, you’ll really enjoy the overall story as it is heartwarming

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This is the first book that I have read by Ella Matthews and I must say that I am very impressed by whatI read. This book was very good with its witty characters and interesting plot lines. I almost wished it had been a little longer so I could have gotten more time but oh well I was still happy otherwise. It is your classic trope of two childhood foes who end up havi g to marry to avoid scandal and eventually everything works out in the end.
In the beginning we are introduced to Freddie who has returned home to help oversee the upbringing of his orphaned neice. It is during this time that he runs into his old childhood foe and neighbor Emily who still despises him despite the length of time that has passed. The whole situation confuses him because no other women have resisted him charms before.
Emily however has her own problems. Her mother insists that she marries but with four failed seasons the prospects are very low. When reintroduced to her old foe Freddie the two end up in a compromising position and afterwards to avoid scandal end up having to marry. But in the end it is worth it because they come to care for each other.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

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