A review by quinn_0611
A Gentleman Never Tells by Eloisa James

4.0

After really enjoying James' novella Winning the Wallfower, I decided to read another novella of hers that had been gathering dust on my kindle. A Gentleman Never Tells by Eloisa James was such an adorable read, and I'm so glad I read it.

A Gentleman Never Tells is about widow Lizzie Troutt, who's husband passed away in another woman's bed. Lizzie's marriage had been anything but happy, and has left some pretty emotional scars. Although it's been a year and a half since her husband's passing, Lizzie has been hiding herself away, always losing herself in a book. She's visiting her sister, though, who wants Lizzie to get out there again. Oliver Berwick was kind of a jerk when he was young. So he agrees to attend a house party hosted by Lizzie's sister, hoping to apologize to Lizzie's sister (he called her some names). When he arrives and meets Lizzie, though, he's captivated by her.

Lizzie broke my heart a bit. She's a bit depressed, and she's quite frail. She's angry with her dead husband, but she's also so veyr angry at her father. She also feels a bit of shame (although she has no reason to) and it's left her very fragile. She's not at all interested in remarrying. But her persistent sister nags her into attending this house party, and it was wonderful to start to see Lizzie start having a zest for life again. This being a novella, she does seem to get over her depression very quickly, but I still think it was handled well.

Oliver was adorable! He's currently the guardian of his teenage niece, Hattie, and I loved his relationship with her. Seriously, he's so wonderful with Hattie and I think that's what made me love him. Certainly Oliver gets frustrated with Hattie, who is such a teenage, but it's so clear how much they care for each other. I couldn't get enough. Once Oliver meets Lizzie, he is so captivated by her, and I loved seeing him coax Lizzie out of her shell.

Oliver and Lizzie made such a wonderful couple, too. Of course they get together quickly, as this is a novella, but I believed their chemistry and their caring for each other. The supporting cast, particularly Hattie and Lizzie's sister, were standouts as well. I definitely need to read more from this series.

A Gentleman Never Tells by Eloisa James was such a fun story. I loved Lizzie and Oliver, I loved the supporting cast, and I loved the romance. I absolutely have to read more Eloisa James.This review was originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook