An aging spinster at twenty-six, all Imogen Duncan sees ahead of her is a life of servitude to her overbearing mother. Her London Season has passed and her desperate shyness and reserved demeanor have destroyed any chance for a match. As her younger sister Mariah begins her own Season with a selection of suitors, Imogen believes her chances for excitement are well and truly lost…Until a case of mistaken identity and an accidental kiss bring adventure into her life.
This is a straightforward historical romance with a plot i’ve read a lot. The characters are decent enough and the book was a fairly quick read.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This is a debut book for this author, and it is a start to the Twice Shy series, which I’ll definitely follow.

Although the “formula” for the spinster/wallflower falling for a debauched/tortured hero has been done million times before, I think this story still managed to draw me in.

I liked the way these two interacted with one another and their slow and steady friendship/courtship/passion and chemistry was what kept me reading this story.

I’ll be sure to read the second story in this series.

Melanie for b2b

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This is my first book by this author. I thought In oven let her mother dictate too much of her life. Caleb is just what she needed to blossom..

Caleb Masters, Marquess of Willbridge, waits in the garden for a willing widow, but he accidentally steals a kiss from wallflower, Miss Imogen Duncan, who has fled to the garden to get away from nasty gossip. Thus begins an unlikely friendship between the two. Imogen is used to be invisible while in plain sight and is delighted when Caleb appears to enjoy her company. Can these two overcome a series of misunderstandings before they find a truly lasting relationship?

I enjoyed this book. Ms. Britton has written a delightful story of Caleb and Imogen. Even though Caleb is painted as a rake, there is none of that behavior in this book. Instead, he is kind, honorable and compassionate, all the while, carrying unbearable guilt around the death of his younger brother. Imogen suffers under her tyrannical mother's thumb, but she continues to shine with her kindness especially in her overtures to Caleb's painfully shy sister Emily. The plot moves along at a steady pace although the internal dialogue could be cut a bit to tighten up the story. Fans of regency romances will definitely enjoy this book.

Imogen suffered from the whispers from women who,would judge her for her appearance. Each word cut deep and she believed each and every word. Destined to,become a spinster she wanted happiness for her sisters and lastly for herself. Finding a man in her moment of despair was something she never thought would happen. Running into him again was unbelievable. He would change her world when she realized someone could possibly love her for who she was even though her self esteem was running on empty.

Excellent read! Particularly with this being a debut novel, I loved it. Christina Britton created a very relatable main character, a 26-year-old spinster, like myself. 

The only flaw I could find is that the characters lack communication skills. Interpersonal skills seem to not have existed in the Regency era. If they had spoken candidly early on into their scuffle, this book would be half as long. 

I adored how family played a part in the novel, on both Caleb and Imogen's sides, particularly sibling bonds. It fleshed out the characters more thoroughly. 

Gratefully, there was no insta-love in this story. The plot was steady with a good timeline between events making it seem much more realistic. 

I definitely recommend this read to historical romance lovers!

I received a free copy of With Love In Site in exchange for an honest review.
What a great story. It had a unique plot, and it was so easy to fall in love with Imogen and Caleb. They were polar opposites, but Caleb was "all in!" Great book that I would recommend to friends. And family.

I'll admit, I didn't really like With Love in Sight at first. I read a LOT of historical romance, and there was something about the writing that felt clunky to me. With about 1500 romance books under my belt, I've become extremely discerning, and I was afraid With Love in Sight wouldn't make the cut. However, the book really did grow on me the more I read.

The book is a pretty classic wallflower tale with the reformed rake as a counterpoint. Truly, Caleb didn't seem like much of a rake at all, and I could have used more tension between the two MCs, but I do love a spinster story. I liked Imogen, though I wanted her to have even more spunk, more personality. I enjoyed her relationship with her sisters, and I actually liked the harpy mom as a realistic balance to the good in the rest of the family.

I found Imogen's stubbornness towards the end to be a tiny bit frustrating, but I found the book to be a pleasurable read, overall. I don't think it will be making my favorites list or that I'll remember the details in a few weeks, but I would certainly recommend this book to historical romance lovers.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Imogen Duncan is unable to forget the moment she shared a passionate kiss with a stranger in the garden at a recent party. Well, she a stranger to him, but he not to her. Imogen tries to put Caleb Masters, Marquess of Willbridge, out of her mind, but he keeps re-entering it. Imogen gets the shock of a lifetime when Caleb shows up at her home and then seems to appear at every event she attends. After all, what would he want with a spinster like her?

Caleb has squandered a lot of his life away after the tragic death of a younger brother. When Imogen comes into his life, she's like a ray of sunshine, warming him up again. Caleb strikes up a conversation with Imogen and is surprised to see that they have much in common. The more time he spends with her, the more interested he becomes in her. It does not take Caleb long to realize that he is in love with Imogen and needs her in his life, but how can he convince her that she needs him?

Reviewed courtesy of NetGalley. WITH LOVE IN SIGHT is the first novel in what is sure to be a delightful series titled TWICE SHY by author Christina Britton. I fell in love with the main characters. Caleb is jaded and detached due to a horrific event from his past. Imogen is beaten down and cowed by a domineering mother. Both are sort of living in their own worlds until their paths accidentally cross. From that moment on, fate has them right where it wants them. Caleb slowly but surely begins the healing process with Imogen by his side. Imogen finally breaks free of her constraints and emerges from her shell. Together, they become something more. WITH LOVE IN SIGHT is a beautiful novel.

I'm a sucker for historical romance books with chicks who wear specs and With Love in Sight is no exception.

I liked Caleb, but I must admit I was partial to Imogen and enjoyed her inner workings and watching her personal growth over the course of the book.

Britton does an excellent job developing a couple of my favorite tropes: the wallflower/scrappy spinster and the-rake-with-a-heart-of-gold. I thought she deviated enough from the standard treatments to keep the story fresh and interesting.

There were a couple of points where I wanted to bash the characters' heads together and yell WAKE UP! but that happens in any fulfilling romance at some point novel, historical or contemporary and Britton was careful not to bog down the story with any TSTL characters.

Overall I found her style engaging and the story kept me turning the pages and rooting for love. I'd read another Britton book in a heartbeat.

With Love in Sight by Christina Britton is book One in the Twice Shy series. This is the story of Imogen Duncan and Caleb Masters, Marquess of Willbridge.
Caleb is living with the guilt of his brothers death and has taken to being a rake and entertaining widowed women.
Imogen is a very shy women who is now on the shelf and her parents have turn their attention to giving her younger sister her season. Where Imogen fail because of her shyness her sister has thrived and has many suitors. Imogen has resigned to be in her over bearing mother life for forever.
By accident Caleb and Imogen meet and start to form a friendship. Both find something in the other that adds to their enjoyment in life where before they didn't seem to have any. But their attraction is strong making it hard to deny.
Really enjoyed their story!!

This is my favorite type of romance. I love when a hero and heroine each have their own distinctive arc. When the story opens, Imogen has bought into the belief, pushed on her by society and her mother, that as an aging spinster (she's 26) her only value is in caring for her parents in their later years. Caleb carries a burden of guilt because he believes he's responsible for his younger brother's death.

The two become friends and the slow burn to love begins, beautifully written by Ms. Britton. Both characters gain strength from the relationship, Imogen ultimately realizing her own worth, and Caleb releasing his guilt.

Both Imogen and Caleb won my heart and I'm eager for Twice Shy #2!

This is my first book by Christina Britton but it won't be the last, her writing had be hooked from line one. The romance between Caleb and Imogen is sweet and I liked how the author started their relationship with friendship and we get to see how they find what they need in each other.

What’s a wallflower to do? Imogen is the merely pretty sister in a family of Incomparables. Resigning herself to fading into the background, the naturally shy debutante joins the ranks of the wallflowers, accepting her lot as the unmarriageable sister destined to be a comfort to her parents in their declining years.

Hurt by the cruel words of some gossips, Imogen flees into a darkened garden in tears one night and stumbles straight into the arms of Caleb, Marquis of Willbridge. There to meet a willing widow, Caleb’s heart is touched by Imogen’s obvious distress, and their pair begin an unlikely friendship. However, when others begin to take notice, Caleb must decide; will he court Imogen and seek to win her, or walk away before her reputation is ruined?

Of course, he does the right thing. And that’s when the story takes a big twist, because Imogen won’t have him. Stunned, Caleb can’t believe it; why would a wallflower turn down the catch of the season?

Imogen is a lovely heroine. Downtrodden and bullied by an absolutely horrendous mother, who won’t even allow her to wear her glasses in public lest she bring shame on the family, she nevertheless shows her backbone when pushed too far. She was a perfect match for Caleb, who has some seriously self-destructive tendencies due to a family tragedy in his past he still blames himself for. Caleb’s sister Lady Emily was definitely my favourite side character and I find myself desperately hoping she gets her own romance later in this series!

There were one or two anachronisms in the book - ‘gotten’ in a Regency romance always sets my teeth on edge, it’s an Americanism barely used in England even today - but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of this clever, charming romance. 5 stars.

This is a love story about a couple who are better together than they are apart -- and that is the best sort of love. Imogen is a 26-year-old spinster who is undervalued by her family while Caleb is a Marquess who is a bit too self-pitying but understandably so. They meet in a darkened garden (he mistakes her for a willing widow) and become friends first, a somewhat unlikely but still believable occurrence. From there, they both have to overcome their self-doubts. She can't believe he would love her; he can't believe anyone would love him because of an incident from his past. Their path to HEA is tough but sweet and when Imogen feels confident enough to wear her glasses, we all cheer with her -- because love truly is in sight then. (I received an ARC at NetGalley. Opinions are mine.)

As I have turned the last page, my heart is full. This was such a romantic story of possibilities when least expected that changed two lives just by a chance meeting. A shy wallflower on the shelf at 26, Imogene Duncan is only participating in the season in London to support her beautiful younger sister Mariah's debut. Her mother only dotes on her sister and really just disparages Imogene every chance she can get. At a ball, Imogene escapes to the garden after hearing ugly gossip and runs pell mell into a gentlemen who grabs her and kisses her passionately. Caleb, Marquess of Willbridge, realizes his mistake, that the young lady was not who was meeting him, but kindly takes time to talk to the girl who is so very upset. Thus this wonderful story begins when an unlikely friendship develops as fate brings them together. Imogene has no self confidence from being brow beaten by her mother for so many years and Caleb holds a secret and sorrow that eats at his heart. The characters were so well developed and the author makes you feel invested in the story. I truly loved both Imogene and Caleb and the cast of supporting characters who I hope to revisit in stories to come. This was an excellent debut by Christina Britton and I cannot wait to read more from this series!

The Viscount and Viscountess of Tarryton have several daughters and sons. Their oldest child, Miss Imogen Duncan, 26, is still unmarried. The next daughter, Frances, married the Earl of Sumner several years ago. However, she is not very happy in her marriage. The next daughter, Miss Mariah Duncan, 18, is just beginning her come out and has caught everyone’s attention. While the ton has praised Mariah for her beauty, they scorn Imogen for her plainness. Imogen tends to lurk in corners. Without her spectacles, she can see very little and her mother will not let her wear them in public. She had her come out the same year as her sister, Frances, but now appears destined to be a spinster left to care for her parents in their old age.

While at a soiree, Imogen overhears people laughing about her which hurts her and sends her into the dark garden for some air. There, she bumps into Caleb Masters, the Marquess of Willbridge who was waiting for a willing widow to meet him. Thinking Imogen is the widow, he kisses and attempts to caress her. She is shocked and pushes back from him. Realizing his mistake, his apologizes profusely. Seeing her in tears, he attempts to console her. Caleb introduces himself to her, but she does not tell him her name. Kindly. he escorts her back to the steps into the house. Not knowing her name has intrigued Caleb and he tries to find out who she is. He only has a thin memory of what she looks like as he only saw her in the dark garden.

When they finally do meet, he is taken with her even more and sees how her mother treats her with disdain, centering only on Mariah. At a house party they are both invited to, they both agree to be friends no matter what her mother says. Imogen knows she will never be able to marry and decides to have an adventure and asks Caleb to help her. He agrees.

Caleb asks Imogen and her father to spend two weeks at his home to meet his family. Caleb is carrying the guilt of the death of his little brother. Imogen will not allow herself to marry Caleb because she thinks he doesn’t truly love her.

This story had a lot of promise but both Imogen and Caleb seem to feel no self worth which tended to make my eyes roll. I wanted to yell: Quit wallowing in self pity and get on with life!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a well-written, entertaining Regency romance. Imogen had her London Season eight years ago and has been completely overlooked. Now she wants to help her younger sister Mariah find a match who will love her. Caleb lives a life of debauchery and hides the guilt he feels from his brother's death ten years previously. A case of mistaken identity and an unintended kiss changes things for both Imogen and Caleb. They become friends and attraction grows from there. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by this author. I would definitely recommend this book.

Imogen is a wallflower and destined to become a spinster at 26 years old. When Imogen encounters Caleb, Marquess of Willbridge, her entire life changes. Caleb has spent the last ten years living a life of debauchery in order to burry is past. Once Imogen and Caleb meet, they become fast friends with a lot of passion between them. But is passion enough for a relationship to flourish?
I was drawn to this novel because of the regency era time period. As a fan of Jane Austen novels, I was longing to read about balls, forbidden romance, and family drama. With Love in Sight has all of this and more. Imogen is an unlikely heroine. She is withdrawn and is constantly reminded by her mother not to make a scene in front of others. After years of living under the tyranny of her mother, Imogen decides she wants to have an adventure, and Caleb is more than willing. For Caleb, Imogen is entirely different than the many women he has had flings with in the past. Gradually, Caleb is drawn to Imogen’s wallflower exterior and passionate interior.
When I began reading, I was sure I could guess the entire plotline. Somehow, the novel shifted and defied my expectations. I was very surprised how this novel turned from Imogen as a wallflower, to Imogen aiding Caleb to reunite with his family after a great deal of trauma. Caleb had a great deal more depth than just a handsome man who trails after every woman who would give him attention. His pain and his confusion over his feelings for Imogen was fascinating. Meanwhile, Imogen has her own feelings to work through. She adamantly refuses to fall in love, even if it means that she will become a spinster and live off of the charity of others for the rest of her life. In the Regency era, the stakes are high. The romantic meetings between Imogen and Caleb are quick forbidden moments. If they are caught together, then Imogen will be disgraced.
With Love in Sight is a wonderful romance novel with family drama equivalent to a Jane Austen novel, and passionate romance. I would recommend this novel to fans of romance novels and of Regency era England.
*I received an advanced copy of With Love in Sight from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Publisher's Description:

A witty Regency Romance from 2017 Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Winner Christina Britton, perfect for fans of Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare.

An aging spinster at twenty-six, all Imogen Duncan sees ahead of her is a life of servitude to her overbearing mother. Her London Season has passed and her desperate shyness and reserved demeanor have destroyed any chance for a match. As her younger sister Mariah begins her own Season with a selection of suitors, Imogen believes her chances for excitement are well and truly lost…Until a case of mistaken identity and an accidental kiss bring adventure into her life.

Burying his guilt from a decade-old tragedy beneath a life of debauchery, Caleb Masters, Marquess of Willbridge is content enough to meet willing widows in dark gardens to numb the pain. But he is wholly unprepared when an innocent miss stumbles into his life, turning his superficial world on its head.

Drawn to the rogue that mistakenly stole her first kiss, Imogen finds not a suitor, but a friend. Free to be herself for the first time in her life, she begins to see a new beauty in the world around her…and see a strength in herself she never knew she possessed. But when friendship turns to passion, Imogen will accept nothing less than Caleb’s heart. Can a healing of the past lead to the promise of a future together?

My Thoughts:

This is this author's début novel. It is essentially a well written effort but I found it a bit drawn out.
There are many times in the last ten chapters or so that our story could have come to it's HEA ending but the continuous roadblocks frustrated me as a reader.
Imogen and Caleb both have their issues with love and marriage.
Imogen has had her seasons but never took as it is and now it's her younger sister's turn.
Her mother is the ultimate dragon of a regency mother with a one track mind, find a match for her young daughter. Never mind that Imogen also deserves her own happily ever after.
Caleb accidentally encounters Imogen when she goes to a darkened garden to escape the vicious tongues of other members of the ton.
There Imogen gets her first kiss when Caleb mistakes her for another.
Imogen becomes enthralled by this man she knows as a rake.
Caleb decides he must know who the lady is and offers her something else she has never had, friendship.
The concept is a good one and for the most part I enjoyed this read.
I gave this book 4 of 5 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.0 flames.
When the intimacy comes to fruition it is somewhat of a surprise, but it doesn't change Imogen's attitude. Caleb on the other hand has found something unexpected.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher to read via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.