A review by rosemaryandrue
How to Woo a Wallflower by Virginia Heath

emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Finally making her debut after a long recovery from a horse-riding accident, Hattie is relegated to the wallflower chairs - but at least her brother's rakish best friend, Jasper, is there to keep her company.

This might have been the oldest remnant on my NetGalley shelf that I've yet swept off - while I like this genre and this author, I never seemed to get into the mood for it. I had the idea that this would be a straightforward Regency romance, and the book did not exceed my expectations.

It was a quick, charming read about a pair of characters that I liked as a couple. When an orphaned child, the daughter of a friend, falls into Jasper's lap, Hattie tries to help him be a better father, but as he has a scandalous reputation they cannot associate very openly. I liked how Jasper saw Hattie as the strong, capable person she was when everyone else seemed to write her off due to her disability. I also liked how Hattie's life-altering accident and long recovery was presented in a realistic and unsentimental light.

However, I did feel like the book used a lot of Regency romance tropes, and not always to the best effect - a hero who owns a gentlemen's club, an unexpected child, and the brother's best friend, for example. While these elements are all woven into the hero's background in a convincing manner, I just thought there was too much going on. With so many stock elements thrown together, while the book is well-written and enjoyable, it simply does not have staying power after I've turned the last page.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings