A review by queenjuly
To Save a Sinner by Adele Clee

4.0

I got this book for free on amazon and - judging from the cover and the premise - expected a cheesy, maybe even silly, bodice-ripping romance. To be honest, I normally don't read a lot of regency romances, but I know the typical covers and silently chuckled to myself while reading obscure titles. I was prepared for the worst and was pleasantly surprised, when I actually discovered a decent plot and well-rounded characters. I found Helena to be very likeable and to some extent even authentic. I'm not that familiar with customs and traditions in this particular era of time, since my whole knowledge is based on Jane Austen movies and the like, but Helena didn't strike me as one of those characters who dresses like an 1820-darling and simultaneously behaves and speaks like a modern day woman. There were of course a lot of slip-ups in etiquette, but they were either explained or caused consequences.
The romance was cute, but focused a lot on the physical attraction between the two of them. Especially Lucas couldn't think about Helena without getting a boner. On the other hand there was little unnecessary drama in their relationship, which I appreciated.

Spoiler

I'm talking about the incident at one of the balls, where Helena stumbled upon Lucas and Lady Colebrook, while they were already betrothed. I was relieved that she didn't immediatly cause a scene, but actually used her brain and trusted Lucas to be faithful.

All in all I enjoyed myself a lot more than I expected. Though actually, I expected to be entertained, but more in a "this is so ridiculous" kind of way. Instead, Adele Clee provided a light, but nonetheless entertaining read. If I'm in the mood for some nice and qualitative regency again, I will definitively look out for her novels.