This was a lovely story, who doesn't love a temporary regency engagement?

I actually really loved the distinction that was brought up in the book that it wasn't a fake engagement, just a temporary one. It was such an interesting way to put it, and I had never thought of that before! I think the characters are the strongest part of this story. William, despite his delightful introduction, was actually so genuine and kind, and I absolutely loved the scene with his nephews! But the highlight for me were the letters sent between William and Charlotte in the first quarter of the book. The first chapter starts so strongly, and their banter continues on through these letters. I absolutely loved reading them and had hoped they would continue on so it could be a sort of epistolary romance.

Unfortunately, that momentum didn't keep up throughout the rest of the story. There was not much driving the plot, and I would say anywhere between 50-100 pages could have been edited out to clean things up a bit. While the characters and their conversations were really enjoyable to read, everything else felt a bit heavy-handed. Also, the "why can't they just be together now? question was never really answered, and Charlotte's just because attitude got old pretty fast.

This story had so much potential, it left me wanting more from it. I wouldn't start someone who is new to historical romances with this one, but it will be a fine summer read!

Charlotte Hurst and her brother Phillip have their quiet breakfast interrupted by an irate William Atherton, Earl of Norwood. The two men serve in Parliament but are not friends and he has never met Charlotte. Unfortunately, a well known paper has announced their betrothal and the Earl accuses Charlotte of trying to force him into marriage to avoid scandal and hurt his chances for an important committee assignment.. The two siblings are able to convince Atherton that they had nothing to do with the announcement. Seeing his mistake and after getting a verbal set down by Charlotte, they decide to fake an engagement that she can break off in the near future. The notes they exchange are humorous. The characters are likeable after the initial meeting and his family welcomes Charlotte and she becomes friendly with Lady Serena Wynter who is ostracized for trying to help war widows. It is in trying to help someone that Charlotte does something totally out of character and her behavior after that was frustrating to read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

*thank you to net-galley for a free copy of this in return for an honest review!*

Fans of Bridgerton will find a similar delight Kate Pembrooke’s first novel in her new series “the unconventional ladies of Mayfair”!
As a huge fan of Bridgerton I definitely got my “fix” in this book.
Charlotte and her brother Phillip are eating breakfast one day until they are rudely interrupted by Lord Norwood who accuses Charlotte of announcing their betrothal in the paper while having no acquaintances much less courtship with him. When she denies having done so, he insists they need to follow through for the time being, so as to not tarnish her reputation. What follows is a classy version of one of the most entertaining tropes (fake dating) in which Charlotte and William (Lord Norwood) cross the line from bantering and getting off the wrong foot... to falling in love.
I absolutely loved how this played out. It had a touch of enemies to lovers which I always am here for, and the writing of the time period felt so authentic! I loved the mystery in who wrote the paper about their “Betrothal”. I found that both Charlotte and Williams personalities were both so likable and I found myself falling for Williams big heart revealed under all that seriousness.
High recommend for fans of romances set in this time period, fans of Bridgerton and fans of contemporary who want to branch out from modern day tales!

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this historical romance. Lady Charlotte is mistakenly linked as William's fiance in the papers. She goes along with the charade all the while fighting her attraction to the earl. William is taken by Charlotte's beauty and witty comebacks. He does lay it on a bit thick towards the end with a few jealous driven kisses but he seems to genuinely like her. Charlotte holds out for far longer than necessary but she eventually comes around. A romantic declaration brings them together and the rest is history. Enjoyable.

A fun, perfect for the beach or weekend read.

I have to say that the first scene in the book between the two main characters sets the stage for the rest of the book. I love how unflappable Charlotte is when Norwood confronts her / blames her for putting the announcement in the paper about their engagement when in fact they have never even met. The chemistry and slow burn throughout the book is on par, and makes the world building between the characters even better. A great historical read, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I really tried to like this story. It was very promising. A fake betrothal, concocted by a mystery person, announced in the morning times. It was certainly poised to generate a good ride, but it fell really flat for me.

William was in it to advance his political agenda, and he was surprised to find himself attracted to Charlotte. Charlotte was smart, quiet and thoughtful. She wasn’t afraid to put William in his place and bring him down a couple of notches. My kind of heroine. Sadly I just had a really hard time meshing these two together. I was a very slow read n slow to heat up.

Despite the blurb, this is a slow, sweet romance where 80% of the book is the heroine falling in love with the hero. The big dramas are easily solved and it ends with a quiet happily ever after. An interesting read, but I'm looking forward to the next book where the couple seem to have more "spark" so to speak.

Loved. loved Loved This. One. So. Much! I have loved all the books I've read by Kate Pembrooke, . But I think this one is my favorite so far. A must read

I love discovering new authors and for a first novel - this book was excellent.

An unknown villain publishes a fake engagement announcement for the handsome and popular Earl of Norwood and the shy and unknown Baron's sister, Charlotte Hurst. They are forced into a pretend relationship to save Norwood's political career and protect Charlotte's reputation.

From the beginning, Charlotte wants nothing to do with Norwood and Norwood finds himself drawn to this "country nobody". I loved that they went from hate, at first sight, to fall in love. From the minute Charlotte puts Norwood's ego in place, I was hooked.

Overall, this was just a nice and beautiful love story. There was a lot of character development for both Charlotte and Norwood. Both are forced to assess what they want in life and if that includes each other. I love that they can't keep away from each other. And almost immediately their pretend engagement transforms into a real relationship. There was a lot of heat between Charlotte and Norwood, some steamy scenes, and a love scene towards the end. I also love how everything resolved. Norwood was all just a swoon-worthy hero. He's the likable, standup guy every girl hopes to meet despite the rocky beginning.

I was so into this book and excited to see that it's going to be a series. I loved the author's writing style and found it really easy to immerse myself in her world. I can't wait to see what she does next!

I absolutely adored this book! The fake engagement set-up between Charlotte and William was wonderfully done, and they were both such delightful characters. I loved being in both of their heads, watching them grow and grapple with their feelings. They had such great banter, and the letter exchanges added some fabulous comedy. The supporting characters were also great, and I'm excited to see more of them! I can't speak to the historical details, but Pembrooke's world felt very grounded and lived in (for lack of a better term), with lots of interesting details. I can't wait for the next one in this series!

I enjoyed the premise of the engagement in the newspaper, but it would have been more interesting had the main characters had something of a background before it. There are lots of Regency romances out there. While this was good, I would spend my library's money on other books.

One morning William Atherton, the Earl of Norwood, barges into the home of Miss Charlotte Hurst to confront her for announcing a false betrothal to him in the paper only to find out the woman in question had nothing to do with it. To avoid undue criticism and scandal they decide to continue with the faux engagement until it has been enough time that Charlotte can jilt Norwood without repercussion.

Despite usually loving a classic fake engagement trope, this book just fell a bit flat for me. There didn’t seem to be enough conflict or plot to really pull me into the book. Furthermore, I wish that there were more scenes between the two main characters to build upon their obvious chemistry. Beyond some carriage rides, it didn’t feel like we got to see that much of them together until like 50% through. A lot happens in this book and maybe not all of it was necessary or pertinent to the plot. Overall though, it was a pleasant read and very informational!

You can tell that a lot of detail and research has gone into this book. From the fashions to surroundings, all the descriptions are incredibly vivid and illustrative. However, I believe in chapter 12 Norwood addresses Lady Serena as just “Serena” in front of several people. I’m obviously no expert, but wouldn’t this be seen as inappropriate and too familiar?? I may have misread or been too tired though, so it’s an honest question! Additionally, my only complaint is that some of the sentences in this book are LONG. Like really long. While they are grammatically correct, I think splitting up sentences would improve the readability (but of course that’s more of a personal opinion!!)

William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, and Miss Charlotte Hurst are as shocked as the rest of London to discover their betrothal via an announcement in the morning paper. Ofcourse, he assumes Charlotte has attempted to trap him but quickly realizes he is in error when she declares he is the last man she would consider marrying. Because of his political aspirations, they decide to let the fake betrothal stand for a short time until seats on a government committee are announced.

I enjoyed the banter between these two strong characters who were well developed through the author's writing. This is a fun enemies to lovers trope novel.

This is a lovely story about a mistake and where that leads to. The couple is enchanting and I very much enjoyed their banter from enemies to more.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story.

William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, and Miss Charlotte Hurst are as shocked as the rest of London to discover their betrothal via an announcement in the morning paper. Furious at what appears to be a shrewd marriage trap, William tracks down his alleged fiancée before her plans can affect his campaign for a coveted political post. But then William realizes an engagement, however fake, may benefit them both.... Of course, along the way, they fall in love for real.

The fun is in how they fall in love of course. Lots of witty banter, sweet romance and great chemistry. The two characters are genuinely likable.... Both are smart, thoughtful and funny. Totally enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC.