***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Once Upon a Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt
Book 12.5 of the Maiden Lane series
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Miss Mary Whitsun is far too intelligent to fall for the rakish charms of a handsome aristocrat. But when the gentleman in question approaches her in a bookshop, mistaking her for his fiancée, Lady Johanna Albright, the flirtatious encounter only raises more questions. Could Mary, a servant raised in a St Giles orphanage, actually be Lady Joanna's long-lost twin sister? If so, Mary has been betrothed since birth—to the rakishly handsome artistocrat himself.

Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell, is far too intrigued by Mary to let her go so easily. He's drawn to her sharp mind, indomitable spirit, and the fiery way in which she dismisses him—ladies simply don't dismiss Lord Blackwell. But as Mary makes her first hesitant steps into society, she can't help but wonder if she truly has a place in Henry's world—or in his heart.

What I Liked:

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you'll know that I absolutely adore this series. I have yet to not dislike a book in the series. This series wasn't originally planned to be twelve novels long (with a few novellas), and so every time I saw a new addition, I couldn't wait to read it. Sadly, this is the final installment in the series, which is a little heartbreaking. But it is an adorable and very sweet story that wraps up the series perfectly.

This novella takes us back to where it all begin - at least, back to a character who has been in the series from the start. Mary Whitsun is the beloved "Mary" of Temperance, who is now Lady Caire. Temperance is the heroine of Wicked Intentions, book one. She and her brother Winter ran an orphanage in St. Giles, and Mary Whitsun was one of the first girls to arrive. She had been at the orphanage for the longest, and she came with Lord and Lady Caire when they married. After years in the orphanage and years as the Caire children's nursemaid, life is about to change drastically for Mary Whitsun, when someone mistakes her to be Lady Joanna Albright.

The story begins with Mary in a bookstore, sensing someone watching her. Lord Henry Blackwell comes up to her and mistakes her for Lady Joanna, his fiancee. But he quickly realizes that while she looks like Lady Joanna, she isn't. The next day, Lord Blackwell arrives at the Caire residence with Lady Albright (the mother), and the grandmother. And thus, Mary is whisked into the life of Lady Cecilia Albright, the long-lost twin of Lady Joanna. She is to have lessons on comportment and dancing and all things nobility, and she is to be the one to marry Henry (since he was promised the eldest Albright sister). But a life among gentry isn't what Mary ever dreamed of - or wanted. Even if she has begun to fall for Henry, the dashing lord who she misjudged.

I always thought Mary Whitsun would end up with one of the other orphan boys, but I'm glad to be wrong. Mary is fiery and prickly, and she immediately dislikes Henry, even if she is also immediately attracted to him. She loves her independence and doesn't want to be a lady, even if she doesn't really mind not being the Caire children's nursemaid anymore. Mary has worked hard her entire life, but nothing is like working to be the perfect gently bred lady.

Lord Henry Blackwell is charming, sweet, and a little roguish. He seems playful and charismatic, every inch the aristocratic gentleman. Mary doesn't see this at first, but he is deeply devoted to his family and his family's title, and he is selfless about nearly everything. As Mary gets to know him better, she sees his selfless and noble side.

I love this romance because it is hate-to-love, which I adore! Mary doesn't like Henry on the spot at first, and she lets her prickly side show. Henry thinks she is hilarious, and he likes her from the start. The two of them have great chemistry and the tension builds between them, even when Mary thinks she doesn't want an aristocrat like Henry. They are a great match and they understand each other. It was so adorable to watch them fall for each other. The romance was sweet and so lovely!

The conflict of this novella mainly deals with Mary Whitsun being the long-lost Albright twin, who disappeared the day she was born. Is Mary the missing twin? And who is trying to kill her, just days after Henry discovers her? The book does not end as you think it might, for both Mary and Henry.

I loooove the ending of this novella, because it ties in literally EVERYONE from the original trilogy in this series. Meaning, most of the Makepeace family, and the Reading family, but we also see the Huntington family and extensions (like Bridget and Val). I can't remember if we see Silence and Michael. We see many members of the Wakefield family (like Phoebe and James), though I'm drawing a blank if we see Artemis and Maximus. I so wanted a cameo from them because of their little bundle of job that was hinted at, in one of Hoyt's holiday check-in extras. In any case, the ending of this book is perfect because everyone is a part of it. This made me so happy and a little sad too. Everyone is all grown up! These aren't even "my" book children and yet I'm so proud and happy. I can't even imagine how Hoyt feels!

What I Did Not Like:

I don't like that this series is officially over with this novella, okay? *cries*

Would I Recommend It:

I don't usually read novellas because they're so short and I often want them to be longer. But this novella was perfect in length of density - the story felt complete full. I definitely recommend the novella because it really makes the series feel final. I really recommend the entire series if you love historical romance.

Rating:

4 stars. I appreciate Hoyt for writing this novella, and the other novellas of the series, and the series in general. I am so sad to see the series go and I'm feeling nostalgic already, but I can't wait to read whatever new projects she has in the works. I thought her contemporary was just as good! (I've read Once and Always and loved it. Ah!)

Miss Mary Whitsun is far too intelligent to fall for the rakish charms of a handsome aristocrat. But when the gentleman in question approaches her in a bookshop, mistaking her for his fiancée, Lady Johanna Albright, the flirtatious encounter only raises more questions. Could Mary, a servant raised in a St Giles orphanage, actually be Lady Joanna's long-lost twin sister? If so, Mary has been betrothed since birth—to the rakishly handsome aristocrat himself.

Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell, is far too intrigued by Mary to let her go so easily. He's drawn to her sharp mind, indomitable spirit, and the fiery way in which she dismisses him—ladies simply don't dismiss Lord Blackwell. But as Mary makes her first hesitant steps into society, she can't help but wonder if she truly has a place in Henry's world—or in his heart.

Mary Whitsun is a nursemaid to Lord and Lady Caire’s children (Wicked Intentions, Maiden Lane #1 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7649340-wicked-intentions). She was raised at the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children and when old enough had moved on to employment. She was happy where she was and on the day the book begins she just wants to spend her day off browsing the bookstore. She is rudely interrupted when someone mistakes her for a woman by the name of Lady Joanna.

Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell, was engaged at birth to the oldest of the Albright girls, Cecilia. As infants Cecilia and her twin sister, Joanna, were abducted. The older twin, Cecilia was never found but Joanna had been returned to her family. Because Cecilia was believed dead, Joanna then became Henry’s betrothed. Henry wanted to do the honorable thing and keep the promised engagement that his father arranged. That said, he really didn’t want to marry Joanna. He had grown up with her and truly felt her more a sister than a fiancé. When Henry sees Mary he’s positive that she is the lost Albright twin and alerts her supposed family to her existence.

Mary is thrust into a life of money and privilege and she’s not sure she likes it. She does seem to like Henry, however, and while he annoyed her upon their first meeting she soon finds that she’s falling in love with him. Can a girl who was once an orphan be able to live and thrive in a new family as well as in society?

This was a short but sweet novella. I loved Mary Whitsun. She had strength and backbone and wasn’t afraid to tell off an aristocrat when it was called for. I loved her! I also admired her for not immediately falling into society and her family but holding back to see what happens. It showed her intelligence, that’s for sure.

Henry was a bit of a charmer but underneath it all he was a good man and was trying to do the right thing by honoring his father’s contract with his friend who was an Earl. He truly didn’t want to marry Joanna, however, so when he found the girl he believed to be Cecilia he was thrilled. He was even happier when he realized that she wasn’t woman who quietly did what everyone wanted. She had spunk and personality and that drew her to him. When all was revealed I was happy to see he stood up for himself to his father – it was a great moment.

Hoyt knows how to pull me into a story and keep me there. I loved that this novella was about a child from the orphanage that we’d seen in several books in the Maiden Lane series as I thought it added even more interest to the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
http://bookbinge.com/

After a case of mistaken identity, Lord Henry Blackwell identifies the orphaned Miss Mary Whitsun as Lady Cecilia Albright, the long-lost daughter of an earl, the very woman he is supposed to wed. She is welcomed by her birth mother and twin sister, and even finds friendship with, and an attraction to, her betrothed. However, after two near misses on her life, it appears not everyone is pleased with Henry’s discovery.

Once upon a Maiden Lane is a sweet, standalone novella that appears to wrap up the wonderful Maiden Lane series. As a recent newcomer to the series, I only recognized a handful of the characters mentioned in the story; however, longtime fans will probably enjoy this tale even more because of it. The romance of Henry and Mary is genuine and charming, and I love how the pair so quickly become friends, attracted to each another both physically and mentally. They spend time getting to know one another while getting in a few scandalous moments when left unchaperoned. Of course, Ms. Hoyt tosses in a twist or two, keeping readers on their toes.

While the events of the story would have been significantly altered if only the Countess Angrove had spoken up sooner (I did have to roll my eyes on this part), the lightness and jovial mood of the tale swept me away and made me smile. Once upon a Maiden Lane is a delightful novella for fans of the Cinderella trope.

My Rating: B, Liked It

This series is nothing short of fabulous. Romantic and so very swoony. I love that we get Mary's story at last. She deserves all the love and family, even if it comes with a fair amount of heartache.

Gah!! I don't want this series to ever end. If Ms, Hoyt could just keep writing novellas I'd be a happy camper.

2.75 stars

After the last three “Maiden Lane” novels I read, this novella feels lack the usual perils and excitement the full novels have. Oh I’m not saying this novella is bad, it just doesn’t affect me the way - say - Duke of Desire or Duke of Pleasure did.

The plot is intriguing enough: a missing baby appearing out of nowhere after twenty years, an old betrothal restarted, followed by murder attempts. The hero, Lord Blackwell, is a pleasant enough character who find his match in Mary Whitsun, the bookish nursemaid he met at the bookstore. Individually, these two aren’t particularly memorable given (for Blackwell) how he submits to his father and peer expectations without a fuss. But together, there’s a spark ignited that make the wordplay between these two quite amusing. That said, I wasn’t too convinced with how the affection between Blackwell and Mary built so rapidly.

Considering the length of the pages, I understand that Once Upon a Maiden Lane won’t delve too much into intrigues, trickery, or the character’s personal background. For me, this cheats the novella out of a certain oomph the usual “Maiden Lane” story has. Even the mystery of murder attempts is solved not thanks to our MC, but because someone just finally HAD IT and reveal the truth.

The saving grace of this novella for me is when the hero grows a backbone. That’s a huge plus that raise Once Upon a Maiden Lane in my eye. Without that, I don’t think this reading will have a happy ending for this reader. ;-)


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

While I enjoyed the story of Mary and Henry, I wished there had more depth to the story, which I realize is hard to achieve in a novella. I loved Miss Mary Whitsun's spirit and Henry's determined character to make her his the matter the cost to him. It was a sweet Cinderella story with a HEA with a bit of twist. That I liked a lot.

3.5 stars.
This felt more like a draft than a complete, polished novella. Good ideas, but not enough development. I liked the principal characters and the plot device that brings them together. Unfortunately the climatic denouement felt forced and flimsy - we barely knew the bad guy and I wasn't buying into their story (also because I don't feel like it 100% made sense).

I also usually love Ms. Hoyt's fairy tales (?) that precede chapters in her novels and evolve as the story progresses. This one was a dud. :(

3.5 stars for this cute cute cute novella!

My first experience with Elizabeth Hoyt was only so-so, but I know too many good readers who says she's the best. So I figured I'd give her a few more tries. I'm glad I did!

This was 100 or so pages devoted to Henry and Mary - him a viscount and her a serving maid. Mary bears a strong resemblance to a kidnapped young lady - and Henry mistakes her for the lady's sister. Henry and Mary are thrown together while everyone sorts out who, exactly, Mary is and what role she'll play in Henry's life.

I liked Henry a lot. He's kinda smirky and a sassy pants. But he's also incredibly kind to Mary. Love those bad boys with a heart of gold.

"He'd sat like a tame monkey through the farce this morning. Done everything expected of him as heir to his father - even at the expense of a lovely lady with fiery eyes. A lady who, in different circumstances, he might've wooed and won on his own."

The constant use of the the heroine's full name irritated me. The story didn't click with me at all.

I don't think any book in this series can disappoint me. I've adored every book and even though I'm not usually a novella fan, Elizabeth Hoyt's pack enough story to satisfy me.

Now I'm not gonna lie. I wanted Mary with Joseph (remember the first few books!) and them not ending up together is sad for me. But I also trust that the author did what she felt was right for her characters and I can only hope/pray that Joseph ends up with a story at some point.

Mary and Henry's novella is just enough story to make me not feel cheated by a novella. A mysterious storyline, a few chuckles and a little steam made this a wonderful addition to the Maiden Lane series. Mary has turned into a lovely young woman and Henry (even I'll admit it!) is a good match for her. I don't want to give away anything so I'll just add that the pacing for the story is good and the character development was surprisingly good for a story of this length.

I can't wait to see what Elizabeth has for us next!

Cute story. I was appalled by Hoyt's las book and did not want to read the series anymore but I enjoyed this novella.

Once Upon a Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt is a novella in the Maiden Lane series. While it was a little short for my taste (I prefer a little more depth in a story which is something a novella usually lacks), I found myself really enjoying this one. If anyone is a fan of historical romances, Elizabeth Hoyt should be your go to author. Her books are always spot on for the time frame and are tasteful and sexy at the same time. I certainly recommend this one.

ONCE UPON A MAIDEN LANE is a perfect addition to the Maiden Lane series! The story had a fairy tale vibe that gives readers a feeling of magic.

Lord Henry was captivated by Mary Whitsun, who could be the lost Lady Cecelia Albright, daughter of an earl. Yet what he liked about her was her fiery nature, so different from the daughters of the ton. For Mary, she couldn't quite believe Henry, and she didn't want to be an aristocrat's plaything. Yet, for all her doubts, she was quite attracted to him. These two are sweet and romantic together, and I like how boldly Mary answered Henry, that yes, she did indeed wish to know him better.

Overall, very enjoyable! I was happy to see Mary have her HEA, though she might have been content looking after Temperance's kids. If you're a series fan, you don't want to miss this!

I have read a St Giles series book here r there and this while stands alone also has characters from those other books included. This is the story of Mary who was left as a baby on the orphanage steps. She has the same face as Lady Jo who is Henry's fiancee. As babies lady Jo's sister disappeared and so Henry thinks she is the missing baby and his bethrothed.

This story was sweet, romantic and fun. Someone is also out to get rid of Mary/Lady Cecelia. And is she really Cecicilia? This was a really great story that stands alone and the ending was so much different than I expected.

A sensual and humorous novella set in Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series. Various familiar faces grace us with their presence when a servant of the Clare’s is thought to be a long-lost daughter of an aristocratic family. A sweet romance and a touch of mystery made this an enjoyable read. Review to come.

ONCE UPON A MAIDEN LANE is a novella in the ‘Maiden Lane' series, and as with most novellas, it isn’t long enough to have a fully developed storyline. There a few inaccuracies from the early books, and some continuity errors; things that someone should have checked before publication. Mary's origins, for instance, are different here than from the first book of the series; even though it was an important plot point regarding her relationship with Temperance. The book didn’t even read like a Hoyt story; with undeveloped characters, odd pacing, and dialog that is completely unlike Hoyt. I would have liked to think these things would have been caught in the final edit.

Still, it was a fun and enjoyable story; and it was really nice to revisit characters from other books in the ‘Maiden Lane' series.