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amberreadsalot's review
4.0
I am intrigued by the idea of a male regency romance novelist (I also loved several books by Leigh Greenwood) so I was excited to pick this up. Overall, interesting story line with sometimes confusing execution. The h is a newly destitute daughter of an aristocrat and the H is an earl with a terrible mother. They end up in each other's bodies and end up questioning what they think they know about the other and about themselves. The body switch is something I have not seen before in regency romance (and I have read a LOT of regency romance) and it definitely added some levity and unexpected moments. I did, however, find some of the scenes between the H and h confusing because of the body switch. I ended up muddled on who was actually having the emotions/engaging in the action being described. I did love the H learning just how difficult it was to be a non-traditional woman in that time period. I also loved the h's new friends, and would definitely read their stories. I would have liked more backstory to the phenomenon that led to the body switch but if this is the start to a series, maybe that will be coming in the next books. North did a good job with the characters developing through their experiences in each other's bodies. 4,5 stars.
I received a free copy of this title from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own,
I received a free copy of this title from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own,
andrea_author's review
5.0
Things I don't usually read:
1. revenge stories
2. body switching stories
This book is both, and I loved it. Emma and Blackburn have good reasons for despising the other, but the switch forces them to see the other's perspective. The fact that they were initially attracted before learning the other's identity leads to more delicious fun. There's a nice mystery subplot, but this is first and foremost an emotional romance with a high level of sensual tension. Even though they're in each other's bodies for much of the story, the author really pulls off the attraction between them. The characters are charming and the banter delightful. I'm glad I took a chance on this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
1. revenge stories
2. body switching stories
This book is both, and I loved it. Emma and Blackburn have good reasons for despising the other, but the switch forces them to see the other's perspective. The fact that they were initially attracted before learning the other's identity leads to more delicious fun. There's a nice mystery subplot, but this is first and foremost an emotional romance with a high level of sensual tension. Even though they're in each other's bodies for much of the story, the author really pulls off the attraction between them. The characters are charming and the banter delightful. I'm glad I took a chance on this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
bookishmya's review
5.0
I am often delighted by surprises in writing, but this one hit me like a brick. I did not see the twists of this story coming. I was delighted by the unique voice of the author. My first male regency author, he provided a fresh perspective that was as surprising as it was delightful. The descriptive style of writing truly brought each scene to life, each character a pure visual in mind. I found myself drawn more with every page, not wanting the story to end. I hope we will have many more stories from this group, as surely each tale begs to be told of the ladies of the Order of the Red Lion, as well as the few noble Prometheans. I am not always a fan of retellings, but in this case it was truly a unique story. A new invention rather than a simple twist. I can’t wait to read more
shankl's review
3.0
Freaky Friday meets Regency Romance - a mix I didn’t know I needed.
The Lord Pretender starts slow but once the switch happens ALL hell breaks loose for Emma and Simon. The characters witty banter added an element of fun to their budding romance. The most you’ll read in this book is a ravaging kisses sprinkled in the pages - ZERO STEAM!
Overall, it is a good story but a bit unbelievable. Thank you Entangled Publishing for the complimentary copy of this novel.
The Lord Pretender starts slow but once the switch happens ALL hell breaks loose for Emma and Simon. The characters witty banter added an element of fun to their budding romance. The most you’ll read in this book is a ravaging kisses sprinkled in the pages - ZERO STEAM!
Overall, it is a good story but a bit unbelievable. Thank you Entangled Publishing for the complimentary copy of this novel.
aliciasplendeur's review
4.0
Not at all what I was expecting. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and the body-swapping certainly added to that. FYI there is only kissing in this book, no spice. Not what I usually read but did make for a great palette cleanser.
Following the death of her father, Emma Watts and her family have lost their place in society. She places the blame squarely on the Prometheans’ Club. Whose ranks her father joined before gambling away the family fortune. Her plan is to take the club down.
Simon, the Earl of Blackburn, is a respected member of the Prometheans. When the club discovers that someone is digging for embarrassing information on the club members, Simon volunteers to uncover the woman's identity.
Simon and Emma bump into each other a few times, Both are taken with one another. He sets up a plan to catch the woman digging into the club and chases after Emma when he discovers it's her. A thunderstorm hits and as they begin to argue light strikes changing their lives forever.
Thanks so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.
Following the death of her father, Emma Watts and her family have lost their place in society. She places the blame squarely on the Prometheans’ Club. Whose ranks her father joined before gambling away the family fortune. Her plan is to take the club down.
Simon, the Earl of Blackburn, is a respected member of the Prometheans. When the club discovers that someone is digging for embarrassing information on the club members, Simon volunteers to uncover the woman's identity.
Simon and Emma bump into each other a few times, Both are taken with one another. He sets up a plan to catch the woman digging into the club and chases after Emma when he discovers it's her. A thunderstorm hits and as they begin to argue light strikes changing their lives forever.
Thanks so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.
awortiz's review
5.0
Did someone say body-swapping? This is the Freaky Friday x Historical Romance crossover I didn't know I needed!
Emma Watts and Simon Pike, Lord Blackburn get accidentally tangled up in each other's lives and bodies. Pairing a down-on-her-luck-but-quick-with-her-tongue heroine set on revenge with a misunderstood hero who's secretly a cinnamon roll, this book has so many elements to love: delightful and witty banter, scathing but well deserved putdowns, and hilarious situational comedy. It's not the deepest or most emotional romance out there, but it does offer a fun ride with a lot of laughs and satisfying character development.
The body swapping plotline in this book is truly unique and offers a great narrative structure to explore the inequality and highly regimented societal norms between men and women during this time period. There is discourse about the role and responsibility of those with power to protect those without as well as the numerous double standards that plague men and women (that are still a little too relevant, tbh). "Plots and schemes, you say? When a man possesses such acuity, you call it wisdom or ambition.”
I enjoyed the exploration of how Emma and Simon reconceptualize themselves after seeing themselves through another's eyes and their character growth as they dismantle long held judgements and beliefs after walking in each other's shoes (literally!). It was a fun twist to see Emma explore her newfound freedom and authority as a titled man while Simon struggles with a lack of agency for the first time in his life. I particularly enjoyed watching Simon tackle the full range of the female experience, from period cramps and corsets to physical vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of unwanted male attention and how this informs his worldview.
This is a clean romance (no explicit sex scenes), which was a disappointment not only because I love steamy romances, but also because I was curious if and how the author would tackle body swapped sex. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. Nonetheless, this was a superb clean romance and I didn't feel unsatisfied by the lack of a physical relationship on page.
Beyond the romance, I love the friendships in this book, and particularly loved the playful and close knit Order of the Red Lion as well as the intrigue driven by some of the more shadowy side characters that I wouldn't want to spoil.
Overall, I highly recommend this one - it's a lighthearted rom-com that's a smashing good time.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Sawyer North, and Netgalley for this e-ARC!
Emma Watts and Simon Pike, Lord Blackburn get accidentally tangled up in each other's lives and bodies. Pairing a down-on-her-luck-but-quick-with-her-tongue heroine set on revenge with a misunderstood hero who's secretly a cinnamon roll, this book has so many elements to love: delightful and witty banter, scathing but well deserved putdowns, and hilarious situational comedy. It's not the deepest or most emotional romance out there, but it does offer a fun ride with a lot of laughs and satisfying character development.
The body swapping plotline in this book is truly unique and offers a great narrative structure to explore the inequality and highly regimented societal norms between men and women during this time period. There is discourse about the role and responsibility of those with power to protect those without as well as the numerous double standards that plague men and women (that are still a little too relevant, tbh). "Plots and schemes, you say? When a man possesses such acuity, you call it wisdom or ambition.”
I enjoyed the exploration of how Emma and Simon reconceptualize themselves after seeing themselves through another's eyes and their character growth as they dismantle long held judgements and beliefs after walking in each other's shoes (literally!). It was a fun twist to see Emma explore her newfound freedom and authority as a titled man while Simon struggles with a lack of agency for the first time in his life. I particularly enjoyed watching Simon tackle the full range of the female experience, from period cramps and corsets to physical vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of unwanted male attention and how this informs his worldview.
This is a clean romance (no explicit sex scenes), which was a disappointment not only because I love steamy romances, but also because I was curious if and how the author would tackle body swapped sex. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. Nonetheless, this was a superb clean romance and I didn't feel unsatisfied by the lack of a physical relationship on page.
Beyond the romance, I love the friendships in this book, and particularly loved the playful and close knit Order of the Red Lion as well as the intrigue driven by some of the more shadowy side characters that I wouldn't want to spoil.
Overall, I highly recommend this one - it's a lighthearted rom-com that's a smashing good time.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Sawyer North, and Netgalley for this e-ARC!
storieswithsoul's review
5.0
It's a wonderful story that has me smiling often. I loved both the main characters and their respective best friends. It was such an interesting story, but then I have always been a fan of the body-switch trope. And combine it with historical romance; you have perfection! I think that the author has done a great job of capturing all the different emotions resulting from the switch. It was fun to see how Emma and Simon tried to adjust to each other's bodies, and learn more about each other's lives, habits, loves, and hates. However, it's not the only thing I loved about this book. I also enjoyed the romance between them as well as the premise of the book. This story has been a real treat for me. It's one of those books which are hard to put down and you end up finishing them in one or two sittings. That's how good I found it to be. So glad I picked it up and would definitely recommend it to all readers. If you like historicals and/or romance then you should read this book. It's beautifully written and I hope we get to read more books about some of the side characters. They should all have their stories told. ;)
jkwallace89's review
3.0
I must admit that the body-switching aspect of this book is not my normal cup of tea. If you're looking for a classic Historical Romance, this is not it. The body-swapping provided interesting insights into and from both characters, but detracted from the main point of the plot that intrigued me to begin with. I did enjoy the characters, their arcs, and their relationships with others, so that shone through some of my wariness. I would not call this a romance, though I'm not sure it fits the general fiction category either. It has the tropes of the romance genre, but very little steam.
heathermollauthor's review
3.0
Emma Watt’s father completely ruins his family’s finances and reputation through gambling before dying. Now, Emma is determined to get revenge on the Prometheans, the gambling club that she feels caused all of her problems. Simon Pike, Earl of Blackburn, is a prominent Promethean who volunteers to find out who is the woman digging up dirt on club members, and ruin her.
They two have a few sparks before they realize who the other is, and then the story becomes a body swap caused by a lightning strike.
Good characterization of the MCs, but some of the writing was amateurish, descriptions were a little cliche (I.e. impossible jawline) or explaining where people sat around a table when it was irrelevant, or the heavy handed ways the dialogue explained regency norms.
“She was wearing black.”
“Are you saying…”
“Yes. She was clearly in mourning.”
It took me out of the story. Like using Upper Ten Thousand to describe regency London when it was coined decades later to refer to NYC high society. Or only wearing a corset for a ball; and it being laced too tight. Or men wearing pants. Sigh.
I didn’t connect with Emma’s new Red Lion Square friends, all of whom sounded exactly the same. Simon’s mother was the worst and I really enjoyed Emma’s standing up to her.
This was a bonkers premise that entertained, but it had a slow start and their character growth never captured my interest. I feel like they needed deeper conversations and reflections. I liked their chemistry, but for me misunderstanding one another’s gender wasn’t their biggest problem so I struggled to see the necessity of the Freaky Friday concept.
3.5 stars I received an arc from NetGalley
They two have a few sparks before they realize who the other is, and then the story becomes a body swap caused by a lightning strike.
Good characterization of the MCs, but some of the writing was amateurish, descriptions were a little cliche (I.e. impossible jawline) or explaining where people sat around a table when it was irrelevant, or the heavy handed ways the dialogue explained regency norms.
“She was wearing black.”
“Are you saying…”
“Yes. She was clearly in mourning.”
It took me out of the story. Like using Upper Ten Thousand to describe regency London when it was coined decades later to refer to NYC high society. Or only wearing a corset for a ball; and it being laced too tight. Or men wearing pants. Sigh.
I didn’t connect with Emma’s new Red Lion Square friends, all of whom sounded exactly the same. Simon’s mother was the worst and I really enjoyed Emma’s standing up to her.
This was a bonkers premise that entertained, but it had a slow start and their character growth never captured my interest. I feel like they needed deeper conversations and reflections. I liked their chemistry, but for me misunderstanding one another’s gender wasn’t their biggest problem so I struggled to see the necessity of the Freaky Friday concept.
3.5 stars I received an arc from NetGalley
jlee76's review
medium-paced
3.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The Lord Pretender is a unique, entertaining story. This is a historical romance with a little of the fantastical and a dash of humor. Emma vows vengeance against Simon and his club. Emma blames Simon for encouraging her father to gamble away the family’s fortune. After two brief encounters as strangers, Simon and Emma confront each other during a thunderstorm and magically switch bodies.
I was cautious going into the novel due to the magical nature of the plot. The body-swap worked; the plot focused on how Simon and Emma handled each other’s lives rather than the why and how of the swap. There were a couple of loose ends. Simon’s niece’s revelation was far-fetched. Also, Simon’s father demands Simon to make a vow concerning his mother, and we never learn why his father made him do this, which bothered me. That being said, this was a tricky plot device that could have gone wrong in many ways. I believe it worked and told a romantic, socially conscious story.
The romance was unique due to the body swap; however, the connection between
Simon and Emma were intense. Simon had to learn what life was like for a single, destitute woman with no prospects. Emma had to learn what life was like as a man who had the whole world at his beck and call. Reading how these characters learn humility and grace in their respective roles was striking; that was the best part of the book. The plot moved well; in the middle, it drags just a bit, but the final twenty-five percent flew by.
The Lord Pretender is the first book in the Red Lion Ladies series. Sawyer North is a new author to me, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of his writing. The balance between the practical and the fantastical was perfect. There were a few minor issues, as stated above, but all in all, I felt this was a solid beginning to a unique and entertaining series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Lord Pretender is a unique, entertaining story. This is a historical romance with a little of the fantastical and a dash of humor. Emma vows vengeance against Simon and his club. Emma blames Simon for encouraging her father to gamble away the family’s fortune. After two brief encounters as strangers, Simon and Emma confront each other during a thunderstorm and magically switch bodies.
I was cautious going into the novel due to the magical nature of the plot. The body-swap worked; the plot focused on how Simon and Emma handled each other’s lives rather than the why and how of the swap. There were a couple of loose ends. Simon’s niece’s revelation was far-fetched. Also, Simon’s father demands Simon to make a vow concerning his mother, and we never learn why his father made him do this, which bothered me. That being said, this was a tricky plot device that could have gone wrong in many ways. I believe it worked and told a romantic, socially conscious story.
The romance was unique due to the body swap; however, the connection between
Simon and Emma were intense. Simon had to learn what life was like for a single, destitute woman with no prospects. Emma had to learn what life was like as a man who had the whole world at his beck and call. Reading how these characters learn humility and grace in their respective roles was striking; that was the best part of the book. The plot moved well; in the middle, it drags just a bit, but the final twenty-five percent flew by.
The Lord Pretender is the first book in the Red Lion Ladies series. Sawyer North is a new author to me, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of his writing. The balance between the practical and the fantastical was perfect. There were a few minor issues, as stated above, but all in all, I felt this was a solid beginning to a unique and entertaining series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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