Squeaky Clean Romance

 

Lord Fenton's Folly (Proper Romance)
by Josi S. Kilpack
Series: Proper Romance
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (October 6, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1629720666
ISBN-13: 978-1629720661
Approximate Lexile: 1130

 Publisher’s Blurb:

Lord Fenton is a gambler and a dandy, and he will be stripped of his wealth and position unless he rises to his responsibility—one of which is to marry. Far from being a giddy groom, Fenton chooses the unobjectionable Alice Stanbridge simply because he had known her as a young girl and his mother feels Alice would make a good wife.

Alice, however, has harbored feelings for Fenton since their first meeting years ago, and his proposal is a dream come true. Not only would a match with the most-eligible bachelor in London secure her future, but it will also give her a place of distinction and admiration. Had anyone admired Alice for anything before now?

When Alice learns that she is not only an unwanted wife, but a demanded one, however, she closes her heart. Only when Lord Fenton faces the greatest trial of his life does he begin to find love beyond the folly. Could a great love come from a beginning such as this?

My Thoughts:

Wow. It’s been a looooong time since I’ve read a straightforward, not-ashamed-to-say-it romance novel. I see the formula hasn’t changed. Meet cute. Hate each other for a while. Decide you love each other after all. Live happily ever after. It only took me three hours start to finish. (Hint: Don’t start a new book at 9 p.m.)

Alice is a strong character with a mind of her own, not a simpering, marriage-minded girl. Since this book is set in an era where a woman’s only (or close to only) option is marriage, that’s a nice thing. The fact that the man she’s had a crush on since she was a child is the one asking is a great bonus. Too bad he is only marrying because he has to.

 Fortunately, it’s not quite as simple as that. What I really enjoyed about this book is its examination of the effects of parental actions on their children. Fenton is the seeming-idiot because he doesn’t want to become his father.

 Yes, the ending is predictable, but the journey there is fun, and the lead characters are both worthy of their happy-ever-after.

Possible objectionable material:

References to sex, married and extramarital, but nothing shown. The hottest it gets here is desire. A character is developmentally delayed—possibly Down Syndrome, but is treated with great kindness.

 Who would like this book:

Romance fans who don’t need sex scenes—or even much kissing. This is very much about emotion, not physicality. Probably women more than men. It’s squeaky clean, so if a middle-grader wanted to read it, I wouldn’t object, though they might not quite have the emotional maturity yet for the full effect.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Reader e-book.