I especially enjoyed the first half of this book. I found it kind of interesting and very funny at times. Griffith was a splendid character, my favorite by far!

However, the second half, where everything was about solving the mess characters had created up to that moment, wasn’t very good in my opinion. I was not completely involved in that part of the story, and Isabella got a bit annoying to me.

I think the problems were not that difficult to solve, so it seemed as if the story was prolonged unnecessarily.

It was awesome to see a glimpse of Colin and Georgina again, though! Their book is still the one I enjoyed the most out the entire series.

I also loved the beautiful meaning and importance Griffith gave to dancing. Besides, his integrity and good heart made him a true hero to me.

I’m glad to know the Hawthorne family found his happy ending after all.

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

What a very special book An Inconvenient Beauty is. When you start off with a poor little boy who has lost his father whom he has loved and adored - to be pushed into a man's role at the age of eleven just isn't right - it just isn't - but they did it to him and didn't give it a second thought - how cruel they were - they pushed such expectations on him - can you imagine what kids in school thought of him now that he is a - well I wont tell you what he became because of his fathers death you have to find out when you read it - you will love it - then when he is grown - boy oh boy - you just wont believe it - what a man he turned out to be - then she was in his life - but I am not going to tell you all of that because you should read that for yourself - I dont like to tell you the whole story - but I will tell you - it is adventurous, dapper, brilliant, a beacon of love, shows a foundation of faith, charming and tremendously enjoyable. I am so glad I read this book

A Charming, Heartfelt and Delightful Regency-era Romance.
The Duke of Riverton knows it is time for him to take a bride and produce an heir, but he’s not taking the task lightly. He’s picked the most practical and least exciting potential bride to court. But her cousin, Isabella is always around, and as much as he doesn’t want the complication, he can’t help but be drawn to her.
Isabella Breckenridge comes to London for her first season as a debutant, but it comes with a hitch. She’s struck a deal with her uncle to entertain the attention of the society men for his political advantage. If she does what he asks, her family’s farm will be saved. If she doesn’t, they risk losing everything. So when she falls for Riverton, she must choose between love or family.
I’ve been very lucky to find so many wonderful historical romances this year, and this one ranks high up there amongst them. Hunter’s writing is suberb and her voice is perfect for the era. It was easy to imagine a ballroom filled with couples sweeping across the floor in dance as groups gathered on the fringes to watch and mingle. I was easily transported to the scenes, and eager to read more. The romance between Griffith and Isabella is wonderful and swoon-worthy. Both characters are struggling with their own problems and insecurities, and must rely on faith to bring them together.
It’s a wonderful, heart-warming story, and an ending with ALL THE FEELS.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is book four in the Hawthorne House series, even though it is a stand alone book you will miss a lot of the history behind many of the characters in this book if you only read this one. You can read it as a stand alone though and not really get lost in the book, yet there are a lot of different characters in this book that you will meet in the previous books that will help you keep everyone straight.

I fell in love with the Hawthorne family from the first book I read in this series. So I was excited to finally read one dedicated to the handsome Duke. Griffith, Duke of Riverton, is a unique character with an organized life so when he finally decides it is time to seek a wife he plans to do so in an organized fashion.

Miss Isabella Breckenridge is a beauty beyond measure. When she agrees to a plan to help her family will it be more than she can go through with? Isabella is a beautiful, fun loving girl with a huge heart. But when guilt collides with the heart will she do the right thing?

I love all the books I have read in this series and hated to see it come to an end. Kristi Ann Hunter does a great job at developing her characters and describing the scene so that you feel a part of the story.

The author weaves a tale of misdirection, introspection and an unexpected love connection.

When I started this book I didn't know this was fourth in a series. Not that it matters a whole lot, but it might have given a little more history on Griffith and his family. But even without reading the first three, the story tells how Griffith came to be the Duke at such a young age and how it has impacted his thought process when it comes to choosing a wife. It was actually quite comical in some ways...men are more logical and don't realize that you can't choose a spouse that way.

Isabella has had a quite life in the country and it is only when her father cannot maintain the farm that she is persuaded by her Uncle to help entice men to side with him on a political bill that was important to him to pass. He apparently is not beyond using his niece for a political win.

But no matter what Griffith and Isabella think or expect from life, they never thought that they would find their soul mates within each other. It is a tough road for both of them and they fight the attraction that grows with each other but of course do not win.

I really enjoyed this story for the time period, how people acted in relationships, the underhandedness of some people (because you have to have some "evil" to round out a story) and for the comedic thoughts and acts of various characters that brought some levity to the time and their situation. Plus it goes to show you can't go looking for love, it is going to find you no matter where you hide!

It is not often that you read a book where you feel the author really made it a point to bring the point home on how hard it was to be a beauty.

I felt this story really showed the drastic measures that men took in the time period to use and abuse their power over women and their families, while playing with their heart.

The story was totally enjoyable, while not too deep, it was enjoyable and I would love to read more by this author. If you enjoy regency fiction, you will want to check this one out. It is likely my favorite by this author so far.

I received this book through NetGalley. The opinions contained herein are my own.

Regency Romances are such fun, and An Inconvenient Beauty is no exception. With any historical fiction, we must accept that those times had obvious (sometimes cringeworthy) ideologies and social norms. I’m talking about the lack of agency for women, even the elite, and the socio-economic disparities rampant throughout history.

With that said, An Inconvenient Beauty is entertaining and not without a hefty dose of subterfuge and excitement. While the reader pretty much knows what’s going on, our dear Duke of Riverton (Griffith) has to figure things out for himself.

Isabella is trapped in the situation of ‘do as you’re told or I’ll destroy your family,’ and by her uncle no less. Isabella wants only to save her family from poverty, so as she goes along with her uncle’s insidious plan to advance his own agenda, she finds herself falling for the Duke of Riverton just as he is falling for her. Oh, what a tangled web!

While the main characters (Isabella and Griffith) are well developed and engaging, I found myself drawn more to Frederica (Isabella’s cousin and daughter to the infamous uncle). It’s not only because of Frederica’s obvious “flaw” of an oversized nose. I swear I wanted to see what her nose looked like because with every mention, it seemed to become even larger, matched only by Griffith’s hulking stature. Frederica is a delightful study in friendship, fortitude, patience, and gumption. I most definitely liked her the best.

While the romance aspect is sweet and lively, the dark undertone of Isabella’s false flattery toward her admirers during her first London season adds a layer of intrigue to an otherwise standard romance. No spoilers, but keep your eye on the uncle. he’s devious, yes, but his backstory is quite heartbreaking.

As an added bonus, I found myself looking up the Apothecary Act (or Apothecaries Act of 1815) to find out more on this topic that drives the plot of An Inconvenient Beauty. When a book sends me off looking for more information, everyone wins!

I look forward to reading more in this Hawthorne House series!

An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Story Notes

Kristi Ann Hunter’s much anticipated final story in her Hawthorne House series brings laughter, love and a challenge to readers to decide if the characters involved made the best choices for their situations.

This story has been on my much awaited to-read list since I was given the first two for Christmas last year. Ms. Hunter has a way of bringing her stories to life so that her readers can relish the elegance of the time period but also relate to the situations in which the characters find themselves. She adds excellent dialogue that is witty and sharp and gives much needed moments of levity when the drama or danger becomes overwhelming. I have laughed, cried and held my breath throughout the first three stories and was so very excited to see how Ms. Hunter was going to tell Griffith’s story. And Ms. Hunter did what she always does – made me love this story more than the last. Griffith, Duke of Riverton, is the last marriage hold-out of the Hawthorne family. Not that he hasn’t had his hands full in the past few years, ensuring that all his siblings found spouses that would love them and the Lord wholeheartedly. But as he is the Duke, he knows that he must marry and produce an heir to carry on his family’s legacy. The problem is that choosing a wife of his social class while in society is very difficult given that most people do not show their true selves to their peers. So Griffith sets about choosing his wife in the same way he does everything else – logically and precisely. Much to the consternation of his family, he chooses a lady who is of steady character but with little care for what standing she has in society. But, unbeknownst to him, Frederica St. Claire is still in love with soldier Arthur Saunderson who was, until recently, presumed dead in battle. In an effort to spend time with Arthur without her father finding out, Frederica enlists the help of her cousin Isabella Brekenridge to distract the duke from his courting pursuit. Isabella reluctantly agrees to help as long as it doesn’t interfere with her purpose in her extended visit with her cousin – to help her uncle gain enough support for the Apothecary Bill in the House of Lords. Ever since Isabella’s aunt and cousin died due to medical ineptitude, her uncle, Lord Percy Pontebrook is singlemindedly focused on the passage of an Apothecary Bill that would require those who diagnose, treat or medically attend patients be certified as having certain levels of knowledge in order to practice. As the voting on this bill is to be considered very soon, Lord Pontebrook has offered Isabella the deed he holds to her family’s farm in exchange for her help in getting influential Lords to vote for the bill. Isabella is not pleased with what her uncle would have her do but cannot abide the thought that her family could lose their home if she refuses. So she agrees to use the beauty she was blessed with to become the most sought after debutante of the London Season, giving Lord Pontebrook the opportunity to convince influential Lords of the merits of approving the bill. Into all this mess comes Griffith, wishing to court Frederica but forced into spending time with Isabella as her cousin often finds other places to be when he calls. And as much as Griffith determines that he will never choose a wife that other men would view appreciatively, he finds himself strangely attracted to Isabella and her unique way of viewing the world. When both Griffith’s siblings and friends point out that Isabella is the perfect wife for him with her beauty and ease of navigating society, he reluctantly acknowledges they are right and seeks to make her his wife. His mother further points out that Griffith is in love with Isabella and his reluctance turns to happy determination. But Isabella has already decided to return home and marry someone in her village after she has earned the deed to her home; she refuses to let her uncle dictate any future demands to any Peer she might marry in London. Griffith will have to discover her secret and a solution to Isabella’s dilemma if he stands any chance of convincing her of his love and ability to care for her and her family. And what he finds will have all readers cheering and hoping for the perfect ending to this wonderful story. Ms. Hunter added in the perfect amount of hilarious conversation between the Hawthorne siblings and their spouses as they help Griffith earn Isabella’s love. The blunt and logical way they explain how he should and does feel to Griffith left me laughing out loud and wishing I could have sisters like his. I have loved the frank way in which all the characters in this series have challenged each others faith and this story was no different. Griffith is so very determined to be in control of every aspect of his life that he has a hard time understanding and accepting that love turns one’s life upside down in wonderful ways. God often uses the person He has for us to date/marry to make us examine and rethink our understanding of life and often helps us deepen our faith as we fall in love. Ms. Hunter uses her characters to convey very clearly that one’s life will not be the best it can be if one does not let God work in and through them. She also shares the joy that is to be found when two people work together to love each other and those around them who are hurting. I am sad to say goodbye to this series but am excited to see what Ms. Hunter will be writing next. I have already purchased hard copies of this series for my own shelves and am often recommending it to my friends and family. Hope Ms. Hunter will have something new out soon!

I received this book/e-book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from this company for this review.

An Inconvenient Beauty is a well-orchestrated dance between the two main characters, excellently directed by Ms. Hunter.
While reading, I found the interactions between Griffith and Isabella often parallels that of Darcy and Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. Griffith repeatedly proclaims his love and Isabella repeatedly rebukes him. I also see similarities in how Isabella, like Elizabeth, really starts to fall for Griffith when she first sees his house.

“As they rounded a corner in the lane, Riverton came into view. Air left Isabella’s lungs in a rush as her mouth dropped open a bit at the beauty of the house before her.”

The two main characters are the real draw in An Inconvenient Beauty. Isabella is willing to sacrifice almost anything, including her reputation and her own happiness, to save her family and their farm. I find that admirable. She is also more interested in nature, plants, and parks than society, dresses, and impressing suitors. I could see myself spending time with Isabella. Griffith has seen his siblings settled and is now looking for a love match for himself. He thinks he can plan and calculate true love. I found his naivety hilarious, though I imagine this was not the original intention. Every time Griffith comments about how well he has planned out the life, and wife, he wants, and how Isabella does not fit into that plan, I chuckled.

“applying a little logic to the situation, he would have no problem finding love with someone who would throw his life into utter chaos and put him through complete turmoil before finding his way to happiness. The key was not getting caught off guard.”

I found myself struggling with the first half of An Inconvenient Beauty. Part of the problem was likely my inability to focus on anything post hurricane. I found myself uninterested in the plot or the back-story of the main characters. Though, once the two main characters start interacting on a regular basis, the book really came alive. Additionally, this is the fourth book in the series. The characters from the first three books are Griffith’s siblings. An Inconvenient Beauty could stand alone, but I feel like I was missing the connection to the other characters by not having read those books. Miranda’s book sounds the most interesting!

Overall, An Inconvenient Beauty is an enjoyable historical romance. I look forward to catching up with the characters in the other books of this series.

I LOVE Kristi Ann Hunter’s Hawthorne House series. The Regency setting, romance, societal intrigue, family values, humor, and dynamic characters – it’s perfection. Sadly, An Inconvenient Beauty wraps up this charming series, but what a smashing conclusion it is!

I'm a HUGE fan of regency literature, and while this market is flooded with books, its a rare find to come across an author that does this so on the mark. The research is impeccable. For an American author to get right the super fine details (which I notice as a British reader), it is very much appreciated by me. Kristi Ann Hunter has written a top quality series, Hawthorne House. This book is the final book of a 4 plus 1 novella series. Reading a series is special, especially one in which you love all the characters. We are introduced to all the Hawthorne siblings in the first book, and they have evolved into the beloved characters we feel we know intimately by series end. Griffith, the Duke of Riverton is presented as the elder brother, the Duke that received his title at a young age upon the untimely death of his father. We meet him as he is the best friend of Ryland, Duke of Marshington, and older brother to Lady Miranda in the first book. He takes his role seriously and has spent his energies on watching over and protecting the interests of his family. He has unselfishly has put his own life on the back burner, and it has been several years since he shared his London home with family members. I find it interesting as the story develops as Griffith truly discovers how lonely his life has become. He has, quite naturally analyzed the rocky road of love that he has just witnessed from his 3 siblings, and doesn't want to risk reputation or time over the mess that he perceives it to be. He has done his research and he is ready to put his plan into action. Of course, that would be a really boring plot, and thankfully Griffith has not accounted for the most beautiful woman London has seen since his sister Georgina's first season, arrives on the scene.

Brought to London from her home county of Northumberland, Isabella Breckinridge has made a deal with her Uncle, a titled relative who holds a seat in the House of Lords. She is here to help him with his agenda of passing the Apothecary Act, in return he will help her family with their financial plight. Despite her mother coming from the aristocracy, she gave up her life of privilege to raise her family on a farm in the north. They have fallen on hard times, and Bella will do anything to save them. It goes against every grain of her moral character to step out into London's finest homes and ensnare the attention of the men of ton, but she will do what she sees as the only thing she can do. Trying to keep up the pretense of someone she is not, brings her a misery she has never known, and many times she contemplates abandoning her Uncles plan, and escaping back home.

Griffith's & Bella's paths collide, and neither of them will be left the same.

I loved this book so much! I was such a huge fan of Ryland & Miranda's story (book 1) that I really struggled to get in the game with the other books. I enjoyed them, but there was something special about finally getting to the man himself, the Duke, and getting this full on look inside his thoughts. We've only been given small glimpses, and he has carried himself with all the honor and respect of a good man. What kind of heroine will the author reward him with? Isabella fits every single character trait we would have wished for.

Do I love scenes set in London? Not really. It's my favourite city in the whole world. I think my challenge is my favourite part of the regency era is the grand estates, and they are so beautiful and vast - plus, the opportunities when the cast of characters relocate to the country enable so so much more than the never ending balls, opera or hosting visitors in the parlour! The story is so much more intriguing and exciting. In fact, as I was reading I was getting to the point where I was saying to myself "come on Griffith, lets get a party started at your estate in the country.... NOW!!" Lo and behold, the very next chapter his mother has taken it upon herself to move the entire group to Hertfordshire. Hallelujah. Loved it. So many gorgeous scenes. The emotions of the major characters are so well written you are feeling everything they are feeling. I could not put this book down.

This final book rounded off this series so perfectly. I'm going to miss this family incredibly.. kind of hoping Kristi has plans to bring Isabella's family into a series in the future? That would be good. Rags to riches at the graces of the wealthy and titled elder brother in law perhaps?!!

Thank you for a truly fantastic series. This is hard to beat. Regency at its finest.

Thanks to Bethany House for the complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest review.

It can’t be over! I’ve been anticipating this book for months and now, it’s over! What?! I fell in love with the Hawthorne siblings in the first few pages of “A Noble Masquerade” and have adored joining them on their sometimes less-than-smooth paths to love. That being said, my excitement for this book was tempered just the slightest bit because this is the last book! And I’ve been waiting for Griffith’s book since first meeting this protective, loving, sometimes a bit arrogant, always particular, big brother and what if this book wasn’t what I’d been expecting? What if, by some strangeness I can’t even comprehend, I didn’t like it? What if I didn’t love Griffith as much between the pages of his own story? Honestly, I don’t even know why I entertained any of these questions, because I absolutely adored this book!
I so wanted to take my time and savor this last Hawthorne House story, but best intentions flew right out the window the moment I turned the first page and I flew right through it, sighing as I flipped the final page hours later. Ms. Hunter always keeps me turning pages long after I’ve promised myself and others “just one more paragraph/page/chapter,” and this story is definitely no exception! As always, I loved her writing style, the unique way she describes things, her quirky characters, and interesting plot twists. I so enjoyed having all of the siblings back and harassing one another in love. There were quite a few “laugh out loud” moments that had other people questioning my sanity and me trying to explain, “you’d have to have been there.” I love how completely Ms. Hunter’s stories draw me in, until it seems as though I’m right there with them, standing on the ballroom floor, wondering what on Earth I’ve gotten myself into.
I’ve already said how much I adore Griffith, but Isabella “Bella” Breckenridge was entirely a surprise for me! I simply fell in love with her character! I loved her heart for others, in particular her cousin, Frederica, and her family. She’s willing to sacrifice anything for them, even her own happiness. She is beautiful, but underneath the trappings, she’s witty, sarcastic, funny, caring, kind, and straight-forward, despite the deceit that brings her and Griffith together. She’s someone I’d dearly love to be friends with - and not just because I’d get to meet Anthony, Ryland, Trent, and Griffith - that’s just a perk.
Okay, I do have to expound on Griffith just a bit more. I can’t resist! He’s so swoony! I know I say that a lot, but a guy that goes to his little sisters for advice and takes a lady to look at the trees . . . *sigh* Too bad he’s taken. But, there’s so much to be said for this giant of a man who adores his family and takes his role as Duke so seriously that he makes a plan for who and how he’s going to marry, unwilling to even consider making a mistake in something so important. I loved the heart behind the idea, but I was right there with Ryland and Anthony, laughing at Griffith trying to plan something like falling in love. And I had to applaud Bella for unintentionally throwing a huge wrench in his grand plan. Their romance was so sweet! If more than a little odd (which seems to be the case for these siblings). Neither of them is what the other was looking for, but the story never seemed contrived. I couldn’t resist sighing at the sweet moments and laughing as their best laid plans went very awry.
All of that to say, I loved this book! Go, read it, sigh often, laugh out loud, and fall in love!

I really enjoyed reading this book.

The story itself is nice and well plotted and, well, I really loved to see a man like Griffith being felled by love. All his logic, all his reason - puff. Gone. Love isn't logical and love isn't something that you can control. Some people have to learn the hard way... Griffith definitely is one of them.
Griffith and Isabella are wonderful together. You can feel their chemistry, even though they try to resist and I loved how both of them tried to protect the other one and do what they thought would be best for the other one.

Frederica, Isabella's cousin, is amazing as well. Her loyalty and her willingness to help her cousin find love is wonderful. Her father on the other hand.....well...... he is definitely not my favorite person. Nope. Not at all. I could understand his motivation and I felt for him as well. He is not evil, he is just...ruthless and somewhat fanatic. Never a good combination, at least not for those around you.

"An Inconvenient Beauty" is the second book in this series and I can definitely recommend it. If you liked the first book, "An Uncommon Courtship", you'll like this one as well. If you haven't read the first book yet, well,don*t worry, "An Inconvenient Beauty" can also be read as a standalone.

I will admit that after Hunter's last book I was hesitant to pick this one up, but the first couple books and novella were just so good that I decided to give it a try. Starting with the cover, I don't really love it, but I do appreciate that it matches the rest of the series.

I really enjoyed Griffith in the other novels (although they can all be read by themselves in any order), so it was fun to see what made him, him. I enjoyed how the story started when he was just a boy at school. It was fun to see Ryland as a boy as well. My favorite thing about Griffith is how he tries to pick his wife. It definitely isn't something that is seen often, and I thought it was refreshing.

My favorite part with Isabella is when she is walking with Griffith and she starts smelling the trees. I found a lot of humor in that :) It was also fun for me to see the old characters make appearances and relate to each other. I am a sucker for family series, and this family is just a great family.

It's not the best book in the series, but I really enjoyed reading it, and I will read it again. If you are looking for a clean, light, easy, entertaining read, this will do the trick.

Review will post on www.literarytimeout.blogspot.com on Oct. 16th, 2017

A lovely regency romance in a Christian framework. Hated to put it down!

I absolutely loved An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter! The only problem I had is that it is the final book in the Hawthorne House series. :( I will miss all of the family. The stories draw you in and it is easy to lose yourself in the world of Regency England. Kristi paints beautiful word pictures of the lives of the Aristocrats. The descriptions of the balls make are so real I could imagine the rush of all of the people. I hope that Kristi will write Lady Blackstone's story. This is definitely a wonderful book to grab a cup of tea and curl up for the day!

I was given this book by Netgalley.com for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Award-Winning Regency Romance Author on the Rise

Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He's certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can't seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.

Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she'll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.

Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?

About the author:

Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is the author of the Hawthorne House series and a 2016 RITA Award winner and Christy Award finalist. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

https://www.amazon.com/Inconvenient-Beauty-Hawthorne-House-Book-ebook/dp/B071KXHZDH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505442293&sr=1-1&keywords=an+inconvenient+beauty

You guys, I've been in a huge book slump. I only read two books last month total. One was a re-read and one wasn't fiction. However, I knew the release date was coming up for An Inconvenient Beauty, and I just had this feeling that this would be a perfect read to help me out of my slump. I ended up seeing this on NetGalley for review, but somehow I missed when it was initially uploaded so I was concerned that I might have missed my opportunity to request it. I was ultimately approved to read and review An Inconvenient Beauty and I started it immediately. And just like I suspected, I had no problems blowing through it.

I was excited to read Griffith's story as he's been a central figure in the previous books in the series. Griffith has been everyone's rock. He's the one everyone else comes to for advice. Normally I would have been kind of put off by Griffith's idea that he could approach finding a wife logically. His family has a tradition of marrying for love despite the customs of the time to marry for practicality. But Griffith thinks he can do both. Considering he watched Trent (his younger brother) go from resenting his own marriage and wife to being deeply in love in An Uncommon Courtship (which was actually the first book in this series that I read), it kind of made sense that he would think that much of his ability to love his future wife would be a conscious decision.

Griffith's in kind of a unique situation. Because he's a duke, most everyone he meets wants something from him. Men want him on their side for political maneuvers and favors. Mothers want to marry him off to their daughters. The daughters also want to secure his hand. And even though he loves his family immensely, he's trying to keep them from meddling and giving him a hard time through the process of finding a wife. This makes trusting others and their motivations a bit difficult. And Griffith takes his responsibilities as Duke of Riverton very seriously. To make this worse, Griffith's made a habit of not dancing at social events except with his family so to dance with anyone outside of his mother and sisters would be equivalent to announcing his engagement or at the very least announcing his intention to court a particular lady. So Griffith attempts to go about his courting in other ways.

I was a little confused in the beginning about what was going on with Isabella. What you need to know is that she's half Scottish. Her mother was English aristocracy but cut all ties when she fell in love with a Scottish sheep farmer. Unfortunately an accident has left her father unable to take care of the farm. Isabella's uncle sees an opportunity to take advantage of her beauty and her family's poor financial situation to exploit her for his purposes. Isabella is to attract as many suitors as possible in order to help her uncle promote his political agenda. Yet, the Duke of Riverton is the one person she's not supposed to attract as his attentions to her would scare away too many other suitors.

Since Griffith has set his eyes upon Isabella's cousin, Fredericka, and Isabella has been told not to encourage the duke, these two have an opportunity to get to know each other without actually wanting anything from the other. Griffith's decision to court Freddie throws Isabella and Griffith into each other's company frequently. Especially when Freddie seems to keep escaping Griffith's attempts.

Now that I've told you too much of the story itself...I really enjoyed this one. I'm not sure I can say that this was my favorite in the series, but it wasn't my least favorite either. I was hooked into seeing if these two could figure out how they really feel for each other and work around the obstacles in their path. There can often be conflicts that are so simple to overcome yet the couple splits over something simple. This wasn't really the case. Things weren't exactly simple and where in other books I get frustrated because the couple just won't communicate with each other, in An Inconvenient Beauty I could respect Isabella for not just going to Griffith to solve all of her problems.

Favorite quotes:


-Amazing how one decision could drive a person so far from where they thought they'd never stray.


-Sometimes truth hurt. And Isabella was glad Freddie was willing to tell her the truth even as she resented the uttering of it.

An Inconvenient Beauty was exactly what I needed. The Christian aspects in the background as well as the culture of the time period kept me from being annoyed with the things that have been bothering me with modern day literature. Both of those things also ensured the story would be clear of language and sex scenes. And Kristi Ann Hunter has proven to pull me in and hook me into the story and characters. An Inconvenient Beauty was no different. I also appreciated and enjoyed the historical aspects that were used in this story to actually further the plot and not just there for decoration. An Inconvenient Beauty gets 4 Stars. Have you read An Inconvenient Beauty? What did you think? Let me know!

An Inconvenient Beauty is like a graceful dance—elegant, engaging, and enchanting. This story made my stomach flutter and my heart beat faster. Definitely a five-star read. One of my favorites this year.

Firstly, (have I ever used that word before?) Ms. Hunter creates dynamic characters! Miss Isabella Breckenridge and her cousin, Miss Frederica (Freddie) St. Claire, are easy to connect with and sympathize with. They are dissimilar in many ways, but are alike in their depth and appeal. They aren’t the typical society debutantes who revel in compliments and long for status and distinction. Isabella and Freddie view and interact with the world around them in distinct ways, but they share a beauty deep inside them where profound compassion, empathy, love, and faith dwell.

I have to say, though, no matter how drawn I am to Isabella and Freddie, Duke Griffith Hawthorne is the beau-of-the-ball and the stealer-of-the-show! (for me, anyway.) When Griff (I like to believe he swoons when I call him that) steps onto the floor, the other characters become part of the ballroom scenery. (Okay, so I’m being overly dramatic.) But seriously, he is big, and tall, and (I’m showing my age with the next adjective) dreamy. As you can see, I tend to get carried away when a hero of a story exceeds my expectations. (And that doesn’t happen as often as you might think.)

Okay, since there is a ‘firstly’, for the sake of consistency, I’m including a secondly and a thirdly.

Secondly, Ms. Hunter has blended history into this story, giving it an authentic feel and realistic flow. I have only slight knowledge of the Regency era, but this story took me on a journey there and gave me a satisfying taste of it.

Thirdly, An Inconvenient Beauty doesn’t contain any drags, as I like to call them. No sludge to slog through. No wearisome pages. The story begins with a gentle rhythm, builds into a stimulating tempo with just the perfect amount of twists and twirls to make the pages turn and your heart leap, then ends in a swirl of satisfying emotion.

I love Christian fiction. I love historical fiction. These two genres are expertly wrapped together with themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and unspeakable love. What a gift!



5 Stars


Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 384
First Lines (Chapter 1): While the limits of human ability prevented Griffith, Duke of Riverton, from being everything to everyone who depended on him for their livelihoods, he’d always assumed there was no limit to what he would do for his family. His mother’s current request was more than stretching those limits. “No.”

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley.

The final instalment in the Regency Romance series ‘Hawthorne House’ finally gives Griffith, the oldest of the four Hawthorne siblings (and eldest son and heir to the Dukedom), his chance at love. It started off on a humorous note, with the young Griffith and his friend paying back school bullies.
Years later, the most practical and unromantic of his siblings decides to seek a wife, a young lady whom nobody would expect yet is most suitable. At first all goes well, until an old love interest comes back onto the scene and Griffith meets the Lady’s beautiful cousin, Isabella Breckenridge.

I must say that the premise of this book was good (a young woman who is being used by a relative to attract the attention of the young men of society for his own purposes, but cannot marry any of them) as was the characterization. Griffith was a likeable character in all the previous books, the wise oldest brother, so tall that he was constantly banging into things, and supposedly could not dance.
There seemed to be fewer egregious Americanisms in this novel, which was something that really annoyed me with the previous ones. Other reviewers, however have remarked that it seems repetitive, and they never connected with the characters. I can understand where they were coming from and I wonder if the author was in some sense, running out of steam with this one. I’m not the informal behaviour of Griffith and his brothers in parliament rang true, acting more like they were in the audience of a football match. The details themselves were interesting, and not often used in the genre, but could have been a little better.

It was an enjoyable story, and plodded along and a decent pace. I would not say there was really anything to make it stand out from a lot of others, but it’s a good light read to pass the time.

I discovered this series a little while back, and dove right in, completely falling in love with the characters, the time period and the author's beautiful way of writing.

But, I have to admit, this book is my absolute favorite of the whole series.

From the beginning of Hawthorne House, I adored Griffith. He has this no-nonsense, always-in-control way about him that drew me to him instantly. So needless to say, I was so very excited to see this final book in the series (say it ain't so, Kristi!!) revolve around him.

I enjoyed the character of Isabella. With the earlier books in the series, I definitely found myself smiling and enjoying myself. But with An Inconvenient Beauty, I found myself laughing out loud at times. The story was lovely and cozy and rich and funny. The characters each had their own distinct personalities, and grew with the plot. Trusting the Lord was at the forefront of every page. My heart has been thoroughly invested in Hawthorne House from the get-go, and I am so very sad to see it go. But how thrilled I am to have lived life with these tremendous characters.