This is such an enjoyable series. Lavinia and Andrew were betrothed years ago until Lavinia received word Andrew’s ship had been lost at sea. Forced by her parents to marry another, she is now a widow with a thriving dressmaking business, when Andrew comes back into her life. He’s on an undercover mission for the crown, and must recruit Lavinia to help his efforts. Both are complex, empathetic characters with unresolved feelings for the other. Ms Kelly does a masterful job of portraying the heartbreak and anger involved in their history without getting bogged down in too much angst or accusation. It is a well-written plot that carefully and eventually leads us to our HEA. I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my freely given, honest review.

A plot to capture the Prince brings two lovers back together after many years apart. There is a lot of ups and downs and spiced with steamy attraction. The downs are overcome with a very happy ever after. Good read.

I love everything Julia Kelly writes, and adore this series. She's a refreshing and feminist historical voice.

I have read a couple of Julia Kelly’s books and felt that this was her strongest writing to date. More polished and nicely developed.

Julia Kelly continues her charming Victorian-set series with a particularly challenging case for Mrs Moira Sullivan, the Matchmaker of Edinburgh. This time she has to reunite a pair of former lovers, separated for sixteen years but now forced to work together for the good of their country. One can’t get over believing her love was drowned following a shipwreck – not hearing from him for so long that her parents forced her to marry another – while the other still resents how swiftly he seemed to be set aside in favour of a man with better background and prospects. Now, however, Andrew Colter is a soon-to-retire Captain in the British Navy, while Lavina Parkem (nee Malcolm) has built up a thriving dressmaking business – popular with everyone who is anyone in the town – after her husband died suddenly and in debt.


Andrew swore he wouldn’t work for the War Office again, after leaving his ship and his command behind, just as he swore he wouldn’t look up his former fiancée once he was back in Scotland. Unfortunately, the War Office has one last mission for Andrew to carry out, and to complete it he needs to convince Lavinia to spy on her landlord: an obnoxious man whose mother is one of her least favourite customers, but a man nonetheless who also happens to own a warehouse in which was found a stash of illegal weapons. Since the Prince of Wales is due to make a much publicised visit to Edinburgh, Andrew’s erstwhile employers are convinced that the warehouse owner or his associates is planning a terrorist attack for reasons as yet unknown.

Posing as the owner of a buttons and ‘notions’ shop, Andrew makes contact with Lavinia and gets a most frosty reception from her. Lavinia is even less pleased at Andrew’s arrival when she finds out the reason behind it, but is talked around by her great friend Moira – who has done occasional investigative work herself for Andrew’s official Edinburgh contact. Lavinia isn’t happy at being asked to pretend interest in her landlord, and Andrew is even less happy with the idea when he realises just how keen the odious man is on Lavinia. Needs must, of course, and soon the reunited pair find themselves growing closer, even as Lavinia has to suffer the company of her landlord and his friends.

I loved Lavinia’s resourcefulness, even though it landed her in danger more than once. Andrew was a little too stuffy at times, but the story made up for that with a wealth of entertaining background characters. I especially loved Lavinia’s fabric-supplier Indian neighbours and Andrew’s unexpectedly female Edinburgh field agent contact. There were times when I felt that Lavinia rushed a little too fast into situations without securing sufficient backup, and other occasions when I felt Andrew didn’t give her enough of a chance to make her own decisions, and the happy ever after definitely felt rushed and a bit of an abrupt turn-away from their previous lives. All in all, though, another fun instalment for the series.

Stevie‘s review of The Allure of Attraction (The Matchmaker of Edinburgh, Book 3) by Julia Kelly
Historical Romance published by Pocket Star 25 Jun 18

Julia Kelly continues her charming Victorian-set series with a particularly challenging case for Mrs Moira Sullivan, the Matchmaker of Edinburgh. This time she has to reunite a pair of former lovers, separated for sixteen years but now forced to work together for the good of their country. One can’t get over believing her love was drowned following a shipwreck – not hearing from him for so long that her parents forced her to marry another – while the other still resents how swiftly he seemed to be set aside in favour of a man with better background and prospects. Now, however, Andrew Colter is a soon-to-retire Captain in the British Navy, while Lavina Parkem (nee Malcolm) has built up a thriving dressmaking business – popular with everyone who is anyone in the town – after her husband died suddenly and in debt.


Andrew swore he wouldn’t work for the War Office again, after leaving his ship and his command behind, just as he swore he wouldn’t look up his former fiancée once he was back in Scotland. Unfortunately, the War Office has one last mission for Andrew to carry out, and to complete it he needs to convince Lavinia to spy on her landlord: an obnoxious man whose mother is one of her least favourite customers, but a man nonetheless who also happens to own a warehouse in which was found a stash of illegal weapons. Since the Prince of Wales is due to make a much publicised visit to Edinburgh, Andrew’s erstwhile employers are convinced that the warehouse owner or his associates is planning a terrorist attack for reasons as yet unknown.

Posing as the owner of a buttons and ‘notions’ shop, Andrew makes contact with Lavinia and gets a most frosty reception from her. Lavinia is even less pleased at Andrew’s arrival when she finds out the reason behind it, but is talked around by her great friend Moira – who has done occasional investigative work herself for Andrew’s official Edinburgh contact. Lavinia isn’t happy at being asked to pretend interest in her landlord, and Andrew is even less happy with the idea when he realises just how keen the odious man is on Lavinia. Needs must, of course, and soon the reunited pair find themselves growing closer, even as Lavinia has to suffer the company of her landlord and his friends.

I loved Lavinia’s resourcefulness, even though it landed her in danger more than once. Andrew was a little too stuffy at times, but the story made up for that with a wealth of entertaining background characters. I especially loved Lavinia’s fabric-supplier Indian neighbours and Andrew’s unexpectedly female Edinburgh field agent contact. There were times when I felt that Lavinia rushed a little too fast into situations without securing sufficient backup, and other occasions when I felt Andrew didn’t give her enough of a chance to make her own decisions, and the happy ever after definitely felt rushed and a bit of an abrupt turn-away from their previous lives. All in all, though, another fun instalment for the series.

Grade: B

Thanks Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Love the way Julia Kelly makes each book in her series fresh, exciting, and hot.

Lavinia Parkem is a talented dressmaker in Edinburgh, but she has never forgotten her first love: Captain Andrew Colter. When he was presumed dead from a shipwreck, her parents forced her to marry. To her horror, Andrew returned 2 days after the marriage ceremony and the hurt and anguish on his face when he found out has haunted her for the past 12 years. Now widowed, Lavinia enjoys her life. She is her own boss, has a successful business and has no man telling her what to do or think. What she doesn't expect is for Andrew to come waltzing back into her life again and, more importantly, what he asks her to do.

This was another well written story by Ms. Kelly. I enjoy her books as she always has such fleshed out characters who come alive on the page. I especially loved the spy element to this book. It added some much needed excitement to the usual story of long-lost loves. I did figure out the plot twist before it was revealed, but it did not take away my enjoyment of the book. Fans of regency romances will certainly enjoy this story.

Great read! This is my first time reading this authors books. The storyline was good. Characters were believable and nicely written.

I was given an ARC of “The Allure of Attraction “ by Netgalley. This book was about two very strong characters that were teenage lovers separated by circumstances. The book had all of the elements to make it a great read; action, mystery, strong characters an of course romance. A 5 Star read.
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Julia Kelly is another author new to me. I haven't read the first two books in this series yet; however, after reading this one I am so excited to have them. I truly enjoyed this book and now Ms. Kelly is on my auto-buy list. It was a thrilling, heartbreaking and quite steamy read!

Lavinia and Andrew were young and in love and engaged. Tragically, Andrew was believed to have perished at sea, and Lavinia was forced to marry another by her parents. When Andrew made his way back to her and discovered his beloved had married, his love turned to hate. Lavinia eventually became a successful dressmaker, and Andrew became captain of a ship and also worked for the government. He was set to retire, but was coerced into doing one more job. He was to be a handler.....and Lavinia was to be his asset. Oh, boy.

Let's just say that things were uncomfortable and contentious when they reunited. A blind person, though, could see the sparks that still existed between them. They begin to work together, and things start getting exciting. They become closer and the investigation is moving along but the mystery doesn't become clearer. Things come to a head and I was sitting on the edge of my seat, racing along to the end and praying for a happy ending! This is definitely an author to follow.

I received an ARC copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Nice historical romance about a dressmaker and a sea captain/spy who were lovers and preparing to be married even though her family didn't approve. He was lost as sea when she married someone else and he never forgave her for it even though it was not her choice and she's had a hard life. He meets her again when he is called upon to recruit her for a spy mission. Plenty of humor and romance in this third book in the series.

Lavinia and Andrew have terrible luck. After a series of disastrous events and decisions that kept them apart when they were younger, they get a second chance at love in the delightful The Allure of Attraction.

This is the third book in a matchmaking series. It's a quick, easy, entertaining read with a satisfyingly happy ending. I really enjoyed Ms. Kelly's book and I hope to read more of them.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Lavinia and Andrew are a young couple in love, with unbelievably bad luck and timing. Andrew leaves his young love to go to sea. Earn fortune, make a life for himself away from his humble beginnings, … oops.. shipwreck and lost at sea. Lavinia, left behind will wait forever for her love. When he is declared dead, though, her parents lean on her to marry and she does. Then, of course, Andrew *isn’t* dead, Lavinia *is* married, and that is the end of that… until Lavinia’s husband dies, and she is needed to help Andrew untangle a threat to the throne.

This was a light and entertaining entry in the “Matchmaker’s” series. I wish there had been more of the matchmaker theme I’ve enjoyed in the first few books.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. The Allure of Attraction is the third book in the Matchmaker of Edinburgh series and this title was really enjoyable. I can’t wait to read this authors future titles.

I somehow missed that this was third book in a series when I picked this up, but it held up fine as a standalone. In fact, I would go so far as to say that despite the fact this is dubbed a Matchmaker of Edinburgh story, I’m skeptical about the matchmaker element at all, because though a matchmaker character existed, I don’t think she had anything to do with the hero and heroine getting together at all.

This is both an enemies to lovers and second chance at love story. Andrew and Lavina were teenage sweethearts who were deeply in love. Andrew went off to make a name and money for himself on the high seas, but was in a terrible accident and presumed dead. When he made it back home a year later, Lavina was married to someone else. Understandably, he was heartbroken, but he was also cruel, lashing out at her and turning his back on his old life, planning never to return to it again.

Fast forward a dozen years and Andrew is ready to retire. But the foreign office of the Navy has one more mission for him: foil an possible assassination plot against the prince. He’ll need to use a particular asset to do it, a woman close to the prime suspect; that woman, of course, is the now-widowed Lavina.

I liked the idea of this book because it promised lots of angst and it delivered, even a little bit more than I wanted it to. You see, Andrew never gave Lavina the chance to explain how she ended up married to another man. And he’s nursed his hatred for her all this time. I get that, but he held on to it even after he learned she was forced into that marriage… even after he fell back into bed with her… even after he recognized that he still loved her. An undying hurt, I understand. But that he held on to his anger… that he didn’t even consider trying to make things work again until the very last second… it crimped my enjoyment a bit.

Lavina was a pretty solid heroine. She’s built her life back up on her own terms after her heart and her fortune were torn to shreds. She owns her own business and finds self-worth in it. And when called on to help the crown, she does it, even if it is (in part) to pay off her brother’s debts. Lavina was more honest in her emotions with Andrew and I felt much more empathy for her as a result. I do wish, though, there had been a comeuppance for her brother. That thread was left hanging and I felt like he could have been a stronger character and helped her and Andrew find their way back together. He was, after all, Andrew’s best friend. But somehow, he’s become pretty worthless and we don’t know how or why it happened. I feel like he was a wasted opportunity from a story perspective.

The mystery plot was kind of meh. I figured it out pretty early on. Maybe I was supposed to, but it felt a little heavy handed in the clues.

It wasn’t a bad story, though. There was some good push-and-pull with the characters’ emotions and I got a HEA that satisfied.

Rating: B-

I have been a fan of Julia Kelly since her first governess series. This is the 3rd book in the Matchmaker of Edinburgh series but it can be read as a stand alone.
This is the story of Lavinia and Andrew, childhood sweethearts. They knew from a very young age they were meant to be together. Andrew sails off to make his fortune his fortune, so that he can be worthy of Lavinia. When his ship is lost at sea, Andrew is presumed dead.
The path their lives take from there is totally different from what they had dreamed. Throw on a plot to kill the Prince and you have an excellent story line.

Lavinia and Andrew were childhood friends, and by age sixteen, they were lovers and engaged to be married. Andrew was only a ferryman's son, and very cognizant of the fact that Lavinia was a gentleman's daughter. He started his sailing career at age twelve, determined to earn a fortune , so that he could adequately provide a comfortable life for Lavinia. On his latest journey, Andrew's ship is destroyed in the Carribbean, and news is sent back home that he has perished. Andrew is alive, though badly injured, and it takes months for him to recover sufficiently to find his way home. He joyfully runs to Lavinia's arms, only to find that she married another, just two days ago.

Lavinia's betrayal cut Andrew to the bone, and he focuses on his naval career, also accepting missions for the foreign office. Now, sixteen years later, Andrew is ready to retire, though only thirty two years old. He's had enough of the sea, and of government intrigue. His superiors, however, have one final mission for him. The prince is believed to be in danger, and one of the men suspected of being part of the plot is a man who has designs on none other than Lavinia, now widowed. Andrew refuses the assignment until he learns that his replacement would be a man he doesn't feel adequate to keep Lavinia safe. Though he never wants to see her again, it seems he can't allow her to be put in danger.

Lavinia is now working as a successful dressmaker, which is the focus of her life. She was widowed after only two years of marriage, and left without any means of support. She is shocked to see Andrew again, and even more surprised to learn his reason for contacting her. Though she initially refuses, because she has no desire to get close to Harold Wark, the odious man who is the suspected traitor, she eventually capitulates.

The former lovers are awkward and angry and definitely uncomfortable with each other. Yet, there is still that spark of attraction that has never died. Eventually that spark ignites the same passion that they felt over a decade ago. The passion, while explosive, does not cancel out the hostility and hurt that still lingers between them.

THE ALLURE OF ATTRACTION is not an easy read because the love Lavinia and Andrew shared was so genuine, though they were young, and the way they were parted was truly tragic. I can totally understand Andrew's rage and feelings of betrayal. He was too hurt to listen to anything Lavinia had to say, so he never knew the reason she married another. Though I honestly don't feel the reason is justification, I sort of understand that she was weak, and feeling grief, believing that her love was dead. The Lavinia of today is not weak, she's had to be strong just to survive. As this couple plays out their assignment for the foreign office, the danger threatens both their lives. They slowly address the baggage of their past, but will it be enough to allow them any kind of future together?

It really hurts my heart to read stories of lovers separated for such long periods of time, especially when the reconciliation comes with bitterness and pain. I would have liked to know what Lavinia's brief marriage was like. I know that she felt no love for her husband, and that he greatly exaggerated his financial status, but was he cruel? kind? understanding? Did he love her? There was also a big problem that Lavinia's brother, Caleb, had that wasn't resolved. Perhaps his story is coming in his own book. THE ALLURE OF ATTRACTION is full of emotion, pain, danger, intrigue, and finally, restoration. I think fans of second chance romance will find this book very satisfying.

Book three in the Matchmaker of Edinburgh series and these books are just getting better with each one. A well-written story I was not putting down until I was finished. This is a series I want to reread when they are all out. I recommend this book. I received a copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

What’s it About? Andrew and Lavinia were engaged at a very young age despite her parents’ insisting that he wasn’t good enough for her. When his ship wrecked and he was believed dead Lavinia was forced to marry another, only for Andrew to return two days too late to stop it. Years later Andrew is now a captain and on the verge of retiring from his work as a spy but a last mission has him coming back to his old sweetheart and recruiting her to help him infiltrate the home of a banker who is suspected of plotting to assassinate the Prince of Wales. Now widowed, Lavinia has convinced herself that Andrew is no longer the man she once loved and agrees to help him but the more time they spend together, the more they discover that their love never died.




Overall reaction to the book? Filled with warmth, passion, and excitement, The Allure of Attraction will make any historical romance fan’s day. I loved the second chance romance between Lavinia and Andrew along with the spy element that served as a convenient way to throw these two reluctant characters back into each other’s lives. So many years had passed since they were in love and in that time they had both somewhat moved on. They were willfully blind to the fact that they would never get over one another. Silly characters.


Lavinia and Andrew were so darn young when they fell in love, it was difficult to believe that it was the real deal. They were 16 at the time and so full of hope and optimism but when that dream is smashed to pieces, the reader only experiences it through flashbacks. Normally that would bother me because sometimes flashbacks don’t provide the emotional impact that a story like this needs but in this case it did. The heartbreak and bitterness of Lavinia and Andrew’s broken courtship was present in the flashbacks as was their undeniable love. I loved the way Julia Kelly presented their past and how it affected their present working relationship. I’m glad that Kelly also showed how different and mature both characters were without taking away the core traits that made their romance work in the first place.


I enjoyed both characters honestly. Andrew may have tried to be this bitter, resentful, cold character but he was really just lying to himself. He was still silly in love with Lavinia and had let his pride and fear get in the way. He had a serious protective streak that always won out over his silly idea to treat Lavinia like any other asset and while Andrew was confident about himself he wasn’t an ego maniac like a lot of male characters can be. I liked how being around Lavinia threw him off balance, it made him more likable to me rather than someone who was unmoved and over confident.


Then there was Lavinia who didn’t exactly have the life Andrew thought she did while married. But she never threw herself a pity party, she accepted her circumstances but refused to let them rule her life, instead she fought to scrape a living together for herself and even managed to keep her useless brother out of too much trouble. I liked her spirit and her determination to live her life on her terms even if it meant working harder than anyone else she knew. She wasn’t silly or empty headed when it came to being an asset either. She had common sense and a stubborn side that more than matched Andrew’s.

As much as this book is about Andrew and Lavinia, I have to hand it to the author for throwing in supporting characters that made me smile. Particularly fellow spy and general oddball Gillie Gibson. She’s blunt, canny, and stood out to me. I do hope she gets her own story.


Julia Kelly is still a fairly new to me author but so far her commitment to creating strong, likable heroines and strong, intelligent heroes has worked out for me as a reader. The Allure of Attraction is another one of those books that is fun and romantic without making the heroine seem like she’s just there to make the hero look like, well, a hero. Lavinia can hold her own when she’s in trouble and she even has the chance to save her beloved Andrew at one point. That’s definitely something I love seeing in romance: Women being the ones to save the day and get the guy.



Click It or Skip It? Click It. There is a lot of charm in this series that shouldn’t be missed.

* Review will be posted on blog in August but has been posted on Amazon and Goodreads