Title: Nearly a Lady Series: Haverston Family #1
Author: Alissa Johnson
Published: June 7, 2011
Genre(s): Romance: Historical
Page Count: 316
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Lord Gideon Haverston wanted to right his family's wrongs. So when he promises young Winnefred Blythe the money that his stepmother had cheated her out of over the years, he expects to be greeted as a hero. But the situation is much more complicated than Gideon had expected-and the task of taming the untrusting Winnefred much more alluring.
I really do love romances that are unbelievably, unspeakably adorable. Nearly a Lady is honestly so cute it hurts. This book is charming and sweet from cover to cover, and I really do think Alissa Johnson crafted something excellent here.
As with any romance novel, the most important consideration are the two leading characters. How does their story progress? Is their relationship believable? Do I even like them? With Nearly a Lady, the answer is a resounding YES. I seriously loved Winnefred and Gideon—I loved their individual characters, and I loved them together. They were just so. cute.
Winnefred has been living in genteel poverty since the age of 13, when she was sent up to Scotland with nothing more than 5 pounds a year and a 17-year-old governess. She never learned how to be a proper lady, but neither has she felt that her life is the worse for it. In spite of her general lack of decorum, Winnefred is compassionate, funny, determined, and loyal. She doesn’t spend a lot of time griping about the wrongs done to her, and she doesn’t really hold a grudge.
The male lead, Gideon, is a man whose goal in life is to make everything better for everyone. Throughout the book, his mission is to help Winnefred however he can, regardless of his own personal feelings or issues. When he finds out that Winnefred’s living situation is less than ideal, he personally travels to Scotland and turns things inside out in order to make it up to her. And not only is Gideon selfless and giving, he’s also extremely funny. Even his own bad experiences in the Napoleonic wars don’t affect his cheerfulness and desire to make others laugh.
Additionally, the tension and chemistry between Winnefred and Gideon was certainly genuine. Johnson’s storytelling is not at all high on drama, and the development of the pair’s feelings for each other evolved naturally, and with a great deal of understanding between them. Actual conversations were had, from the first chapter to the last. I am always so delighted when I find a romance where people are actually communicating. It’s more rare than it should be.
As I said, Nearly a Lady is not a dramatic, sweeping, life-and-death kind of romance. It’s very cute, very adorable, and very down to earth. It made me smile and laugh more than anything else, and watching things play out in a very simple (yet rewarding) way between Gideon and Winnefred was very much worth it.
This book, seriously, has so many things to recommend it. Adorableness in spades, humor, characters who communicate, drama-free romance, and just genuine feeling. Alissa Johnson’s done her work well here, and Nearly a Lady is a Regency romance worth looking into.
