The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair: Book 2
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Opposites attract in this irresistible Regency romance, where a proper gentleman who lives by the ton’s rules and a lady who lives to break them try to resist one another—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series.
Lady Serena Wynter doesn’t mind flirting with a bit of scandal—she’s determined to ignore society’s strictures and live life on her own fiercely independent terms. These days, she chooses to pour her passions into charitable causes with the vibrant group of ladies in her Wednesday Afternoon Social Club. But there is one man who stirs Serena’s deepest emotions, one who’s irresistibly handsome, infuriatingly circumspect, and too honorable for his own good…
Charles Townshend, former boxer and consummate gentleman, worries Serena’s reckless nature will earn her the ton’s scorn…or put her in serious danger. Though Charles isn’t immune to the attraction between them, a shocking family secret prevents him from ever acting on his desires. But it seems Lady Serena doesn’t intend to let his penchant for propriety stand in the way of a mutually satisfying dalliance.
I absolutely adored Kate Pembrooke’s debut novel, Not the Kind of Earl You Marry. So when I came across Say You’ll Be My Lady, the next book in The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair series, I knew I had to give it a read.
Say You’ll Be My Lady follows Serena and Charles. Serena is the daughter of an earl and is leading a pretty independent life. She thrives working on charitable causes with her friends and has an unusually close friendship with Charles. But she’s starting to develop feelings for him and can’t seem to break through his walls.
Charles, on the other hand, has loved Serena for ages, but seeing as he’s a mere mister and “not good enough” for her, he’s determined to be happy with just a friendship. But they are constantly thrown together, and Serena is just determined for more…
I really enjoyed all the interactions between Serena and Charles. There are all those emotions simmering under the surface, but first and foremost, there is friendship. It was beautiful to watch the relationship evolve to something more. The author threw in enough conflict to make things even more interesting, and of course, there was a satisfying happily ever after to wrap things up.
The secondary characters were all compelling, especially the other ladies in the Wednesday Afternoon Social Club. It’s refreshing to read about ladies of that time who aren’t content to live and behave as society dictates. Add in the fact that they genuinely want to help those less fortunate than themselves while also improving themselves was a nice touch.
Say You’ll Be My Lady was a fun historical romance with accessible characters and a well-developed romance. I couldn’t put the book down, and I can’t wait to revisit this series when the next book, Sweet Dreams are Made of Dukes, is released.
As a kid, the thing I loved to do more than anything was read. I grew up in the Midwest and I spent many a weekend afternoon happily browsing in the stacks of our county library which was housed in a stately early-twentieth-century building with four tall columns flanking the front entrance, and which had an inviting airiness on the inside thanks to high ceilings and large windows. In between trips to the library, I supplemented my reading material from the monthly bookmobile visits to our small subdivision, which in typical, rural Midwest fashion was surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans.
Fast forward to today, and I’m thrilled to call myself a published writer. It was a long-held, not-so-terribly-secret ambition of mine to become a writer—a career that, besides letting me tell the stories that live in my head, allows me to indulge my passion for pretty notebooks, colorful pens, and sticky notes. (Why, yes, I do love any excuse which requires a visit to an office supplies store.)
My writing life has evolved over the years. As a teenager, I wrote a lot of angst-filled poetry, branched out into writing Twilight Zone-esque short stories, and inspired by a steady diet of Agatha Christie books, even attempted to write a mystery titled The Murder of Wes Chandler. Then I didn’t write for several years, and when I took it up again, I chose to write Regency-set romances. This may seem a little odd given my earlier writing tastes, but does make sense in light of the fact that Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has long been one of my favorite books.
These days I love writing happily-ever-afters for my characters, but when I’m not busy at my keyboard, I (still) enjoy reading, puttering amongst my flowerbeds, taking beach vacations, and adding to my already extensive collection of cookbooks.
