Valerie Bowman you are a treasure. From the very first page I had the feeling this book would be something special. Throughout The Unlikely Lady, Ms. Bowman storytelling conveys the right amount of comedy, angst and drama. A lover of historical romance and movies I was drawn into the story. Her style of storytelling puts me in the mindset of many of my favorite historical romance authors: Jane Austen, Cathy Maxwell, Julia Quinn, Victoria Alexander and Lisa Kleypas to name a few. What Ms. Bowman has in common with all of these authors is the ability to emotionally involve the reader in her story. The Unlikely Lady is the first book that I have read by Valerie Bowman but it will not be the last. Received an ARC of The Unlikely Lady for an honest review. ( )

Oh wow, did I love this book! Jane and Garrett have been my favorite pair throughout the entire series so far. Lots of chemistry, witty quips, and intense feelings. I identified with Jane on a personal level, because I love reading constantly as well. I do believe my favorite part of the entire book was when the book took a little Beauty & the Beast turn with Garrett's gigantic library (I love a man who reads). Just for that scene alone the whole book was worth it. Based on that ending, I cannot wait for the next book, and I hope that some of the other secondary characters, like Owen and Berkeley, get their own stories as well. Valerie Bowman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! ( )

"4.5 out of 5 stars! Ever since Jane was old enough to understand what she had for assets, she strived to become a bluestocking spinster, much to her mother’s dismay. So, at the age of twenty-six, she schemes up an idea for her to attend one of her best friend’s wedding festivities with a pretend chaperone as a way to get some independence and space from her mother’s social call exploits. However, not long after she arrives for the wedding celebration her friends and she agree that what would top off her independence would be a scandal. Yet, once everything is in place it all begins to unravel and the controlled scandal she hoped for turns into something she never dreamed or even hoped for, will it be what she really needs though in the end?

Even though this novel talks about Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing" (meaning the main plots are probably slightly similar) this novel reminded me more of "Beauty and the Beast" because I can totally see Jane as Belle (especially with her love for libraries), Garrett (Upton) as the Beast, and Isabelle (Mrs. Langford) as the complete set of angry/crazy towns people. *hahaa* With so many twists it kept my eyes glued to the pages..."

Read more of this review here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2016/01/feasted-on-playful-brides-seri... ( )

I do enjoy my Regency-set historical romances, especially when the heroine is a bluestocking and the hero has a grand library. That makes me want to dive into the book and win the hero myself despite the fact that most likely I would have been the illiterate maid dusting the books if I had actually lived in this time. Valerie Bowman's third novel in her Playful Brides series, The Unlikely Lady, has the bluestocking, the hero's amazing library, and as an added bonus, it's an homage to Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Jane Lowndes and Garrett Upton don't much like each other. Given that Jane is one of Garrett's cousin Lucy's best friends, they cannot avoid each other though. They meet again at the pre-wedding house party before Lucy and Jane's mutual friend Cassandra's long awaited wedding. They immediately start their customary sniping tossing pointed barbs at each other until they resolve to try and be civil to make Cassandra more comfortable. They still don't think much of each other though. An uneasy détente is maintained until the beautiful but nasty and conniving widow of Garrett's friend arrives uninvited and imposes herself on the party in an effort to ensnare Garrett, who has been financially maintaining her and her children for years now thanks to his guilt over his friend's death.

One of the pre-wedding festivities is a masquerade ball. Jane agrees to forgo her usual frumpy clothing, leave her book behind in her room, and navigate without her glasses, despite her appallingly poor eyesight. Garrett spends much of the ball trying to politely avoid the widow and as a result ends up completely drunk. When a blind as a bat heroine looking for a little scandal to convince her parents she never wants to wed and a blind drunk hero end up together, they end up in each others' arms, not knowing who the other is, at least not at first. The scandal is that they find they like it and perhaps each other too. When Lucy and Cassandra come to almost the exactly right conclusion about Jane and Garrett's disappearance from the ball, they conspire to match these two up by telling each that the other is in love with them. Of course, with a determined widow lurking about, the path of love cannot run smoothly.

Both Jane and Garrett were engaging characters and if one overlooks the fact that their chemistry goes from dead annoyance to desire and love in zero flat after just one kiss, the story was a fun one. That Jane didn't change her interests one jot and that Garrett not only didn't want her to but also shared a mutual enjoyment of reading was definitely appealing. The resolution of the widow's plot line was a bit over the top but overall, this was an amusing and quick read for readers of historical romance. ( )

...the blue stocking's scandal!

Of course Jane Lowndes's story was going to be a delight, filled as it is with oddly wry humour and delicious moments. I have loved Jane for ages. Right from the 'get go' Jane, and Lucy's cousin Garrett Upton, have traded insults and outrageous comments. Jane is a wonderful character. Lucy Hunt is still making up stories and creating situations but her energies have faded somewhat, well lie in wait, in this episode. Jane has no trouble taking centre stage and creating her own havoc--ok, with a little help from the irrepressible Lucy orchestrating some surprises in the background, not to mention Cassandra.
Upton and Jane continue to exchange barbed, and not so barbed, repartee when they meet at the house party given by Lucy prior to Cassandra's wedding. But when events take a different turn Upton is startled to find this challenging 'blue stocking' is so much more than he thought. Indeed, Jane's spectacles or the lack of them, opens up new vistas to both he and Jane. She is completely thrown by Garrett and her own unlooked for responses to him. Add into the mix Garrett's dead friend's widow, Mrs Langford, with her particular agenda and all the ingredients are present for a fast paced, amusing, regency romp.

A NetGalley ARC ( )