Publisher: Atria Books, April 5th, 2022

Format: ebook

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of The People We Meet on Vacation) Regency Vows series continues with a witty, charming, and joyful novel following a seasoned debutante and a rakish theater owner as they navigate a complicated marriage of convenience.

Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater—the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both.

With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage—Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings.

With “an arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice that rivals the best of the Regency authors” (Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another fresh romantic comedy that for fans of Julia Quinn and Evie Dunmore.

My Review:

Thank you Atria Books for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: marriage of convenience.
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Emily and Julian decide to wed to help each other out; Emily so she doesn’t have to continue to be courted by the man blackmailing her father, and Julian so he can make his theatre more respectable. But as they get to know each other, they worry that their feelings will get in the way of their plans.
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I loved Emily as the main character. She is kind and sweet and learned that her opinions do matter. I also loved how Julian encouraged her to be herself.
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CW: sexual harassment, blackmailing, sexual content.