Imogene is expected to become engaged to Ernest Steeple but immediately becomes infatuated with her brother once she meets him. When a serious accidents start happening to Ben, Imogene suspects foul play. Ben is an architecture student with a secret that draws him closer to Imogene. But who would be interested in harming Ben. Suitors and Sabotage is an old fashioned closed door mystery with a dash of romance as Imogene fights her attraction to Ben since there's nothing objectively wrong with Ernest other than he does not make her heart flutter. As we watch Imogene navigate how to act around Ben we meet her family and friends, many of whom become suspects in the mystery. Anstey excels at making the residences at the center of the mystery come alive. Suitors and Sabotage is a fair play mystery that encourages readers to follow along. Yet readers are also vested in which brother will Imogene pick. A fun cozy historical mystery that is a quick read. Plus while there is a hint of danger and romance there's not any blood or anything more than a kiss.

Suitors and Sabotage is Cindy Anstey’s third novel. I was very excited about the opportunity to read this book because I’ve enjoyed her other books. The novels are unconnected, but they all take place in Regency England, which is one of my favorite historical eras.

Imogene Chively has just finished her first Season in London, and is looking forward to spending the summer with her family and friends as they take turns hosting each other at a series of house parties. One of her suitors has received permission to visit her; Imogene is not particularly interested in pursuing a courtship with the young man, but she doesn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. When the earnest young man- named Ernest, of course- arrives, he brings his brother Ben along as well.

Imogene discovers that she has a lot more in common with Ben. They develop a rapport quickly, and Imogene agrees to give Ben art lessons to bolster his skills as a budding architect.

There are several problems, however: Imogene is supposed to be furthering her acquaintanceship with Ernest. Furthermore, Imogene’s friend Emily quickly becomes infatuated with Ben. And finally, Ben seems to experience so many accidents that they can no longer be dismissed as a series of unfortunate coincidences. Someone is determined to keep Ben away- but from whom?

The tone of this book is relatively light, and because it has been marketed to a YA audience, the content is much tamer than the typical historical romance. In keeping with the Austen-inspired motif, there is nothing more than kissing between the characters. This doesn’t mean that there is any less tension; Anstey is quite handy with the angst as characters try to figure out what they want, and how they can achieve their goals without hurting other people.

I would absolutely recommend Suitors and Sabotage. This book transcends its genre, and I think it will appeal to historical romance fans of all ages. The mystery is quite compelling; I found myself surprised by the reveal of the villain. Anstey does a good job with characterization and she has created an immersive Regency world. As I’ve mentioned, the previous books are not connected, so you don’t have to read any of Anstey’s other books before reading this one. Anstey is one of my favorite authors, and I am already looking forward to her next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book.

3.5 stars: Cute historical fiction romance. Enjoyable, but I would have liked the mystery to be a bigger plot point. The romance was also a little to insta-love for me.

A delightful, clean book. Nice light reading set in Regency times.
I received an electronic copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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

Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: April 17, 2018
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father's approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother.

Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother's intended.

But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of "accidents," it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. . .

What I Liked:

It's no secret that I love Cindy Anstey's books! YA historical romance - how delightful! I am a huge adult historical romance junkie, and these YA HR novels are giving me LIFE. Suitors and Sabotage is Anstey's third YA HR standalone (all three books are unrelated, completely standalone novels and not companion novels), and it's safe to say that her books are all fun and swoony to read. I'm very excited about this new one being printed in hardcover! Anstey deserves this and more!

This story starts with Imogene's suitor Ernest Steeple arriving a day earlier than expected, with his younger brother Benjamin Steeple. Imogene is expected to accept Ernest's offer whenever the young man proposes, as he is her only suitor. She and Ernest barely know each other, hence why Ernest has arrived to visit. As Imogene gets to know Ernest, she realizes that she can't see herself sharing a life with the man. Instead, she sees Ben, the architecture apprentice, the charming, teasing young man who puts everyone at ease and makes all the ladies laugh. But someone is trying to sabotage Ben, and for what reason, Imogene and Ben can't understand. It's only a matter of time before something truly dangerous occurs... not unlike falling in love!

I was actually a little nervous about this one because I figured there would be a love triangle of some sort. But there really wasn't! Ernest is doing his duty in trying to find a wife, and the more Imogene gets to know him, the more she realizes that she would grow to like him... as a friend. There was never any competition or real "love triangle", because not once did Imogene develop feelings for Ernest, and Ernest, well, he wanted a wife but I'm not certain he specifically wanted Imogene.

This type of romance is always tricky, involving two brothers and a woman. But I thought Anstey navigated it perfectly. I like forbidden romance but hate it when it involves two brothers. But this romance seemed to work; Imogene was never "unfaithful" to her suitor, but her feelings for Ben grew nonetheless. And Ben never betrayed his brother, but his own feelings grew.

As is Anstey's style, the romance was sweet, adorable, swoony, and very subtle. There weren't passionate kisses or steamy chemistry, but there was plenty of rising interest and subtle tension. Ben and Imogene clicked, and they began a solid friendship, which turned into more.

Ben is an upstanding gentleman, and Imogene is a kind and shy lady. Their personalities worked well together, especially with Ben being so lively and fun, and Imogene being a quiet dreamer. Ben is studying to be an architect and Imogene wants to teach art - their passions are not always looked kindly upon, but they follow their dreams nonetheless.

The story was full of charm, subtle swoon, and a little bit of mounting drama! The drama being all of the "incidents" that keep occurring, of which Ben was in the middle. Someone is trying to sabotage Ben and he ends up getting hurt several times. But why?

Also worth noting is how Anstey's books are always subtly feminist and in a very positive but not-in-your-face way. I love that Imogene wants to follow her dreams of being an art teacher - and I love how Ben acts like this is the most normal thing in the world (remember the time period), and he can see his life with her and both of their careers. This was fantastic!

All in all, this novel was a delight to read. I had nothing to be worried about, and I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction romp. The ending is perfectly lovely and definitely a HEA, so no worries there either. I am continuously impressed by Anstey!

What I Did Not Like:

I so wanted a bit of a romance for a certain character (you can guess who), but I suppose I can create one in my head. Not a huge complaint, but it would have been nice!

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book and any of Anstey's novels, if you like historical fiction/historical romance. Adult HR fans will LOVE this YA HR novel. It isn't full of kisses and chemistry and passion BUT it is a fun and sweet romance novel set in the 1800s. These books are simply lovely to read, and I can't get enough!

Rating:

4 stars. I cannot wait to read Carols and Chaos, Anstey's next YA HR novel! I'm excited that it will be publishing in September - a shorter turnaround than usual. Swoon Reads, please keep publishing Anstey's books! And keep up the good work with these A+++ covers.

Soft and fluffy Regency romance that was a bit silly for my taste. I was strongly reminded of the works of Marion Chesney and M.C, Beaton, so fans of those authors might quite like this.

An adorable Regency era romance that hooks you quickly! The characters swoon worthy (especially the charming Mr. Benjamin Steeple). and paced perfectly.

Benjamin Steeple is super charming. I loved him. Imogen was super determined and got stuff done! I've recently gotten into historical fiction and I would have to say this one was a good one!

I mean.....it was cute. Definitely my least favorite of Anstey's books, I think, but it's an enjoyable little read.

Imogene’s father has strongly suggested she get acquainted with Mr. Ernest Steeple, as he finds the young man perfect for her. However, as the week unfolds, Imogene finds herself more drawn to Ernest’s brother, Benjamin. Things are complicated further when it becomes apparent that someone means to harm Benjamin.

Fans of light romantic tension will relish Antsey’s story. Teens who enjoy the drama of the first romantic encounter and mistaken romantic intentions within a historical back drop will rejoice. Readers will cherish their ability to make their own decisions as Imogene is locked within the expectations and inherent acceptance of the behaviors of young ladies and gentlemen of polite society. You realize that helicopter parenting is not something new and teens will identify with Imogene’s struggles.

This was my third book by Anstey I've read. This book took major effort on my part to press forward and finish this. The characters and plot were ok just too time to build. falling in love over drawing lessons was different for recency reads. I love how Anstey titles the chapters! Thank you for the advance copy of this book.

Cindy Anstey has followed up Duels and Deceptions with another great tale of young love in Regency England. The historical romance follows Imogene and her friend Emily during a summer of visits to family and friends estates along with the Steeple brothers, Ben and Ernest. Ernest the older brother is courting Imogene but Ben has fallen hard for her. Emily has a crush on Ben and much fuss ensues.
A comedy of errors to rival Much Ado About Nothing is a fun read for cold winter day. Great for adult historical romance readers and teens.

Suitors and Sabotage is an immensely pleasurable Regency period romp following young Imogene Chively through the trials and tribulations of being wooed by a respectable and kind suitor while inadvertently falling in love with his brother and working to solve the mystery of who among their party may be intending to cause them great harm.

Cindy Antsey’s stories are beautifully written, with fun and flowery language befitting a period novel. Her characters vividly bring to life the etiquette and wit of a way of life from a popularly romanticized period, setting scenes of both great fun and drama, exploring romantic conflict and flirtation at the height of propriety, including exciting moments involving heated looks that elicit more goosebumps than a typical love scene in modern romance novels. Her novels carry the appeal and enjoyment of both a period drama and a modern romance with a writing style which beautifully blends the language and ideals of the old and the new.

I have greatly enjoyed all of Cindy Antsey’s novels as well as all Swoonworthy books I have been fortunate enough to read thus far and I eagerly await my next read by this publisher and by this author.

I highly recommend all of Cindy Antsey’s books and if you too enjoy her novels, I recommend the These Viscous Masks series by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas (also a Swoonworthy read) and The Beautiful One’s by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (published by Thomas Dunne Books), both of which add a heavy dose of fantasy and magic to this pleasurable period.

Suitors and Sabotage certainly fulfilled my craving for a pleasant regency romance as a light snack does in between meals - while it does not leave you floored and in need of an emotional recovery, this book came to me at the right time when I wanted an easy and lighthearted read (with a touch of scandal).

I really struggled to finish "Suitors and Sabotage." While I typically really enjoy period romance, I didn't enjoy the voice and personality of the protagonist, which made it difficult for me to invest emotionally in the plot developments. Even though I didn't connect with the characters, the story was objectively good. "Suitors and Sabotage" is perfect for fans of Jane Austen and regency romance, but don't go looking for any characters quite as strongly written as Mr. Darcy.

This is my least favorite of Anstey's books, which is why it has 4 stars instead of 5. While I enjoyed it immensely, especially when I could read in one sitting, I felt it dragged on a bit longer than necessary.

I enjoyed the forbidden love aspect so much. I was dying, because I needed the two together and it just wasn't happening fast enough. Of course, they were both adorable and dutybound and I couldn't expect otherwise.

Imogene is smart and a little bit sassy, despite being shy, and she really grows throughout the novel. The end proved just far she had come.

One thing that I noticed was that important conversations were often not seen. We're told Ernest had a good conversation with Imogene, but we never really see it, and so it's hard to truly cheer for him as a suitor (besides, Ben being there and being...Ben).

Overall, I enjoyed this one, and it fits within Anstey's series as another delightful read.

What's worse than a love triangle? A love square. Most of the book only deals with the love square and nothing else. The foursome goes from one place to another together and nothing happens on these many excursions. It was so dull. I have found the author's other works nice fluff but after this I'm starting to second guess my opinion on those.

I was super excited for a new regency YA title but thought this work from Anstey was only ok. I really wanted to see more depth to the characters. Readers of quick cozy period mysteries will be happy though.

This book has such a nice cover and, as a fan of both Jane Austen and mysteries, I was hype to read <i>Suitors and Sabotage</i>. Reading the other reviews here has got me a little disquieted, because most of them are full of praise, and the one word I came away with to describe this book was "trash."

I thought it would be both a mystery, and a Regency social drama type romance. The mystery aspect is barely there at all -- mildly odd things happen occasionally, and no one even acknowledges that there's a mystery up until almost the last chapter, when it is also solved.

The romance aspect was... there? But it didn't make me care about any of the characters, or their romance, even a little. It's like a love triangle/quadrangle thing (ugh) between all four of the main characters, and three of them are POV characters, alternating every so often (ugh). It was hard to invest in any of the four mains, and outside of that the rest of the cast was one-dimensional. There was mutual pining, so I would have thought I could find at least <i>one</i> thing to like, but there just wasn't any tension outside of "I like this guy ok but I LOVE his brother what do I do" type tension, which is just pulpy and unpleasant.

<i>Suitors and Sabotage</i> disappointed me a lot, and I'm sad. It reminded me neither of Jane Austen nor of any good mystery, but rather of something to be read in desperate lack of other reading material and then immediately thrown away and forgotten.

As a huge Jane Austen and Regency-era fan this book seemed right up my ally, but unfortunately I was just so incredibly….. <i>bored</i> and uninterested that I decided it just wasn’t worth it when I could be reading something I actually want to read, you know? You feel? You get me?

First off, the characters were kind of, like, boring. And flat. And two-dimensional. And I just didn’t really <i>care</i> about any of them. I want to be able to like my characters, or, at the very least, have them be interesting to read about, but everyone here was cookie cutter and boring and just so,,,,,, I don’t want to say too Regency because this is legit a Regency novel, but they were all characters I have read time and time again in every single Regency-era romance. I thought that this book would have something new in the character department and <b>it just didn’t</b>.

Second, the plot. Uhhhh idk if I should put spoiler warnings but honestly I only made it a quarter of the way through this one so I guess don’t read this paragraph if you don’t want spoilers for <b>anything</b>. <spoiler> The pacing in this novel was jilted and choppy, at least up until what I read. Half of the time I was just sitting there thinking <i>What?? What?</i> because everything was just kind of weird and it didn’t run very smoothly. There’s one part near the beginning where Benjamin is carrying this giant dog (described as “3 and a half stones” which is, like, 50 pounds (and looking back on that, I realize that the dog isn’t truly <i>giant</i> but that would be huge to me, seeing as how I can hardly do one push up without collapsing, and I’m not saying that Benjamin isn’t stronger than me, which he probably is, but 50 pounds is still nothing to call home about)), and then the cast of the novel……. has an entire five to ten minute conversation….. and the dog is never mentioned again…….. and the whole time I’m sitting there thinking <i>???? where is the dog???? Is he okay????</i> and then everyone is like “Oh wait!!! Haha I completely forgot about the dog!! Oops we better take care of that!” and I’m like…… the dog is big and Benjamin is carrying it and it’s pretty injured……. so can someone explain to me how this is plausible?? Lol</spoiler>

Okay, so here’s the deal. I feel weird calling a book I read only one-fourth of out for lack of diversity, but I mean, come on. <b>After the popularity of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, I never again want to see a historical fiction novel with no diversity. There’s no excuse.</b> POC, lgbt, and disabled people have been around forever, and it annoys me when authors just decide to not include them.

And another thing – one of the secondary character’s names is “Matt,” and, you know, the name Matthew really wasn’t a popular name back in the 19th century. It was popular during the middle ages, and then came back into popularity, seemingly randomly, in 1960, but between those two times, it was rare to see someone named Matthew in a primarily English-speaking country. That kind of annoyed me and every time Matt was mentioned I was just sitting there like

<blockquote><img src="https://78.media.tumblr.com/0b56db1a0270109f0d0321ec973375d3/tumblr_inline_mmxlxkkwIo1qz4rgp.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="description"/></blockquote>

I also thought that this book would be about Benjamin and Imogene falling in love, but it kind of wasn’t???? I got maybe, like, twenty pages in and Imogene is already full-fledged crushing on Benjamin and I was like where is the slow burn I wanted? Why does insta-love exist?? wtf????

So, honestly, I would probably skip this one. It wasn’t super good as a romance novel, or a historical fiction novel, or a historical romance novel. It took me like four days to get a quarter of the way through. Bleh.