Title: The Major Meets His Match
Author: Annie Burrows
Series: Brides for Bachelors #1
Genre: Regency Romance
Length: Novel
Available: 1st Sept
The major must wed
Wastrel, rebel, layabout…just a few of the names Lord Becconsall has hidden his quick intellect and sharp wit behind over the years. Recently titled, ex-military and required to wed, Jake views ton ladies with a cynical eye… Until he falls upon—quite literally—Lady Harriet Inskip.
After years of being overlooked, Harriet cannot believe that Lord Becconsall is the only person to truly see her. But between his taunts and her fiery disposition, it’s soon clear that the major has finally met his match!
Brides for Bachelors Eligible rakes walk down the aisle!
Source: ARC from Mills and Boon Historical via NetGalley
This was a lovely, fun Regency read, with a teasing hero and a determined heroine. I liked both Harriet and Jack, even if there were times when I wanted to smack Jack for the way he continuously teases Harriet, especially when it’s clear it isn’t doing him any favours.
Because Jack isn’t very good at dealing with his feelings. He’s spent his whole life hiding his intelligence, preferring to play the fool and make people laugh rather than risk rejection. He’s been told he has to marry, which has firmly set him against the idea, and then along comes Harriet, upending all his plans and leaving him all adrift. He might be annoying at times, but he’s pretty endearing too, especially when he stops playing and tries to be serious.
Poor Harriet. She’s spent her life being overlooked and ignored, and then along comes Jack who certainly doesn’t ignore her, because he prefers to provoke her instead. Yet somehow, despite all the teasing, she does see the good in him. Even if she doesn’t want to. The pair of them are incredibly well matched, deep down, under all the gloss, and I loved how easily they could talk to each other – even when they weren’t trying.
But this book is about more than just the romance – there’s also a mystery unfolding. The sort of mystery that comes and goes at times, then seems of utmost importance, yet doesn’t actually get resolved before the end of the book. In fact, it looks like it’s set to run through the whole series, drawing in Jack’s various schoolboy friends in turn. Which is fine and definitely keeps things interesting, but it also completely overshadowed the romance at the end. Which was a shame, because as lovely as it was for them to be happy, it left that side of things feeling a little anticlimactic.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. The writing is light, the characters are fun, the romance was lovely and the intriguing mystery left me definitely wanting more. I can’t wait for Rawcliffe’s book.
The Major Meets His Match is out Sept 1st.
Visit Annie Burrows for more details.
