In Kristi Ann Hunter’s latest novel we have the tale of two people getting to know each other AFTER getting married and trying to reconcile their dreams with reality. Trent and Adelaide’s marriage isn’t an arranged one, but is the result of an embarrassing situation. Trent doesn’t think he’s ready for marriage and Adelaide soon realizes how little she knows about running a home.

There are two connected themes in An Uncommon Courtship. The first is that life is unpredictable. The second is that God’s plans are not our plans. The awkwardness of the situation shines through quickly and I was both sympathetic and annoyed with the characters for some of their actions. I felt sorry for Adelaide, given her mother’s treatment of her, and thought she was better off in this difficult marriage. Trent’s family are lovely, even second sister Georgina who was impossible to like at the start of this series. Trent seeks advice from other men, and there’s a good emphasis on the Biblical perspective of marriage. There is a lot of tactful discussion about relations between a man and a woman, and some physical moments described, but the couple concerned is married and there’s nothing to make a reader squirm.

I finished this book hoping there would be one more book in the series. After all, oldest sibling Griffith has yet to make a match. It’s great, therefore, to discover that there will be a fourth title. An Inconvenient Beauty will be released later this year.

Thank you to Bethany House for my complimentary electronic copy of An Uncommon Courtship, which I received in exchange for my honest review.

I will be completely honest—despite owning both the first novella and novel of the Hawthorne House Series, I had not yet brought myself to read them. However, I was recently of the opinion that my day needed a good Regency novel and decided to try ‘An Uncommon Courtship’. Boy, am I glad that I did. Hunter’s characters and writing are captivating and worthy of the invested time. After finishing Lord Trent Hawthorne and Lady Adelaide Crampton’s tale of an unlikely marriage, her more-than-a-little annoying mother and their journey to the love they both wanted, I not only found my way back to the other Hawthorne House books, but read them all in very quick succession and rather miss the characters now that I’ve finished them all. ‘An Uncommon Courtship’ deserves more than a second glance and all of Ms. Hunter’s works are well-worth the read and have my recommendation.

2.5 stars

After reading and loving the first two books in this series, I was really looking forward to this story. Unfortunately, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I still love the characters and writing, but the storyline was just...odd. I didn't get some of Trent's actions and I didn't like how I was confused in the beginning of the book -- you are just kind of "thrown" into the story without much detail (it does come later, but I would have liked to have known right away (in detail) what had happened to lead to the marriage).

Another thing that lessened my enjoyment was the romance. It got a little too descriptive at one point in the story and, while it wasn't completely detailed, it was a little too much for me. It's not something I expect in Christian Fiction and I would have liked it to be a little more "fade-to-black".

I did love the last portion of the story. That was when things really started to click and I was really enjoying the read. I wish the entire book would have been like that, but sadly it wasn't and so I can only give this 2.5 stars. In between "It was okay" and "I liked it".

I am looking forward to the next book, as I'm hoping it is more like the first two -- which I loved -- and I'm curious about Griffith's story. :))

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

I enjoyed this marriage or ruination story. I also enjoyed catching up with characters from the previous stories in this series. This book is the third, but can be read as a stand alone.

Trent makes the decision to marry Adelaide when they spend the evening together after an accident. He is a man of honor and abandons his plans to marry for love.

This romance has some humorous moments. Trent decides to court his wife. Their marriage at the beginning is shaky. They do not know how to communicate with the stranger they are currently living with.

This book had moments when I wanted to hit them with my tablet. Trent knows how to completely bungle things. He overthinks and overreacts. Adelaide has spent her life living in the shadows of her older sister and is wonderful at retreating into her books.

The book shows the progression of their relationship. The extended family added many wonderful moments. I loved it when the family ganged up on Trent, he deserved it.

This book has a strong Christian element. It is clean with kissing and fade to black intimacy.

Source: Netgalley

I love stories with a premise like this, where the couple gets to know each other and falls in love after they marry. There are so many obstacles to overcome- in this situation, it was mostly the lack of communication between Adelaide and Trent and their naiveté. I loved seeing Adelaide come into her own and learn to embrace her new independence. Being free of her family allowed her to blossom and true colors shine. Trent was a bit of an idiot of course as he worked through his feelings of feeling trapped into a loveless marriage, but once he opened his eyes and received some needed advice from his family, he was able to keep "trying again" with Adelaide until their choice to love was finally able to flourish. Great humor and great romance in this story, even if the plot was not as involved as the first book in the series.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter is a Regency Era novel and it’s book 3 in the Hawthorne House series. I have had the pleasure of reading all of the books so far and I have loved all of them, including the prequel novella. This has probably been my least favorite, but it is still a good book. Adelaide has a perfect reputation after living in her sister’s shadow, but one move lands her in a compromising situation. Trent has plans to fall in love and marry the woman of his choosing, but his choice is taken away when he finds himself honor-bound to marry Adelaide whom he doesn’t even know. Can Trent learn how to treat a wife he didn’t want and can Adelaide learn to love a man she was forced to marry?

I enjoyed this book mostly because of the humor and the details of the era. Both Trent and Adelaide have a witty sense of humor and several quirks and this kept the book flowing when the plot lagged (and it does lag several places). This book is different than others like it because it paints a picture of what Christian marriage actually looks like, especially during this time period when arranged marriages happened all the time. The choices the characters make give a great look at what it takes to build a good marriage – the choice to love someone, not be dominated by feelings.

Ms. Hunter is one of the best authors I follow and the number one reason is how well researched her books are. She gives great descriptions and details other authors skip when it comes to historical and Regency novels. I highly recommend An Uncommon Courtship and the entire Hawthorne House series of books! I received a courtesy copy of this book from the publisher to read and give my honest feedback.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, the sexual content was much too explicit for my taste, and resulted in my not even finishing the book. As a general rule, I do not post public reviews of any title unless I can give it at least three stars, so I will not be featuring this book on my blog or on Fiction 411. I look forward to other BHP titles in the future!

Kristi Ann Hunter pens her second book in the historical fiction series set in 1800s (Regency England) featuring the Hawthorne siblings.

In An Uncommon Courtship, Lady Adelaide Bell lived in the shadow of her older sister, while her mother’s efforts focused on getting her sister married. But now her mother plots an advantageous marriage on her behalf, even if it means setting up a situation to compromise her daughter’s reputation.

Lord Trent Hawthorne, the Duke’s brother, lives the life he wants, unencumbered by the responsibility of the dukedom. He plans to fall in love with his future wife in his own time, desiring a love-filled marriage modeled by his parents. Neither of them expect to find themselves in a marriage of convenience brought about by the scheming of Adelaide’s mother. Trent wants to give Adelaide the Season she never had and court her, so they fall in love and have the marriage they both deserve.

Hunter writes with historical detail, lacing the story with humor and courtly romance. This book differs from her earlier books: the main characters are married early in the story and then learn to love one another. They make mistakes in communicating with one another, and their physical relationship is awkward, as one would expect, given the situation.

Trent shows he is a man of honor by wanting to a loving relationship before addressing the physical aspect of marriage. Their physical union is handled tastefully off-stage and without excessive detail. Both Adelaide and Trent want to fall in love with each other and recognize that is vital to a happy marriage. Their relationship was courtly: respectable and clean, certainly appropriate for older teens.

I loved the premise of this book, of a husband romancing his wife. I felt sympathetic toward the hero in this story and could understand why he longed for a marriage like his parents’. I also loved the setting and genre of this Regency romance.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find the heroine relatable. I felt like we were kept at a distance from her. I couldn’t sympathize with her. She didn’t come across as warm, but instead rather robotic. We didn’t get to learn what she wanted, her history, or her motivations. Without these, she didn’t feel “real.”

The pacing lagged a few times, and there were some believability issues that seemed to cause or result from plot holes.

I did like how the hero acted nobly toward his wife. The author also brought up a sensitive issue that I was surprised to see addressed. You’ll have to read to find out what.

On the upside, there was a bit of humor, and I did keep reading to see how the author worked out the central conflict.

This book was ok. I am sure others who like regent will like it but for me it wasnt great. I will recommend it face to face but I will not post a review as I do not post negative reviews unless it is bad.

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Kristi Ann Hunter proves she's "up to the mark" on writing regency romance with her latest story in the Hawthorne House series.

From the first reading of Jane Austen's "Persuation" I have been a great fan of the regency period. And with her Hawthorne House series, Ms. Hunter is quickly becoming one of my most favorite authors writing of this time period. The first two stories in this series made me laugh and cry for the characters and I was so excited to find this third book available for review( a prequel novella comes before the first book but is not full length). And I was not disappointed at all - Ms. Hunter created a tasteful and biblical way of looking at a marriage that did not come from love but from circumstances. Ms. Hunter chose to focus this third story on Trent Hawthorne, younger brother of Griffith, Duke of Riverton, and after finding him such a solid and funny character from the two past books I was glad to see her choice. And Ms. Hunter also took on the somewhat difficult task of showing how a couple might make a marriage together when their match came from necessity rather than love. After Trent Hawthorne and Adelaide Crampton found themselves trapped overnight in a crumbling tower, Trent does the only honorable thing - requesting for Adelaide's hand in marriage. That they were trapped there because of Trent's failed attempt to rescue Adelaide makes Trent all the more determined to repair Adelaide's reputation. What follows is a wonderful story of love that grows when a couple is determined to make it work and let God be the center of their marriage. I truly enjoyed reading this story of Ms. Hunter's, not only for the romance that she brings in such a lovely way but for the challenges to one's faith that she includes. Ms. Hunter created wonderful main characters supported by interesting, funny, and Godly sub-characters that will leave readers considering how they would have handled the situations presented. Trent Hawthorne was unready for marriage and quite resents the fact that it came upon him without love or the timing he thought would be better. But as he knows that is not in keeping with the ways of God, he determines to "court" his wife in order to give them a chance to fall in love. And to do this he believes its best to move out of their home until they both wish to live as a married couple. The problem is he didn't ask Adelaide her opinion or consent, not realizing she would consider it presumptuous and rather embarrassing - given Trent isn't very discrete in his courting efforts. Trent also didn't count on his staff being upset with his avoidance of his new wife; several of them outright berating his cowardice and lack of care. Not knowing what else to do, he sets out to win his wife's affections by giving her the Season in London she was denied before now. Ms. Hunter's Adelaide is everything Trent needs in a wife, if only she had the confidence and knowledge of society she was never taught by her mother. Having been so focused on getting her oldest daughter Helena the best match possible, Lady Crampton neglected to spend any time teaching the same to her younger daughter. This has left Adelaide with a well-developed brain from all the reading she has done but with little skills to apply to her new social position. She also has a tendency to become disheveled in small ways every day - though she isn't always sure how it happens. It will be for these traits that Trent begins to develop true affection for her, finding her fresh and different way of looking at the world deeply endearing. But there is still the matter of discretion in their situation so neither will be embarrassed by Trent's courting of his wife. Enter Trent's sisters and mother - all of whom are thrilled that Trent has taken such a lovely and sweet wife and are shocked at his blatant disregard for her new position in society. Oh, how I laughed at how quickly and decisively Lady Blackstone and her daughters set this to rights. Their quick wit and teaching would provide Adelaide with the confidence she will need to take her place in society and to take on her mother. And Trent, upon learning of the scheming ways of Lady Compton, will make it his greatest mission to protect and defend his wife against her spitefulness. As they progress in their love, Trent and Adelaide will decide to consummate their marriage - with what they view as disastrous results. I so appreciated the careful and tasteful way in which Ms. Hunter took on this issue. There was nothing overly descriptive in the way Ms. Hunter told of their night together, leaving it with Trent carrying his wife into their room. And even the next day when Trent tried to ask a married friend for advice for why everything didn't go as he thought it should, Ms. Hunter took care to keep everything very clean. I was glad to see she did not shy away from this as others have, rather she brought to light the awkwardness that a virgin couple faces when they first come together. And when things did not go as expected, Ms. Hunter had Trent and Adelaide turn to those around them that would give them the best advice - that marriage and all its inclusions takes work and time to get right. Their family and friends were kind and helpful - pointing out that everything in marriage goes better when there is love bringing you together. So they both began, not without mistakes, seeking out the good of each other and finding ways to build love by doing for each other. And Ms. Hunter had this serve them well as a couple when they began to be tested in their relationship. Lady Crampton still hopes to use Adelaide's marriage into the Duke of Riverton's family to help Helena rise in societal position and will do whatever necessary to make that happen. When her plans for making Trent jealous enough to do whatever Adelaide wants is uncovered, Lady Crampton finds out that Trent and his family are not people one would care to be at odds with. They have all come to know and love the newest member of their family and will not allow her to be bullied - giving her the confidence to place limitations on her mother's future presence and influence. And her confidence will, in turn, allow her to encourage Trent to use his God-given talents that he had hidden away so long, bringing them even closer together. I know that Ms. Hunter will have another book in this series as she would not leave such a great character as Griffith Hawthorne without his only tale of love, but I feel that Ms. Hunter has done exceptionally well with this story. It challenged and entertained me and I enjoyed considering what I would do if placed in these circumstances. I have no doubt I would have reacted much the same as Trent, but I pray I would have also tempered my resentment with grace as Adelaide did and be assured that God would not have given me the situation if he had not prepared me and provided support to carry me through. Ms. Hunter reminds her readers in a gentle and fun way that God does not always do what we expect but He always does what is best for His children. I cannot wait to read however many more books Ms. Hunter will include in this series and any others she will choose to write. I will most certainly share this book and the rest of the series with my friend and family and recommend them most highly. Well done, indeed!

I received this book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

I could have loved this book, I really could. There was a lot to like in it. I loved Trent Hawthorne, another slightly eccentric and socially awkward character, and Adelaide, who was also something of a misfit with clumsy streak (yeah, I really identify there).
It was all about two characters who married in less than desirable circumstances learning to love one another, with all their foibles. There was plenty of wit and humour, especially involving Adelaide's mother who was- for lack of a better word- a total harpy.

However, there were two elements that ruined it for me. First was the matter of the consummation. The scene itself was not nearly as graphic as I had expected from some reviews, not at all really. Yet the characters went off and discussed it with family members afterwards. This made the whole thing embarrassing and really, awkward for the reader as well as the characters
The other major complaint I had was with the language. Again, as with the previous instalments, this Regency novel was riddled with Americanisms. I can ignore these if they are not too obvious, intrusive or only in the narration instead of the character's speech, but that was not the case here. I would be getting into the book, and then another Americanism would just knock me straight out of the setting.

British people say 'fix tea' or 'fix breakfast'. They sake make or prepare tea- fix means something different in Britain. Also, please, for goodness sake, I once again implore American authors to stop writing about Brits putting cream in tea. WE-DONT-DO-IT. If what is meant by 'cream' is thick, whole milk call it milk. Not cream.
Back to the matter of the language, we don't usually say 'gotten' all the time, and we don't say 'drapes' or 'candies' We say 'curtains' and 'sweets'. Regency ladies did not ‘write their mothers', they wrote to them.
I don't deny that this author worked hard on this series, and generally she did a good job, but she would really benefit from a British beta reader, who could spot that sort of things, because sadly this Brit found the constant use of American terms and phrases not just jarring, but really grating.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, I like the characters, and I will read the next one, but I'm not sure I would want to spend money on the paperback. Maybe the Kindle edition. Without some of the problems above, this series could be comparable to the Greats of the Christian Regency genre, but sadly feel short.

I requested an electronic copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley for review. I also purchased the paperback of my own volition. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

The lovely cover draws you into the character before you even pick up the story. Marriage in a rush, based on rumors begins this tale.

I found myself pulled in as it was not your typical "marriage of convenience" story. The familiar characters were manipulated by those in charge and I found I related to that. In this case, the couple decided to work to court and have a relationship before actually acting on being married. I found that refreshing, although not totally realistic. Men are generally not that honorable. Trent is the ideal gentleman and will keep you reading until the end, while you laugh over his "pineapple" dreams as well. The snappy wit of the the lady, kept me chuckling to myself as well.

Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier if she hid in her older sister's shadow--which worked until her sister got married. Even with thepressure of her socially ambitious mother, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience to save her previously spotless reputation.

Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn't be happier that he is not the duke in the family. He's free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, which includes grand plans of wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he doesn't know, his dream of a marriage like his parents' seems lost forever.

Already starting their marriage on shaky ground, can Adelaide and Trent's relationship survive the pressures of London society?
Review...

An Uncommon Courtship is the third book in Kristi Ann Hunter's Hawthorne House Series. I was excited to read this book having read the previous two books where Lord Trent was sprinkled throughout.

Truth be told, Lord Trent's story was not what I had been anticipating but I enoyed it nevertheless! I absolutely loved the less than refined Adelaide and the very unconventional courtship of Trent and Adelaide. Admittedly, I don't read too many novels where the love interests are already married but An Uncommon Courtship has sparked an interest in seeing those out. A novel with a married couple would and should naturally include the daily aspects of a couple's life, but I have to say that Kristi Ann Hunter dared write about a topic that is almost taboo but pulled it off marvelously!! Well done Kristi!

If you are looking for a Regency read that includes all the conventional, but also pulls you into the truth behind the facades with romance, a little eye brow raising, and drama, this is the book is for you.

I just want to also mention that this book is intended for adult readers.

Overall Rating - 4.5 Stars

Lord Trent Hawthorne has just got married … a forced marriage of honour to Lady Abigail Bell, daughter of one of the most irritating women he knows. Being forced into marriage to salvage Abigail’s reputation isn’t how he’d planned on marrying, but it’s a done deed and he has to make the best of it. But he has no idea how to be a husband.

And Abigail has no idea how to be a wife. All she knows is that she doesn’t want to be the kind of wife (or mother) her mother is. After an awkward first week of marriage, Trent decides they need to get to know each other before they can have a real marriage, so he decides he needs to court his wife. An uncommon courtship, to be sure.

An Uncommon Courtship has two awkward characters in an awkward situation, and Hunter tells their story with skill and wit. An Uncommon Courtship is Christian Regency Romance. It follows all the Regency Romance normal conventions, except that both Trent and Abigail are Christians, which gives the plot added depth.

Trent is a true gentleman. He’s been forced into this marriage, but is determined to get to know Abigail and turn it into a real marriage. He makes a lot of mistakes, but he’s always willing to fix them (once he actually realises he’s made a mistake. He is a male, so that sometimes takes a while).

Abigail also makes her share of mistakes, although she isn’t as good at fixing them. Not because she doesn’t want to, but more because she’s spent her life being dominated by her mother and doesn’t actually know how to deal with Trent—who is the complete opposite of her unprincipled mother. Mother is a piece of work, and it’s good to see both Abigail and Trent learn how to deal with her.

This is Kristi Ann Hunter’s fourth book in this series, and it’s as good as the previous stories (and has the advantage of being able to be read as a standalone novel—Trent and Abigail dominate the first part of the novel, while the characters from the earlier stories are reintroduced in the second half).

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This is book 3 in the Hawthorne House series, I have not read the first two books and had no problem keeping up with this one. I now want to go back and read the entire series. I fell in love with the entire Hawthorne family and look forward to reading more about this loving family. This novel does have content that may not be appropriate for all ages, even though the author does an amazing job at not being to detailed, I would not be comfortable recommending it to my teenager. The book is well written and full of fun, laughter, sadness, romance and more.

Lady Adelaide Bell is used to being in the background. She is a beautiful somewhat shy lady, yet with opinions of her own as well. She finds herself married to a handsome stranger and wonders if she will ever be truly loved.

Lord Trent Hawthorne has always dreamed of being married for love, so when he finds himself married to a complete stranger is he doomed to a loveless marriage.

Adelaide and Trent must muddle through an uncommon courtship, marriage and many other obstacles that lay among the ton. I loved their many different struggles, their uncertainty and their true compatibility. I look forward to reading more of this family.

I can NEVER put enough emphasis on how much I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE marriage of convenience stories! I LOVE and adore marriage of convenience stories and they’ll always have a special place in my heart. So when I saw this book and read the plot, I knew I had to read it right away!

This book started out very well and it kept me up reading late into the night. I love when a book has that ability to just lift me up and take me to the place of wonder. *sigh* I loved reading about the different incidents that unfolded following the main character, Lady Adelaide and I really liked her character in the story.

The hero was ok but I wish there was “more” to him as far as concerning his character.
I really enjoyed reading this author’s the first book,” A Noble Masquerade” so I’m determined to read the rest of her series. Although this was s good book I can say it wasn’t my favorite in the series. It did have its ups and downs.
This book was full of intriguing romance and adventure something that’s always a plus in my book. 😉
I highly recommend Kristi Ann Hunter’s books. I can’t wait for more of her upcoming books.

*I received a free copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.*

Kristi Ann Hunter is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction/romance authors. Another fantastic book.

I was looking forward to reading this book because I enjoyed SO much the previous one (“An Elegant Façade”). But, no matter how much I tried to like this story, it just didn’t work for me.

Writing is good, dialogues are fine … those were not the problem. The thing was that I didn’t like the plot, the big idea of the book, the whole courtship thing. I couldn’t connect with it.

Even though the main characters were facing what we can call a very hard and awkward situation, I believe they should have taken another approach in order to find a proper solution. I mean, Trent acted like a coward the entire book, and I wasn’t expecting that from him. It was a bit disappointing. Adelaide was better, though. I liked her more.

I’m not saying it’s a bad story; it’s just that I couldn’t be drawn into it.

However, for some reason, I’m letting my expectations go up again for the last book. Let’s see what the Duke’s story brings us!

**I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**