This was my first Eloisa James book, and it was a mixed bag for me. I loved her characters--their interactions, their outfits, their sassy dialogue. I very much enjoyed their interactions. Where I struggled a little bit was the pacing. Something about the timeline felt choppy, and it ended up hurting the chemistry between Cleo and Jake. Overall, still an enjoyable read. If you love an American hero, this is still the romance for you. I look forward to going into James' backlog to explore some of her other titles.

Eloisa James delivers another delicious Regency romance to lighten the heart and fire the blood. I thoroughly enjoyed the read! Contains steamy scenes, if that’s not your cup of tea.

This was my first ever Eloisa James novel and I think it might not have been the right place to start. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I've heard such amazing things about the depth and detail of her novels, but the romance in this one didn't quite work for me.

I fell in love with all of the lush descriptions an fascinating historical tidbits. The romance is almost entirely about fashion and the detail and description was exquisite. Eloisa James is a Shakespeare professor and her expertise really shone throughout, from the Shakespearean references to the fun facts to the specificity and accuracy of language to the celebration of and fascination with theatre history. As a theatre maker myself, I loved all of the references throughout, but I did find myself getting lost in the details of all the historical fun facts and missing out on the romance itself.

The romance built fast and actually caught me by surprise. It didn't feel like there was a great deal of chemistry or romantic foundation between these two. The romance just fell a little flat for me throughout. I also felt like Cleo's central fear of becoming her mother became redundant to the point of slut-shaming, which really doesn't work for me, and especially doesn't work in a romance that's supposed to celebrate women's joyful and confident sexuality.

I recommend checking this out if you're looking for an American hero and some really in the weeds British history facts!

I will definitely read more of Eloisa James' work, but this one just didn't hit right for me,

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC.

CW: death of a parent, discussion of opium

I don't know how much the main character, Cleo, really tried to be a wallflower, so the title is a bit misleading, but I did enjoy the book. ;) Cleo Lewis is the heiress to Lewis Commodes and runs the business herself, not interested in marriage . She meets an American businessman, Jake, and they compete to win a local seamstress' business. Jake falls in love with Cleo and tries to win her while Cleo has to confront her feelings about her mother and their lifestyle when she was growing up. There was a conflict very near the end which seemed a bit out of place and rushed, but I did enjoy the characters and the conflict didn't take anything away, it was just placed strangely in the storyline. I would check out the next in the series when it comes out.

Eloisa James. What else do you really need to say? Ms. James is a genius in the historical romance genre and How To Be a Wallflower is such a great addition to her bountiful and beautiful stories. A willful heiress who wants to be a wallflower meets a rugged American? They have a battle os the (sexy) wills? Clothes come off? Sign me up every day! I cannot wait to continue this series.

Eloisa James is a master when it comes to Historical Romance. She draws you into the time period so seamlessly and creates characters you can’t help but to root for. In this case, an independent woman determined not to follow in her mother’s footsteps and a swoon worthy suitor willing to patiently woo his heart’s desire.

Cleopatra Lewis is a savvy business woman in a time where it is considered uncouth to be so. But does she care what society thinks? Not one little bit. She takes pride in her accomplishments and doesn’t need a husband to complicate matters. Therefore, she is determined to not be noticed when she is presented to society. She will make herself a Wallflower.

Jacob Astor Addison is a wealthy businessman looking to invest in and move a Costumer and her crew back home to America to outfit his theaters. But he hits a snag when Cleo outbids him to keep Martha (Costumer) and her employees in England.

Furious at first, Jake vows to win back his contract. But when he calms down he realizes what a remarkable woman Cleo is and decides to put his efforts into winning her love instead. Being an abrupt and truthful American, Jake is upfront with Cleo about his intentions, both in business and pleasure. And Cleo is likewise; she will not marry!

The two have an instant spark that left me enthralled. I loved that Cleo was secure in herself and her accomplishments. Also, that Jake was secure enough in his manhood to not be intimidated by her but be thoroughly impressed instead. I also loved that he was willing to make himself look like a very colorful fool in order to win her heart.

Jake made it clear from the start that he was very much interested in her, that he was aware of her unwillingness to marry, and that he would follow her lead. He tried his hardest to be a gentleman and he took consent very seriously.

I happen to find consent and honesty very sexy and so did Cleo. It wasn’t long until his plan to win her heart started working. But what about her business? Surly she could maintain her hard work and find true love as well. She just had to trust in herself and trust that Jake would accept all of her. And of course eventually she does. It is a romance after all. But boy was it fun getting to the end result.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this arc to me in exchange for an honest review.

Eloisa James is a powerhouse of historical romance and this book is a shining example of why.

While this novel contains your classic romance trope of “rivals to lovers” the love story itself is a calm, cozy and imminently believable tale of two independent people finding one another. While Cleo and Jake start out in a mild rivalry over a costume shop, the romance blossoms very organically in a very real way. While as readers we may love a good “lust at first sight,” this slow burn romance feels like a warm blanket on a cold day. James makes the reader understand, and care for, the main characters while building a world full of humorous supporting characters, exciting historical finery and a delightful HEA.

My only critique being that I know James can write scenes that make you sweat, and this book was lacking that, shall we say, chemistry. While not all romance novels have to be “smut-worthy,” readers of the author may be disappointed in this aspect.

All that said, I look forward to more books in this series.

Cleopatra Lewis was raised by her wild, scandalous mother who had a weakness for handsome men. Her mother, the daughter of an English Lord, married an American so Cleo is an American citizen. She is careful of her attachments as she witnessed her mother's sufferings when each new affair soured and does not intend to marry.

She inherited a fortune and knows how to manage it - and thinks of marriage for women as dangerous. They lose so much control if they marry, and Cleo does not intend to lose anything. She is in England to debut (i.e. make contacts) and also on business - she plans to promote her company's products to the aristocracy - toilets with a superior flush. I loved that so much.

She is planning on being a wallflower, so on the advice of her longtime dresser, visits a theatre dressmaker's shop to commission an exceedingly drab society wardrobe - only to walk into a kerfluffle. John Jacob Addison is a wealthy American and a member of the even wealthier Astor family. He has the dressmaker under contract and intends to move her, her staff, and her business to America, to the dressmaker's great dismay. Cleo comes to her rescue, and for once, John Jacob ends up on the losing side. Possibly he has another objective now ..... one he knows he can't rush. This is a delightful slow-burn romance.

While this is the second book in the series, I don't think it is necessary to read the first to enjoy this book, although I highly recommend it also. My thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance reading copy.

I can never say no to a regency era romance, and this one felt different than any other I had read before! Cleo and Jake- our main characters- don't subscribe to the typical 1800's romance novel stereotypes. They're both fiercely independent and stubborn- standout characteristics during this time for a woman- and Jake is American- which I tend to not find in these sorts of books, so I think it's oddly refreshing. Cleo isn't a blushing debutant, and Jake isn't falling over his feet to win her heart from first glance, so I really enjoy those aspects of their character too.

I enjoyed Cleo and Jake- as I said before- as characters, but their relationship as a whole wasn't something I felt as invested in romantically. I wanted them together, but that was because of who they were, not based off of romantic chemistry or previous interactions.

This was a wonderful start to a new series. It takes place around 1815 and is a bit different than I expected. I loved the authors previous series and was hoping for more of that but this book is part of the American Duchess series. It stars Jake who is a wealthy American who is in England to visit with his friends the Duke and Duchess of Trent. While there he discovers a dress shop and wants to buy it and take it to America. But Cleo who is very wealthy but who is a newly discovered granddaughter of a viscount needs the shop to make her outfits as she is being launched into English society by her grandfather and so starts the fun in this romance.

Cleo is a strong and independent woman who does not want marriage. She has led a very unsheltered life and also is a businesswoman so marriage is something that can really harm her. She starts an affair with Jake. But Jake also has plans to marry someone else in America, or maybe just his mother has those plans.

I liked this story a lot but the addition of his maybe fiancee and his scheming mother kinda gave me a negative feeling for this story. I also like my heroines more innocent in historicals so this one was not my favorite from this author. This plot device did not go on a long time but it was so close to the ending that I would have liked more in this story.

4.5 Stars. Eloisa James’s books bring me so much joy. She was one of the first romance authors I found so her books will always have a soft place in my heart. For my last book of 2021 I decided to reader her upcoming book. This book is the first in the new Would-Be Wallflowers series, though it does tie in with her 2015 standalone My American Duchess (Jake is best friends with Merry the heroine of My American Duchess and she and her duke appear in this book). How to Be a Wallflower tells the story of Cleo, who is determined to be a wallflower as she enters society in order to maintain her fortune and company, and Jacob Astor Addison, a very wealthy American. The two butt heads when Cleo steals an investment out from under Jake and he falls for her instantly. Cleo is leery of love which means it takes more time to warm up to him but the attraction is mutual.

I really liked both Cleo and Jake. Both had very distinct and sharp personalities that were fun to read. Considering this is an instant attraction book, I was surprised to find that it was a slow burn, but it did fit them. There were a few issues with pacing as the ending felt rushed, but it didn’t ruin the book for me. This book did have me pulling up the wikipedia page for the Astor family more than once, which means that I really was invested in the book. I absolutely loved all of the side characters and am very excited to read the next book in the series which I believe will be Yasmin and Lilford’s book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

After reading a great historical romance right before this one, I should've known not to pick another up. Because this one wasn't even close to comparing. I found every aspect lacking. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either.

The main problem with this one was the main romance. Or rather, the lack thereof. There was nothing there. There was no chemistry. There was no smut. Nothing that could've made this into a more compelling relationship existed. The side characters were nice, by underdeveloped. Everything else was just unremarkable.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Whenever I read a book by Eloisa James, I always know I’m in good hands. She’s the kind of writer who I know will knock it out of the park. This story was no different and I ended up reading it in one sitting. Highly recommend for a fun romantic story filled with lush descriptions and witty banter.

This is one of those stories that you hate to see end. Cleo and Jake are perfect, the banter is amusing, their story so enjoyable. I didn't want the story to end because they felt like friends. Good people with a great love story!

This was a delightful first book in a new series. Cleo invests in the costume company Jake wants and he plans to make her sell to him until he realizes there is something he wants even more. This story had wit and heat and intriguing characters that have me looking forward to the next book in the series.

Another great book by Eloisa James! Start of a new series was a book filled with funny moments and love. Jake and Cleo are both strong and caring. Their HEA was one that was easy to become engrossed in. They learn each other and learn to have patience to grow together. I really enjoyed the storyline and characters.

Cleopatra "Cleo" Lewis is the granddaughter of Viscount Falconer. Her mother ran away as a young girl, got married, and lived with traveling theater groups. She died before she was able to reconcile with the Viscount. Cleo's grandfather wants her to be recognized by society and get married, but she refuses to get married. Cleo inherited a business named Lewis Commodes from her father, and she does not want to give up the business. Cleo meets Jacob Astor Addison at Quimby's Costume Emporium, and makes a deal with the owner to prevent him from buying the costume shop. Jake is initially interested in making Cleo change her mind and purchase the costume store from her, but soon a growing attraction forms.

Jake's character was interesting, and I only kept reading because of him. I found Cleo to be unlikable, and her constant comparisons of her and her mother (who slept around with tons of actors) felt really redundant after a while. Cleo's relationship with her grandfather seemed important in the beginning, and then he sort of disappears from the book and their relationship is never touched upon again. I couldn't understand why Jake falls in love with Cleo because she was so unlikable. The question of who purchases Quimby's Costume Emporium was never resolved which made the book feel unfinished. Historical romance fans can pass on this one.

This is the first book in this series even though secondary characters do make an appearance. This is a sweet regency romance with lots of witty dialogue. I really enjoyed the secondary characters

I loved How to be a Wallflower! It was so fun! Great banter is always important. Perfection! Characters that tug at the heartstrings. There are some characters from the story that I want their own books right now. Brava Eloisa!


I voluntarily read an early copy.

4.5 stars!

One sentence summary: Daughter of a female rake lives an independent life but when she starts to fall in love with a brash American she worries that she might be more like her mother than she thought.

Cleo Lewis was such a unique heroine. Independent and unconcerned about marriage, she is able to live by her own rules. Though she does want to make her grandfather, Viscount Falconer, proud.

Jacob Astor Addison comes from a prominent American family and he doesn’t quite fit into British society. He is in England to acquire the best costumer for his American theaters but Cleo buys the emporium before he can. He vows to win it back but very quickly realizes what he really wants is Cleo.

This is a character journey, not much actually happens. It’s about Cleo reconciling her promiscuous mother’s example with her current situation. Jake and Cleo become friends first (although he’s determined to have her early on) and she learns more about her mother’s desires and her own as their relationship gets serious.