I enjoyed the book. I was glad to see it was the hero that struggled reading this time instead of the typical heroine. I love how they worked together throughout the book to achieve their goals. The hero was every woman’s dream husband.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see how Willa and Dom get back together.

Thank you to the publisher and Eva Leigh for the arc via Netgalley.

Eva Leigh delivers yet another powerhouse of a historical romance novel! How the Wallflower was Won is the second book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series, which revolves around three men who are given ultimatums but their parents -find brides within the year or they're all cut off. The inciting incident happens in book one when Finn and Kieran Ransome help their best friend, Dominic Kilburn, to jilt their sister, Willa, at the altar because they believe the couple would be unhappy. Book one, The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes, is Kieran's story and is one of my favorite historical romances of all time, so I obviously had high hopes going into this one. And of course, Eva did not disappoint.
How the Wallflower was Won is about Finn Ransome and Miss. Tabitha Seaton, who Finn initially wants to set up with Dom, believing that Tabitha would be better suited for his friend. The sparks between Finn and Tabitha, however, are immediate and intense. Most of the conflict in this book is internal; both Finn and Tabitha have deep wounds and emotional pain that they have been carrying around for years. Finn believes himself to be stupid because of a misunderstood learning disability that led to years of abuse from his teachers and parents. Tabitha was rebuffed and set down by a man she deeply admired at a young age, making her wary of love. In short, these two love each other desperately but are also terrified of being hurt.
And it's magnificent. Eva Leigh handles these characters with such love and honesty. One of the things that I think Eva does so well in her books is explore trust and safety within relationships. It's foundational to her work and it's one fo the many reasons that I tend top recommend her books to first time historical romance readers. Another reason is that her books always feel modern, which I love. This book is deeply feminist/progressive. Tabitha is a scholar, specializing in philosophy, but she understands the importance of studying and listening to people of every race/gender/background/etc.
Obviously, I loved this book. It was fun, emotional, and satisfying. It also sets up the next book (Dom and Willa!) and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

I don't need much convincing to read a new Eva Leigh book. And How the Wallflower Was Won delivered on all my expectations: great characters, a delightful setup, and plenty of steam.

This book had some of my absolute favorite tropes: marriage of convenience, a wallflower, and a man who doesn't think he's worthy of the woman he's married to. Not to mention a little bit of philosophical discourse on the side. Finn and Tabitha's slow descent into feelings for each other were a joy to read, and both of their narrative voices felt equally strong and well balanced. Plus, they both had things they were working through - and towards - meaning that they functioned as independent characters rather than just two halves of a whole.

My main complaint with this book was that the third act conflict felt a little weak. Without delving too deeply into spoiler territory, I'll just say that the argument - and the ensuing fallout - felt forced, more of a narrative tool than a natural evolution of the story. As satisfying as the ultimate reconciliation between Finn and Tabitha was, I wished that there had been something a little bit stronger holding them apart. For the drama.

Beyond that, though, another great Eva Leigh read, and a lovely followup to the first book in this series. Now I just can't wait to see Dom and Willa get their shit together!

4/5

I enjoyed this book so much that I’ve requested the rest of Eva Leigh’s backlog from the library! Tabitha and Finn were so lovely, and the story took several turns I wasn’t expecting which is always nice. This was an incredibly satisfying second book in a series, and I’m very much looking forward to the third.

Even better than the first book in this series, “The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes.” Tabitha and Finn are more interesting romantic leads with richer personalities. I found Tabitha’s and Finn’s relationship to be relatable. Finn’s vulnerability and struggles with his learning disability are very endearing.

If you don’t like the miscommunication trope, then this book isn’t for you. There are so many things left unsaid for too long, which makes up the majority of the conflict in the story. It’s a perfect example of the trope. The main characters are on the same page, but they won’t speak to each other about it.

As with the first book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series, the first I read from this author, I disliked the spicy scenes. The language feels too contemporary for the setting, and certain aspects are over the top. I won’t go into details, but basically some things are not based in reality, and it takes you out of the story and makes you roll your eyes.

Another downside to this book is the ultimate moment of conflict; there’s an anticlimactic fight with a wildly melodramatic reaction from one of the characters. This character’s fear is to be considered hysterical, but then they act… hysterical. The other character has no context as to why the other is so upset, and yet they’re meant to grovel. Just some disconnect there. All in all, after the characters come together about a third into the book, there aren’t too many exciting moments driving the story forward.

Ultimately, “How the Wallflower Was Won” is a good way to pass the time until Dom’s story comes out next year. I’m not the only one dying to read “A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction,” right?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What first starts out as Finn trying to get the perfect wife for Dom, turns into a perfectly lovely deal between Finn and to get married to get exactly what they want. In Finn's case, he needs to marry within the next 8 months to make sure he and his brothers don't get cut off financially. For Tabitha, the only way she can get into the Sterling Society, a collective of brilliant minds is if she is married.

Finn doesn't think he will ever be good enough for Tabby because he has a learning disability when it comes to reading, and Tabby is a total bibliophile. But Tabby really helps Finn to see that he is very smart and really kind of ingenious when it comes to strategies about how to approach starting her own society. I really loved how they really supported each other 100% and accepted each other for exactly who they are flaws and all. I really loved how it ended and assuming after all that build-up, Willa and Dom are going to be the next couple, I can't wait to see how those two will find their way back to each other.

I had a very difficult time getting into this book. I felt like Finn loved Tabitha much more than Tabitha loved Finn. Tabitha was very involved with her intellectual pursuits and she tried to keep her marriage of convenience on the backburner even though she had fallen in love with her husband. Finn, who had a learning disability, had been made to feel stupid his entire life. He was then completely in awe of his brilliant wife. Unfortunately, he was afraid to share his feelings. Despite many steamy scenes, this couple just wasn't able to get their act together.

Plotwise, the book focused mostly on Tabitha's efforts to gain admittance to an all-male intellectual society. Tabitha and her diverse group of colleagues wished to reinvent British society and change it for the better. Many social issues of the time were touched upon. I think that the theme of social change really went beyond the scope of a romance novel. Personally, I read Historical Romance as an escape, so I did not care for the introduction of modern ideas. I would have liked the book better if it had focused more on Finn's personal struggles which were traditional in nature.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

How the Wallflower Was Won won me over with an evenly matched pair in Tabitha and Finn that have their own strengths but use them to build each other up, rather than tear each other down. Both have their own reasons for agreeing to marriage - Finn wants to ensure his brother and friend receive their inheritances and Tabitha wants the doors that marriage will open for her to local society that drives thoughts and ideas. So a bluestocking most comfortable in a library and a rebel happiest in a gaming hell agree to wed and find so much more than the mutual benefits they agreed to. Finn fully supports and encourages Tabitha in her pursuit of knowledge and she supports him in pursuing his idea of a business venture while convincing him that he's not as stupid as his parents have convinced him he is. All of this equality not surprisingly translates very well to the bedroom, but the pair are afraid of committing their hearts in addition to their heads which leaves the pair with a thorny problem that comes to a head when Finn says something he regrets and leaves them questioning their future together. While the pair are technically part of society and the peerage, the story thankfully stays away from frequenting ballrooms for more interesting and less frequented settings for a romance novel. It really shines when Tabitha and Finn are interacting and supporting each other. The romance is definitely steamy and perhaps more intense than some historical romance readers may prefer but adds a layer to the story in how strong of an attraction the characters share. I can't say that this quite a perfect romance for me, though I really enjoyed it and it was a drastic improvement over the other romances I've read recently. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Eva Leigh writes a swoonworthy historical romance with exquisite tension, smart plot and off the chart steam. The chemistry between her character sizzles off the page and the banter is so fresh and fun. You can't help but be drawn into the romance of her love stories. I especially enjoyed the dual POV from both main characters, the cameo from characters in previous books and the incredibly spicy romance scenes. I loved the character growth as well as the intimate small romantic gestures these characters showed each other. Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for my copy. I'm eagerly awaiting Dom and Willa's book next!!!

I enjoyed both Finn and Tabitha individually and together. Their romance was slow and sweet. It was the last bit of conflict where this story lost me. Miscommunication maybe a common trope but this way blown way out of proportion and left me feeling very disappointed with the way things played out. I am looking forward to the next book in the series still.

Justice for Finn.

All in all, this was engaging, fun and I was rooting for the individual characters and their developments both person and romantic. The plot was original and well-done, and everyone knows I truly love a HEA.

That third act break up though.... testing my patience.

How the Wallflower was won is set to be published late September of 2022. Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Netgalley and the author for the ARC.

Finn, Dom, and Kiernan have a year to get married. They must find compatible females. Finn is a strong gambler, but he does not read well. His father has told him what a disappointment he is to both his parents. Also, his tutor is extremely disappointed. They don't give him a chance.

Tabitha has studied everyone who is anyone. If she is single, she cannot belong to the Sterling
Society. But will they really change for her? Right now, men control the actions of this society. They
even go into Parliament. Men control all societies; women have no control.

This is supposed to be a marriage of convenience but the way the head two heroes are they even start to make love, vigorously. They slowly start to trust each other.

I received this ARC from Book Sirens and voluntarily reviewed it.

It’s nice to read a story where it’s the husband who is afraid he is not good enough for his wife. Usually it’s the other way around in marriage of convenience stories. This is the first time I’ve read this author and I look forward to reading more of her books

Finn Ransome, his brother, and their best friend created an unintended scandal, causing their families to issue an ultimatum: make a respectable marriage within a year or be cut off financially. Bluestocking Tabitha Seaton is also looking for a spouse. She wants to join a prestigious society of intellectuals, but they do not admit women...certainly not single ones! Finn thinks to pair Tabitha with his friend, but he finds himself making a marriage bargain instead.

This is the second book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series. The first book's couple is Finn's brother Kieran and their friend Dom's sister, Celeste. It helps to read the first book, as it explains how Finn and Kieran helped Dom jilt their sister, Willa. All the characters play a role in each other's stories, and Finn and Tabitha meet in the previous book.

I was looking forward to this couple and they did not disappoint. Something I really love about Eva Leigh's stories is that the characters get to be their authentic selves and find happiness. It doesn't matter their "flaws" or different interests, they get to find love for who they are and not who they could/"should" be. I really liked how Finn and Tabitha supported each other's interests and worked together. They also had excellent chemistry! (4.5 stars rounded to 5)

Tropes: Bluestocking, Matchmaking, Marriage of Convenience

Steam: 5

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #HowtheWallflowerWasWon #NetGalley

Eva Leigh reads are a consistent win for me. This book was no different-- I was on board, rooting for the unlikely pair from the beginning, and enjoyed their story. It can stand alone, but I wish I had read the first in the series before I picked this up.

After being forced by his parents to marry within the year or be cut off from his generous allowance, Finn, his brother, and their friend Dom are all on the marriage hunt. While his brother, Kieran has found a bride (see book one in this series), Finn is no stranger to gambling and risks it all on picking out Miss Tabitha Seaton for Dom. She is the opposite of Dom's former fiancee - a brilliant intellectual who aims to join the famous Sterling Society, though they have declined to admit her due to her not being married. When it's clear that Dom is still heartbroken and can't bring himself to marry Tabitha, Finn steps up and offers up himself for marriage. The two enter a marriage of convenience with open eyes and continually try to ignore their attraction towards each other.

I loved the portrayal of Finn's learning disorder and how unquestionably Tabitha recognizes his brilliance despite this and his self-consciousness surrounding it. I loved when she stood up to his parents and how much he never expected anyone to do that. I also loved how supportive Finn was of Tabitha's attempt to enter the Sterling Society and his clapbacks to those old men when they challenged her. And how much he supported Tabitha in creating her own intellectual society. Marriage of convenience is one of my top-tier historical romance tropes and this one DELIVERED. There is also a very spicy carriage scene and it was truly excellent.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for a review. Be sure to pick this one up on September 27th! I can't wait for the next in this series, Eva Leigh continues to deliver!

How the Wallflower Was Won is a well written romance that transcends the typical marriage of convenience trope, as it also explores the societal biases in intellectual societies. Tabitha is an exceptionally brilliant lady who marries Finn in order to be accepted by the academic Sterling Society. As their marriage evolves from
convenience to one of love, the two struggle to overcome their secret insecurities.
This was a romance with more depth than is usual for the genre…but it still maintains the hot romance readers seek. Solid read

SPOILERS!

After book 1, I was so excited to read Finn’s story. Finn being a gambling statistician was a wonderful character trait for a hero, especially since he would be falling in love with a super smart, bluestocking. Without going too much into the plot (don't want to spoil it too heavily), I thought that the first half of the book was well-paced and I loved watching their relationship turn from two people with a mutual need to get married to friends to lovers. There was a cuteness to their relationship and how much they were intrigued with each other's intelligence which allowed them to have a mutual respect for one another. I loved that Finn never wanted to change Tabitha and never tried to hinder her efforts and ambitions. Tabitha never thinks that Finn is stupid or uneducated due to his lack of a university degree, dislike of reading/dyslexia. Both of them having “love-commitment issues” was an excellent area that allowed for character growth (they realized love is pretty amazing) and had potential to drive the plot.

The spicy scenes were all really good. I love that Finn gets turned on by Tabitha being super smart and seeing her scholarly.
Here are some of the fun times they have together:
Dining Room Table sex
Carriage sex
Bathtub Funtimes
Plenty of sex in the bedroom

Most of my disappointment came from the second half, after the characters got married. At this point, the pace seemed to change and felt a bit off. This half mostly dealt with the Sterling Society and Tabitha’s path. A lot of the emotional elements get dragged out despite both characters realizing they care about one another pretty quickly so it results in some hurt feelings on both sides but they come together and work this out pretty well. My major gripe with this story was the 3rd act breakup/conflict. Miscommunication can be a great tool for causing strife and pushing characters to make changes/see the errors in their way but this seemed to come out of nowhere. SPOILERS! Finn makes a comment about Tabitha controlling her emotions which hurts her feelings because, unknowingly to Finn, her first love regretted her over her expressing her emotions to him when she was young. This is the event that caused her to do away with emotion & love. Tabitha then insults Finn’s intelligence (which she knows is a point of shame for him due to his dyslexia) and walks away. Finn then proceeds to spend the remaining 15-20% of the book trying to make it up to her. This just felt uneven and blown out of proportion on Tabitha’s end. I would be more understanding of the conflict had Finn known what happened to Tabitha when she was younger but he didn’t and it resulted in him being made to look like a jerk when he would have never done it had he known. He then ends running all over the city looking for her, leaving their home so she doesn't have to see him, and intensely groveling for hurting him. Tabitha only has to give him a less than 2 sentence apology. This felt even more disappointing considering the emotional abuse he has discussed with her throughout the novel. This conflict felt entirely too drawn out.

I did really enjoy most of the book and I am looking forward to Dom & Willa’s story!

Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Bluestocking, Friends to Lovers, Spicy, Crappy Parents, Rejected as unworthy by parents/former lovers, Sworn off a relationship, Lovers in denial

Overall Score: 3.5 stars

Thank you for sending me an advanced copy.

In book one, we saw that proar caused by recent scandal - abetting their best friend Dom Kilburn’s jilting of their younger sister Willa - Finn Ransome’s parents have put an ultimatum on Finn and his younger brother Kieran and friend Dom: *each* find respectable wives or be cut off from an allowance. It’s been four months since they set the ultimatum, and while Kieran has found his bride (in book 1), Finn and Dom appear to be hopeless cases. Finn is a gambler - cold and calculating when it comes to risks - and he’s picked out Miss Tabitha Seaton for Dom, since she’s a brilliant bluestocking and the opposite of Willa. Finn and Dom are in luck, because Tabitha also needs to get married in order to be accepted by the Sterling Society, an intellectual group that debates philosophical matters and provides guidance to Parliament. Dom is still heartbroken over Willa, though, so Finn magnanimously offers to marry Tabitha instead, despite knowing it’s a bad gamble, since Tabitha is brilliant…and Finn struggles to read.

The thing I love most in a marriage of convenience is how frequently each of the main characters needs to remind themselves it’s for convenience only. Tabitha is an intellectually curious, brilliant bluestocking who protects her heart since it was broken years before, and for her, marriage can only be one of convenience because she refuses to open her heart for the potential for heartbreak once again. Finn is instantly attracted to Tabitha, but doesn’t feel they can suit because of his learning disability – only he doesn’t realize it’s a form of dyslexia, he’s convinced he’s actually stupid, becuase that’s what he’s been told his whole life. My heart broke a little for Finn every time he felt he wasn’t good enough, because he’s such a star hero. He supports Tabitha wholeheartedly in her intellectual pursuits, even though the marriage is one of convenience, clearly making space for her to succeed.

Seeing Tabitha and Finn both excel at things separately (scholarly pursuits and gambling) and then together as the book progresses was wholly satisfying. The two of them are well matched and very clearly enhance each other’s best traits throughout the novel. As Finn is title-less, as the second son of an earl, his position on society’s periphery also gives him coarser habits and language, and I enjoyed watching Tabitha’s bedroom vocabulary begin to echo Finn’s as they fall deeper in love. We also continue to get more of Dom’s backstory in anticipation of book 3, while not having that overwhelm the plot of book 2.

Overall, a very well-balanced marriage of convenience romance. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to @avonbooks and @netgalley for an eARC for review.

4.5 stars, rounding up because I love Finn too much to not give this five stars for him. I’m conflicted because I love how cute and sweet and supportive Finn and Tabitha are of each other, but the third act conflict did bother me.

I understood why Tabitha was upset, given her past experience and also as a woman trying to forge a path in a male-dominated society, but I also found her reaction to be extreme in that Finn had no malicious intent in his words and made an honest mistake; she’d also never shared her past that would’ve allowed Finn to know why that particular phrase would’ve been a trigger for her. Finn’s gesture, like everything he does in the book, to make up for it was positively swoon-worthy, though, and she honestly should’ve had more faith in his intentions, given that he’d always been the most supportive sweetheart of a husband.

Prior to that, I loved getting to see Finn and Tabitha get to know each other organically. While they were attracted to each other from the outset (a fact they both were in denial about, to my amusement), I loved that we got to see them understand each other’s personalities and minds. They did become friends of sorts in order to enter that marriage of convenience, and I loved that for them.

Finn’s struggle with his learning disability and the verbal abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents, teachers, and ass of an older brother broke my heart; the beliefs he had ingrained about himself and his intelligence made me want to weep for the precious boy he was and the outwardly cool man who adapted to survive by hiding his emotions after a lifetime of learning that those would only get him punished further. His fear of disappointing the people he cares about most was so raw and believable, and I just wanted to give him a hug and reassure him. When Tabitha learned early on just how keen his mind was, just by the things he said and understood and observed, I cheered. When she learned just how deep his belief that he was stupid ran and confidently countered it, helping to show him how capable he was, I was thankful Finn had found her.

Tabitha’s own struggle as a woman who wanted to be taken seriously in a world ruled by men made me root for her, too. I was so glad to see Finn be the supportive sweetheart he is, placing full confidence in Tabitha and respecting and admiring her for her intelligence and determination. They complement each other so well, and I loved that she recognized what a quick mind Finn had as well. I felt for her after learning her own past hurt, and I understood that she reacted poorly to Finn’s remark because of it, in addition to her lack of experience with fighting and showing her emotions and being vulnerable, but it was still very frustrating. I did think she should’ve apologized in a bigger way, just as Finn did, since her hurtful remark delivered in response to his words was for sure intentional. I’ll give them some leeway for it being their first fight, though, and trust that they’ll know how to communicate better in the future.

Also, Finn is too precious for this world. He’s so kind and thoughtful and sweet, sensitive and caring and lovable. I loved Kieran in the first book but honestly I loved Finn even more. And Finn’s dirty talk was a pleasant surprise (made him even hotter than he already was haha). He and Tabitha have explosive chemistry, phew.

Other than that, I actually really liked the direction of the plot, with Tabitha working towards a more representative and equal society, and Finn’s wholehearted devotion to supporting and helping in any way he could. I loved the mutual respect and admiration between them, with Finn being turned on by Tabitha’s intelligence, and Tabitha being turned on by Finn’s unwavering support. I was curious as to what kind of storyline they’d get, and I was pleased to see the ambition and direction of it. It also complements Celeste’s goal in book one well, too, which was lovely. I was hoping they would’ve interacted a bit more with Celeste and Kieran, but it was so fun to get to see them in this book, too. Finn’s bond with Kieran made me emotional, too, and I loved that Finn at least got reassurance from Kieran and Willa in them insisting he’s intelligent. And Dom, too. Dom’s comment in his heart to heart chat with Finn that meant a lot to Finn without Dom even realizing it, oh my heart. Poor Dom’s been so miserable since book one, though; I’m eager to see him get his second chance with Willa and finally get his HEA because he’s such a tortured soul who clearly thinks he’s not worthy, which makes me really curious about his own dark past.

I’ll be so sad for this series to end, but in the meantime I might finally get to catching up on some of Eva Leigh’s backlist (thank goodness for that).

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the ARC!