Reviews

The Lady Knows Best by Susanna Craig

amberreadsalot's review

4.0

Susanna Craig's latest book, The Lady Knows Best, is a quick, easy, and fun read. The blurb, however, gets lots of details of the story wrong, The FMC, Daphne Burke, is searching for a way to distinguish herself from her seemingly more accomplished brothers and sisters. She cat walks her way into writing an advice column for a women's magazine, with her first column essentially advising the letter-writer to end her engagement. The dumped fiance turns out to be Miles, Viscount Devereaux, a consummate rake who has to marry by the end of the month to win a number of wagers - and to fulfill one hidden promise.

Miles does figure out Daphne is the source of his dumping and wants her to fix it. She is the one who proposes he marry her - for during their courtship she plans to learn all of his rakish ways and expose them in her next column. Of course, it does not unfold that way. Miles is a rake but he is also much much more, which Daphne comes to learn, and love.

As I said above, this is a fun read. The angst within it is self-created - there are no big and potentially violent intrigues happening here. Daphne does come across a little bit selfish and without the ability to play out the consequences of her actions and choices, but she certainly seems to learn her lesson in the end. Miles, too, has lessons to learn.

An enjoyable read - 4 stars, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book, The opinions herein are my own.

magnetarmadda's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

aldarakamey's review

4.0

I am just finishing this book and it was good, not the best but good, the premise of her leaving him without a bride and he blackmailing her to get him one… *chef kiss* however two of the main things I didn’t enjoy is how in reality we didn’t met Daphne, like she is the protagonist but we see her so little doing what she loves, we are being told that she writes but we only see her writing three times, it would’ve been better for me if we get her writing more like notes or something that gave me the feeling that she was in fact a person who loved writing.
The other fact was that the magazine is given so much an important role in the story as how it leads characters actions but it actually is featured so little.
The rest the leading man… Miles was so good, that actually I was left with a wanting to know more of, he is charming but imperfect, aware of its imperfections, very hard not to love, Daphne was smart but not Mary Sue.
I am torn about who I want the next book to be about…
Highly recommend for those who want to start to read HR but something very HR would scared them away

andrea_author's review

4.0

Daphne, secretly an advice columnist, suggests a young woman break her engagement to a notorious rake. Miles, Viscount Deveraux—the jilted groom—discovers Daphne's identity. He needs a respectable bride by the end of the season to avoid losing a fortune in a wager. He proposes to Daphne, saying he'll unmask and ruin her if she refuses. Is it true that reformed rakes make the best husbands?

This is an entertaining book with fun characters. Despite Miles' threats, he's really a big cinnamon roll who would never hurt Daphne. She matures over the course of the novel, learning the harm gossip can do.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

bookishmya's review

4.0

I was delighted with the wit & wisdom found within The Lady Knows Best. Daphne may feel like she is overlooked in her family of accomplished siblings, but once she takes up the pen to create Miss Busy Bee she becomes front & centre. When trying to instruct others on why a rake can never truly be reformed, one must be careful not to fall prey to the man behind the rake. Truly, that devil Deveraux is hardly a devil at all once you get him out of he city. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The chemistry between Daphne & Miles lit up the page, but even more so did their connection. A truly enjoyable read.

sarabellum's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

sylviep's review

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

sheska_meroba's review against another edition

I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I was very interested in this book at the beginning but it lost me around the 30% - 40% mark where I felt like the focus of the story shifted. I tried to stick it out to see if it could win me back, but I was just finding myself bored and disengaged with the story.

micahslibrary's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

i was really disappointed in the advice column aspect of this book. i was expecting lots of advice column excerpts throughout the story which would have been so much fun, but there was only one in the whole book. :’(

atris_lauraborealis's review

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75