Great romantic read with low drama. Fast paced novel with a great build world. Perfect read for an afternoon. Arc provided by Netgalley

I could not get through this book fast enough! Right away sparks were flying between Edwin and Mary and the fake engagement made it that much more fun.

They each have their reasons for agreeing to the ruse, but strong feelings linger below the surface. I kept turning pages to see when they would finally admit to themselves, and each other how they really felt!

I loved Mary as a heroine, she was so strong, but you can see how tender-hearted she really is. Fabulous historical romance!

This is the third book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. This book is for people who love animals and stubborn women. The book was alright. I had a hard time getting into it but read it in two days. I like the characters but some parts were on the slow side for me.

Fake marriage is the only option when Mary is witnessed being kissed by Lord Edwin Sutton, but what turns out to be fake soon turns to something more.
I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Review I couldn’t finish this. I just didn’t like it at all. I usually enjoy the historical romance books but this fell flat for me.

Mary Babington-Smith is thrown for a loop when her ex-best friend, Edwin Sutton, begs her to enter into a pretend engagement. Mary wants to say no, but Edwin seems desperate and he's willing to pay her for her troubles. Mary is even more confused when Edwin and her share a rather heated kiss. Suddenly, old hurts rise up and Mary rushes off after declining Edwin's offer.

Edwin wheedles Mary until he gets her to accept his offer. Before long, they both find themselves putting on a performance before friends and family. The only problem is that their arrangement is becoming more and more real. Mary wants to let Edwin back in, but she is afraid to get hurt again. Could this be her second chance at love with Edwin?

Author Harmony Williams is new-to-me, and her writing in first person was hard for me to follow at first. I like to see things from both perspectives, but I still enjoyed her novel, HOW TO FALL FOR THE WRONG MAN. Edwin and Mary were once two peas in a pod, but over time, circumstances caused them to drift apart. In my opinion, Mary was a little to harsh on Edwin. I think in time, she realizes that and once she moves past it, she is able to see Edwin is still the boy she once loved. Only now, Edwin is a man. Their story is a very different and refreshing one.

This book is written well, but in the first person, which means there is no insight into the thought processes of any character except our h, who is completely unlikeable, irritating and without common sense. The story ignores the mores of the times, and the language and behavior of the h is completely wrong for the era. And the writer is quite obviously American and needs to remove the word cookie, English refer to them as biscuits, a big error. Looking back on a prior review of another book in the series, I didn’t care for the book, so probably won’t read the author again. She otherwise writes quite well, but the heroines always seem to be unpleasant. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to receive a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this story was interesting, and had it not been for the main characters, I would have given it a higher rating. The one good thing this has going for it is although it is part three in a series, it can be read as a stand alone novel.

Mary may think she's independent, but in reality she's pig headed and annoying. She consistently puts herself in dangerous situations with little care for her own well-being, but when Sutton shows any kind of concern she makes it seem like he's the one being selfish. She repeatedly picks fights with him, and accuses him of not allowing her to follow her ambitions when in reality he's using the common sense she lacks to keep her safe.

Also, for someone who is so eager for her fake engagement to be over, she sure does run to his home (his arms, and his bed) on a nearly daily basis. In fact, I kept waiting for the cliche pregnancy out of wedlock plot twist, but thankfully that did not come.

I also blame Sutton to an extent because Mary gave him ample opportunity to declare his feelings for her and he didn't. Nor did he give her the true reason behind his actions towards her. So much of the unnecessary drama between these two could have been avoided had they taken the time to be honest with each other and took the time to stop being so stubborn.

I do believe there are people who will enjoy this novel (as evidenced by the 4 and 5 star reviews it has already accumulated), however this one was just not for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Mary Babington-Smith would be a fool not to accept Lord Edwin Sutton's fake engagement proposal, especially when the money he's offering will give her the chance to achieve her independence and set her dreams in motion. However, she never imagined she'd fall in love with the man. Will their fake engagement become one for real or will they both walk away from their shot at happy ever after?

Being a romance reader that much prefers stories be told in the third person, I think Ms. Williams did a marvellous with this historical romance, even though it's told in the first person from the heroine's point-of-view. Really, the characters were fascinating and often butted heads with the heroine being quite independent and fierce while the hero is determined to look out for her and protect her because she certainly doesn't put enough stock in her own protection, even if it does seem she can take care of herself.

As for the dialogue, it was very entertaining, as this is a story encompasses the friends to lovers and fake relationship tropes. Will Edwin be able to win Mary's heart? Will they realize how in love they are with each other before it's too late? Moreover, I really enjoyed both the main characters. The heroine is resilient, courageous, has a heart of gold in the way she always wants to do something to help others whether it be humans or animals; and I liked how determined she was to win the challenge the hero proposed. Can she play the hero's lovesick fiancé for two weeks? I also liked how she made good friends with some of the secondary characters, even though it felt wrong to be deceiving her new friends.

While the hero, he's confident, is used to getting his own way and I liked how he pushes the heroine's buttons just as much as he pushes hers. I also liked how protective he was of the heroine and how determined he was to win her over because he needs her just as much as she needs him. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was how much of a challenge the heroine was because she's so independent and isn't about to let any man dictate what she can and can't do. Will she realize that all the hero is trying to do is protect her?

Overall, Ms. Williams has delivered a really god read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was strong and heady from the moment they come face-to-face for the first time; the romance shows how good these two are together; and the ending had me loving that these two didn't give up on each other because they're meant to be together. I would recommend How to Fall for the Wrong Man by Harmony Williams, if you enjoy Historical Romances, the friends to lovers trope, the fake relationship trope, or books by authors Eva Devon, Darcy Burke, Jess Michaels and Callie Hutton.

Ms Williams is a new to me author and while I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it.
I liked Mary, Edwin, and their somewhat complicated backstory and their very complicated current situation.
As much as I enjoyed the Mary, Edwin, and the unique cast of secondary characters I really struggled with reading this at times. Part of it was the feeling as I moved through the book that there was a lot I didn't know, especially about Mary, that I needed to.
I struggled a little with connecting to the characters and the situations they found themselves in. I also had a sense of confusion regarding the true time period of the book. The premise of the book as presented in the blurb wasn't exactly what I encountered in the story and what was in the story seemed a bit thin.
Having not read anything else by this author, it's hard to say if this is a consistent issue or specific to this book. I am curious about the author though.....

Publisher's Description:

If Mary Babington-Smith knows nothing else, it's that Lord Edwin Sutton kissed her. Regardless of who-kissed-whom, with the deed witnessed, they have no choice but to carry on with a temporary, fake, engagement. When Edwin sweetens the deal, offering Mary the money she needs to pursue her independence if she can play the lovesick fiancée for two weeks, Mary rises to the challenge. In two weeks, she'll have everything she wants, and this time she'll be the one to walk out of his life.

Despite Sutton's argumentative, self-assured nature, when Mary glimpses a sliver of the boy he used to be, she vows to peel away every layer of armor he uses to shield his emotions. Somewhere underneath that worldly exterior is the kind-hearted man she once loved, but in order to find him, she'll have to give him the power to hurt her...and he's already broken her trust once...

My Thoughts:

This may be the best book I have read by this author. It is entertaining and well written.

Although written in first person which is usually a turn off for this reader this book still held my attention and I didn't become overwhelmed by the writing as I usually do with books of this nature.

Sutton and Mary have known each other since childhood but as is common he went away and in doing so lost his friendship with Mary.
Now he is back and he needs her help so that he can get a place for his precious plants in a greenhouse. Well botanist do tend to love their plants more than life itself.

Mary on the other hand has a soft spot for furry creatures. She has quite a menagerie and will be the subject of her father's wrath if she brings one more into their household..

The laughter and love brought into this read by the cats and dog are an essential part of this story and not to be missed.

Will Sutton and Mary rekindle their lost friendship and more?

This is very well written in spite of being written in first person. I didn't feel like I was reading that sort of book.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. I loved the humorous nature in this book and hope to read more to come by this author.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

1814

Mary Babington-Smith is the daughter of a widowed barrister. She worries about her father because he works long hours and is exhausted. As she was out walking, she was nearly hit by a cart as she was rescuing a kitten. But Lord Edwin Sutton, nephew of Lady Gladston, pulled her to safety. Mary and Edwin have known one another for years. He is a botanist and Mary loves to rescue animals in need.

Edwin proposes an engagement of convenience in exchange for funds that Mary can use to open a shelter for stray animals. Edwin impresses upon her that she will have to act like she is truly in love with him.

Mary has been summoned to see Lady Gladstone, who is also her godmother. When she arrives, she sees Edwin is there too. Lady Gladstone is insisting that Mary and Edwin marry. It appears that the day he rescued her from the cart, he kissed her in public and now there is a caricature of it in the newspaper. Thus, they will have to marry to avoid a scandal. But again, Edwin promises her that it is just a farce engagement to only last for 14 days.

This is a very convoluted story that had me shaking my head in confusion. It appears that Mary likes to dress in men’s clothes and meander around the streets. I couldn’t figure out if she was on the lookout for animals needing a home or if she was just a kook. The relationship between Mary and Edwin is also confusing. I realized this was like book number 3 in a series, and I have not read the first 2 books. This is not a stand-alone story and to keep up with the plot, it’s obvious one needs to read the first 2 books to make heads or tails of what is going on.

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

It is not often that stories are told in first person. It takes me back to Victoria Holt novels I read years ago and definitely gives a different perspective! Mary and Edwin knew each other when they were young and things did not turn out too well. But as they meet again and find themselves in a unique situation, Edwin proposes that he and Mary act like they are engaged, for at least a two week period. What could be easier than that? Mary will earn some money and Edwin will go back to the his regular life. She is determined to be the one to walk out on Edwin this time as he did her years ago. But plans often fail and the old chemistry between them sparks to life and they have a hard time fighting it! But at times you just wanted to shake them both instead of being so stubborn! This is the first book I have read by this author and I did enjoy it and hope to read more. Prepare to be entertained and sit back and enjoy!!

I really enjoyed this book! I love historical Romance novels. It reminds me of a simpler time. I liked Mary's character. She and Edwin are cute together. They have this silly arrangement that of course turns into a sweet love story. I like straightforward romance and that is what you get with this book. I like that it's not too long but just enough to give you what you need for a great story. I look forward to reading more from this author. She has great story telling abilities!!! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Romance.

This book was really fun. I loved that she wanted to open an animal shelter. I felt that it pushed a little too hard at the "I am not like other girls" trope though. And in the end, I think the guy should have apologized more. They are very similar in their stubbornness, but only she had to apologize.

Harmony Williams pulled me into the masquerade. How to Fall for the Wrong Man should be called Mistakes Made when you Land The Right One. Edwin and Mary have gotten so used to playing their parts, their heart's have gotten lost in the shuffle. In her quest for independence, Mary ignores her feelings. Edwin wears his on his sleeve, yet doesn't fully understand them. Williams makes historical a modern treat with her lovable, clueless characters and her stories of enchanting love.

How to Fall for the Wrong Man by Harmony Williams is book Three in the Ladies of Passion Series. This is the story of Mary Babington-Smith and Lord Edwin Sutton. I have read the previous books, but feel you can make this a standalone book.
Mary lost her mother at a early age but did have her father but with that Marry had some freedom to wear mans cloths and freely walk around saving her animals and sometimes a person or two. It also allowed her to play with Edwin and they were close friends but when he left to go to school it tore that friendship apart. Now in the present day they are not close at all and with Mary's friends leaving her via Marriage she is finding herself alone with her father. Mary still goes around saving animals but money has become a issue of sorts. So when Edwin offers her a marriage of convince she turns him down...but then he changes it to and engagement that if she can play the doting love for two weeks he will give her money for a animal shelter. Mary does agree to this but in the days and weeks they get to know each other again and feelings start to turn very real.
Loved reading their story and have really enjoyed this series!

3.75 Stars
If Mary Babington-Smith likes to collect stray animals & when Lord Edwin Sutton offers Mary the money she needs to buy a sanctuary for stray animals in exchange for playing the lovesick fiancée for two weeks, Mary rises to the challenge. In two weeks, she'll have everything she wants, and this time she'll be the one to walk out of his life. Edwin & Mary have known each other for years & Mary loved him only to have her heart broken when he left
Another enjoyable read from the author my only criticism is that it’s told in the first person which I personally find a little off putting that said I enjoyed the book. The characters are well rounded & the pace is good & flows well.. Of course we’d met Mary in the earlier books in the series & I was so glad she now has hr story. Edwin & Mary are very likeable & are ideally suited which they gradually discover as hey spent time together. I look forward to reading more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Miss Mary Babington - Smith is a fiercely independent young feminist in a time long before the word was fashionable. She helps any woman or animal in need, sometimes without regard for her own welfare.
Lord Edwin Sutton needs a wife, or at least to look like he will soon be married. He hopes to strike a deal with an old friend.
His family and staff do all they can to make the fake relationship real.
A funny and at times emotional story about a couple who seem to have nothing in common. Their shared history only complicates the deal they worked out.
A very entertaining and enjoyable read.

Finally, we have Mary’s story! As a dynamic and powerful character in the other installments, Mary steals every scene she was in.

Williams continues with her delightful friends to lovers trope. Like Francine and Julian, it is clear that Mary and Edwin are meant for each other if only they would stop being so stubborn. While Mary continues to be a strong female lead, her single-mindedness about her independence and not becoming a man’s property blind her. While her strength is commendable, she can be frustrating to the point that the reader wants to shake her and tell her to stop being stupid.

Edwin is an absolute peach who clearly only has Mary in his heart. Unfortunately, if he was honest with Mary upfront, it could have saved a lot of heartache. Instead, the reader is treated to a cycle of Mary being angry at Edwin for ridiculous reasons and denying that they love each other.

The story is filled with just as much heat as it does emotion. Edwin and Mary have blatant chemistry that refuses to be ignored. It was only a matter of time before they came together. If you are hoping for a sweet coupling behind closed doors, you’re sadly mistaken as Williams’ scenes are both explicit and erotic. That being said, it is again frustrating to see Mary waffle between wanting Edwin and pushing him away over.

Overall, the novel is a gripping read written in Williams’ smooth style. The reader will fly through the pages as they hope both Mary and Edwin will come to their senses. The only genuine complaint I have is that we don’t get much of their history together. While the story can be enjoyed as a standalone, it almost feels like the reader is missing out on a lot of background information. We are told that Edwin and Mary have significant history together, but it doesn’t really feel like they do.