Wow, I am so behind on reviewing some of these titles! Eloisa James books are always so readable, and I especially enjoyed the clash of wills in How to Be a Wallflower!

I think this was a fun if flawed regency romance! There was good chemistry between the two main characters and the writing was nice and swoony, but it felt a little too insta-lovey on Jake's part and the third act conflict was a let down.

Eloisa James has written another amazing romance with the perfect amount of angst, a swoony tortured hero, and a heroine who is unexpectedly perfect for him. Absolutely loved this story and highly recommend!

Oh, how I love and Eloise a james book. The female character has such a wonderful positive energy about her and it’s interesting to see her interactions with a male character. The plot lines. Keep you entertained from start to finish. This is the type of historical romance, which two major historical romance, because it’s comforting and entertaining at the same time.

A super fun story about an unlikely pairing.

Four stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Historical romance might just be my favorite genre, which is so surprising to me! I loved it as a teen, and it was actually my first adult romance genre so maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised! I’ve been discovering a lot of new-to-me authors in this genre over the last year, and this year I’m rediscovering Eloisa James. I read a fairytale retelling of hers a couple years ago and enjoyed it, but I never picked up anything else by her until I received How to Be A Wallflower for review. I was looking for more books for lovers of Lisa Kleypas and fell down a bit of a rabbit hole that led to me finding out that Eloisa and Lisa are friends, and that they love each other’s writing! That got me even more excited to jump back in to Eloisa’s titles and I’m so glad I did! Right after I finished this one I read another one of hers, and both were so much fun! I’m hopeful I’ve found another author to love!

1. Right off the bat I knew I’d like Cleo. She’s a spicy spitfire, and I loved watching her put people in their place. I loved her personality. Not every lady would take pride in being the owner of a company that makes commodes (toilets), but she does! Her mother pushed the boundaries of society and lived her best life, and Cleo is following in her footsteps now. She doesn’t care that she doesn’t fit in, she just owns who she is and loves herself. She has no interest in settling down with a man and handing everything she’s worked for over to him, so she sets out to become a wallflower–someone no man would pay any attention to. She designs the most unattractive wardrobe for herself and is ready to blend in while she joins her grandfather in London. But no, she will pay for her own lodging because she’s an independent woman. She’s reluctant to start a relationship with Jake because her mom couldn’t commit to just one man and Cleo doesn’t want to hurt him. I loved this unconventional role reversal, and I just loved her!

2. Jacob Astor Addison, rugged American businessman, wants to buy a clothing shop and take it to America to change the world of theater. I loved Jake, too. He’s so burly and strong and he won a fight with a bear, for crying out loud. An actual bear in the wild. He falls very quickly, and boy does he have it bad for Cleo. Like so, so bad. He loves her so much that he’s willing to parade about London in the brightest colors and the boldest prints because she helped design his wardrobe for him. He insists on moving to her floor at the hotel she’s staying at so he can make sure she’s safe (since she lives there alone). And yes, he rents out the entire floor so it’s just the two of them. In their own suites. He befriends her grandpa. He worms his way right into her heart and patiently allows her to fall a little, back away, fall a little more, get scared, and ultimately fall head over heels, all on her own time.

3. I loved the friendship these two form on their way to love. They sit around and have stimulating conversations over meals. The banter is amazing. They are such wonderful communicators, and we know how that makes me soar. They’re both so open with their fears and emotions and wants, and they get to know one another on a very deep level. It just felt like this romance was built on a stronger foundation than many others in this genre.

4. The romance is just amazing. The pining on his part, and the trepidation on her part. The things he thinks about her and says to her face had me swooning. I loved that Jake let Cleo drive the romance at her own speed. They kissed when she wanted it. They did… *ahem* other things on her terms. He respects her feelings and her wishes, and is such a flirty cinnamon roll gentleman that he left me weak in the knees. The story is just so romantic.

5. The entire story is very sweet and low stakes, which was so refreshing. There was little to no angst, no big miscommunications or misunderstandings, no villains. Just two people working their way to each other.

6. I loved the supporting characters. All of them.

7. The humor! Perhaps parts of this story are a little outlandish and unbelievable, but I didn’t care! I loved the humor, and had so much fun reading this.

All in all, I highly recommend this book and am excited to continue with the series! I took a little detour and went to an older release, My American Duchess, because I heard it’s the love story of Jake’s best friend, Merry. I loved her so much in this book that I absolutely had to go read her story. It was amazing, and my review should be up in the next few weeks! I can’t wait to read more from Eloisa James!

It’s an okay Regency romance between an independent businesswoman and a wealthy American, grandson of John Jacob Astor. It’s an enemies-to-lovers trope with some steamy scenes, but I just couldn’t buy into the relationship because the book began with Cleo vowing to be a wallflower in her first London season (although, at age 22, she would have practically been considered a spinster). A very short time after meeting, when Cleo purchased a costume shop right out from underneath Jake, she went from not wanting marriage to practically giggling when Jake says “You’re mine.” It made her very weak in my eyes, so I wasn’t able to fully commit to the love story.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I’m going to be honest here, this was pure fluff and kind of boring. It had no substance and couldn’t hold my interest. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

Wildy funny and sometimes outright ridiculous, this book kept me laughing to myself the entire time. Such a unique idea. While there were many historical inaccuracies, I was easily able to overlook them and simply enjoy the story.

As long as you can get past the historical inaccuracies (yes, I know there’s an author’s note. That doesn’t stop the story sounding like it should take place 60 years later than it really does), this is a fun story. Jake and Cleo are wonderful pairing. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where they went from financial rivals to utterly falling for each other, but it is a lovely gradual transition.

I would have liked to have known more about Cleo’s father. Her mother’s antics as the town bicycle seem to be more pertinent to the story, but it would have been nice to hear a bit more about the poor man who stayed faithful to a woman who didn’t give two figs about him or their marriage.

Yaaaaay a new Eloisa James series! I love the promise of a new beginning, the first book in a new series. And as far as I'm concerned, everything Eloisa James touches is just MAGIC.

This is the sort of wacky rom-com I expect from all those illustrated covers on romance novels these days, and judging from the cover I'd never expect the bananas shenanigans that go on inside this book! (Okay, will I DID sort of expect them, but that's because I'm a long-time Eloisa James fan, haha.)

This is such a fun, funny book. Wonderful for when you need an escape from reality, a love story, and a laugh.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this, I did have to DNF. I found the characters unbelievable and the situations to be over the top. Reviewers with similar tastes as me were having the same issues, so I did decide to stop reading. I do appreciate the approval.

The first book in a new series. While it didn’t capture the same James charm as other books, it was still fun to read. The romance was a bit chaotic but still believable.

A fun start to a new series by James. I liked the main characters for the most part, although the heroine's infatuation with the idea of the engagement ring was a little difficult for me to empathize with. But still, fun and entertaining.

Cleo and Jake's story was a refreshing read from James. She always writes strong female characters and male leads that are accepting of an intelligent female lead. How to Be a Wallflower is an amazing way to pass a few hours. I highly recommend it.

Eloisa James writes such wonderful stories. Although this is a new series, it has Merry and Trent from my American Duchess. The two main characters are unique. Cleopatra Lewis is an heiress, but took control of her father's business when he died and expanded her "portfolio". Her mother was a free spirit, but Cleo is more like her father. Her mother had run away from home, so Cleo never meet her grandparents, but now has reached out to her grandfather, a lonely Viscount. She comes to London after promising her mother that she would have a season, but plans to be a wallflower. She has no intention of ever marrying, not risking her business or her heart. Jacob Astor Addison, is an American and is just as strong willed. He is a large man, who builds businesses on his own terms. He and Cleo meet at a dressmaker's shop, which Jake has contracted to buy and send to New York, but the owner doesn't want to go to America and Cleo steps in and makes a counter offer. Jake then turns his eyes to Cleo, who is not what he thought he was looking for, but is perfect for him.

The characters are very likable, lots of lively banter and humorous scenes. I don't recall a single book written by the author that I have not enjoyed immensely.

I read an ARC that I received from NerGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

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I love the banter in this book, it is a specialty of Eloisa James. I laughed out loud a few times, especially when it came to Jake wearing the clothes that Cleo made for him. I loved that they could lean on each other when it came to their businesses. They are definitely compatible in EVERY aspect. I always look forward to books from this author.

I really enjoyed this friend to lovers romance between Cleo Lewis and Jake Astor. I love my romance with lots of witty banter and Eloisa never disappoints. Recommended.

Classic Eloisa James. Just a legend and she can't be beaten. Her characters are classic without being dated. Loved having her on the podcast and still feels like a fever dream that I got to interview her.