Giles is attracted to Yasmin but finds her utterly unsuitable to be his wife. Yet, he cannot help dancing every ball, but only once, glaring at her suitors, since they are idiots, and stealing a kiss, but never again...right?

Yasmin can't help trying to find the man under the harsh exterior, by trying to coax a laugh and conversation. For Giles is the first man that makes her heart flutter after her disasterous first love eight years before. Now, she will let no man dictate her life or make her feel shame, but she can't help beliving Giles could be the exception to the others.

To keep her away, Giles is rude and uncompromising but Yasmin is intrigued by that and likes the challenge since she breaks her rules for him. I wasn't a big fan of Giles and found that he focused too much on the physical and didn't try to get to know her emotionally or her mind. Considering he doesn't even learn her background, including her thoughts and feelings concerning her past and the trauma, it felt very surface level. They both seemed to not get deeper than what the other appeared (attractive and lovely/mysterious), which felt like there wasn't much of an emotional connection.

What really was annoying was Giles just letting his sister run rampant which let her almost ruin his relationship multiple times. He clearly did not learn time after time. And after that ending I both don't want to see Lydia EVER again and need to know wtf happened post-ending to get that epilogue. If Eloisa gives her a redemption she would have her work cut out for her because Lydia is such a selfish, hypocritical, bad person. Because she has such a large role in the story, it would have benefited from some type of resolution/redemption/punishment in the story so the ending didn't make you so mad and feel pointless in a way.

Overall, I needed more emotional connection between the leads since it felt very flat and one-dimensional.

Feat: opposites attract, historical romance

Thank you to netgalley and Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars
1 spice

Love Eloisa James. How could you not? The story is just the relationship between the 2 main characters. There is no leading drama or mystery to solve. The characters are likable enough and you do want them to be together in the end. I will definitely want more of this series and can’t wait for more. Thank you #NetGalley for the advance read.

I’m so conflicted about this book. I loved Yasmin—she was one of my favorite parts of the first book in the series (which I didn’t care for). Her grandfather was amazing. But Giles was an ass; I really hate the plot device where the hero has no respect for the heroine for 75% of the book, only to suddenly realize she is worthy of his respect. That is what happened here, and I hate it.

The worst part of all was Giles’s sister, Lydia. Woo boy, where to start with this one? Eloisa James has been one of my favorites for years now, but she seems to be on a streak of creating cartoonishly bad villains. After the two Kindle Vellas with Lady Regina and now Lady Lydia…ugh. The extent of Lydia’s villainy was over-the-top. I get that some people are simply terrible people for no reason, but come on. This was too much (especially the chapter towards the end—you’ll know when you get there) and completely unpleasant to read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Lady Yasmin hopes the scandals she’s left behind in France won’t follow her to England where she lives with her titled grandfather. She’s fascinated by Giles the Earl of Lilford, who always requests to dance the first waltz with her then avoids her like the plague. He seems to hate her, but she can’t deny there’s a certain chemistry between them. When he asks for her help in keeping his sister’s reputation intact, Yasmin discovers the deep feelings he has for her. Feelings, she reciprocates.

As a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope, I enjoyed the dynamics between Yasmin and Giles. Her close relationship with her grandfather enriches the story as does Yasmin’s close friends including sort of suitor Silvester, the Duke of Huntington.

Giles’s sister Lydia reminded me of the character of the same name in Jane Austin’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and the similarities to the classic don’t end there. Giles gives off some major Mr. Darcy vibes and James states in an author’s note that she was inspired by the character Lady Catherine de Bourgh in a particular scene. The similarities are slight and in no way took away from my enjoyment of this book.

A ball inspired by Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM and a scavenger hunt added to the fun antics. I found Lydia’s character a bit annoying, but she is a major factor in the conflict, so she’s not really supposed to be likable.

The romance between Yasmin and Giles is swoon worthy, but I would have liked a bit more from the epilogue.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Avon Book, an imprint of HarperCollins, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed The Reluctant Countess and am thankful to NetGalley, Eloisa James and Avon for the advanced copy of the book.

This is the second book in the Would-be Wallflowers series. The story worked for me and it moved into the top three of my favorite books by this author. This felt like a classic romance and I could really feel the love between Giles and Yasmin.

Yasmin came to England to escape her scandal in France as well as her mother's scandal. I liked Yasmin's grandfather as well as her supportive friends Cleo and Jacob from the first book in the series, How to be a Wallflower. Giles sister, Lydia was the villain in the story and needed to be exiled to a different continent after her nastiness. Giles came off cold and wouldn't think of courting Yasmin because of her scandal but soon found himself attracted to her, dancing the first waltz with her at every ball.

I liked the ending and could feel their HEA.

I give this 3.5 to 4 stars. There were some parts that were so great and some not so perfect parts, but I enjoyed it a lot! I was going through something tough personally while reading this and it was like my emotional support book that got me through it all.

This is an enemies to lovers, opposites attract kind of romance. I loved Yasmin's confidence and the way she carried herself. I did have some issues with Giles and the way his insecurities played out for majority of the book. For me, the most negative part was Giles' sister, Lydia. She was just a nightmare throughout the book with no real change or development in character. However, I think the ending and one very supportive grandfather makes up for all of it. I would definitely recommend giving this a read! It can be read as a stand alone.

I voluntarily reviewed this e-ARC. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for a copy of The Reluctant Countess to review in exchange for an honest review. Overall I enjoyed the 2nd book in the series. I thought that the author did a great job of creating secondary characters, creating a great enemies to lovers dynamic. I enjoyed the cake scene that turned into much more and the evolution of the characters physical chemistry throughout the book. I would have liked the ending to be a bit different, but that was only between the MMC and the FMC and I enjoyed how they worked through their issues and had a satisfactory HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for review!

Book was ok? I dunno, I didnt Feel much chemistry between Giles and Yasmine. I thought she got on better with Silvester 🤷‍♀️ I know The title is “The Reluctant Countess” but Yasmine was exhausting- “You don’t even like me!”, “I’ll marry you”, “I wont Marry you” “I’m leaving for the country”. Lydia was a terrible person and I wanted something bad to happen to her. Loved Grandpa the Duke. I did appreciate the first intimate scene where she wasn’t into it and she asked him to stop and he did, I’ve never read anything like that before. All in all I enjoyed book, this was my first Eloisa James book and it won’t be my last!

I loved, loved, loved The Reluctant Countess!!! I own both the prequel to the series as well as the first in this series, but my to-read list is so long I haven't had the chance to read yet. Nonetheless, I was intrigued by the description and the title of this book to read first. It is nice because you can read The Reluctant Countess as a standalone, but also as a continuation. Eloisa James is so good at that because I have not read any of her series in order and it has not mattered!
As I read the prologue and the first chapter, I wasn't so sure if I'd be into this book. But by Chapter 2, I was hooked. I loved Yasmin, and the chemistry between her and Giles was great. Eloisa James does grumpy, complicated male protagonists so well, and Giles is one of the best ones! The Reluctant Countess' Giles and Yasmin may be my favorite grumpy/sunshine characters of mine-- but I don't know if they can replace Betsy/Jeremy in that!
To go with the grumpy character theme, it was wonderful to see Giles break so early in the book. Eloisa James is so good with the complicated male who takes a bit to come around to figuring out what he truly wants. So many of them are pretty unlikeable, but through Eloisa's craft they become such great, likeable characters. And I love a hero-who-isn't-so-deserving-of-the-inherently-good-heroine's love, and it was SO satisfying to read that "break". I love Yasmin's standing up for her self-worth and esteem.
Yasmin's grandfather is hilarious, as well. I loved that kooky guy and his character was so unexpected and I liked him so much that I was hoping he was going to find his own romance when they had the scavenger hunt. If I had one complaint it would be that we didn't get enough of the Duke of Penhallow!
I highly recommend reading The Reluctant Countess! I love the cheerful, casual, playful tone of the book, the dialogue is fantastic, and the story so great! It is original, sweet, has lots of twists and turns and just the right amount of angst (I do not like a lot angst in my HRs, this was perfect). I hope that next is Lady Stella's story! Just on her name alone I am intrigued!
I received The Reluctant Countess as an ARC on Netgalley for my honest opinion. This is going to be a milt-times read for me, and I can't wait to get on audiobook as well. Great job Eloisa James, this is another fantastic book!

This was a difficult book. I didn't like the hero who I think felt he was better than the heroine. I also didn't like the heroine's family except for her grandfather.

I didn’t really care for the hero of this story. Till the End he thought the heroine wasn’t good enough for him and it took way too long to resolve their issues. I felt like her capitulation at ILY stage was very quick.

Another fun regency romp from James. Yasmin comes from a scandalous past in France and has embraced it now that she is living with her grandfather in London. She dampens her skirts, her bodice is a hare too low and she flirts with all of the men. Giles is everything a proper Earl should be - responsible, if a little uptight. Yasmin and Giles can’t stand each other - they bicker, he disparages her constantly. Yet, Giles cannot stop thinking about her, despite knowing that she is not the Countess he needs. Or is she?

Fun and quick read - I loved the characters, per usual. Aside from Giles’ sister (I think everyone will be with me on this one!). The series is coming together beautifully and I cannot wait for the next!

Yasmin is known for her scandalous dresses and even more scandalous past. Her mother was lovers with Napoleon, and after all the drama of the French court, Yasmin has moved to England to live with her grandfather. In France, Yasmin had to deal with more than snide comments about her mother’s mistress status. Yasmin also was considered a fallen woman for being tricked into a fake marriage with an older man who left her after a week of pretending to be her husband. Of course, the drama of her mother’s relationship follows Yasmin to England. She decides to embrace the scandal and continue dressing in risque French attire.

Giles is a straight-laced earl who can’t keep away from Yasmin. They have always verbally sparred, but now that Giles plans to marry, Yasmin is all he can think about. The two engage in a relationship, but is Yasmin’s scandalous past too much for Giles to deal with? And is Yasmin willing to change or be put in a position where people are constantly criticizing her for her unconventional behavior?

While this was a fun read, Eloisa James doesn’t manage to quite manage to achieve what I assume she was aiming for. What I expected at first was some commentary on misogyny and slut-shaming. Instead, Yasmin is yet another one of those heroines I am so used to in romance who are imagined by society as more sexually experienced than they are. Giles, for his part, shows some character growth, but only after making a number of mistakes repeatedly. James relies on humor that just isn’t quite there – a retailer from Wallflower specializing in ugly clothing for some reason I suppose only James and her editor find humorous makes a reappearance. This just didn’t meet the mark for me and I don’t think I’ll be giving the author a third shot. Not sure why she’s so popular when I’ve read many indie authors who have more historical knowledge (James frequently uses “sexy” in her dialogue, though her books take place in the 1800’s and a quick Google search reveals it wasn’t in text until 1905 or common slang usage until the 1920’s) and can tie together a plot in a more solid, feminist fashion. Nonetheless, this read was just what I needed at the time – spicy and fun, 3 stars.

This was such a good book and I really loved the romance, the angst and the misunderstandings between Yasmin and Giles. Giles is a stuffy Duke who is trying to find the perfect wife but can’t stop yearning for Yasmin who is not the right sort for his Duchess. She loves to flirt, has a wealth of suitors and wears revealing clothing in the French fashion since she is half French. He always dances a waltz with her every ball which is the only indulgence he gives himself since she is not for him. Yasmin on the other hand isn’t all how she is at balls, in private she is very prudish and the opposite of what her appearance might suggest. She keeps making overtures to Giles trying to get him to laugh and to like her to no avail and his sister Lydia doesn’t like Yasmin at all and keeps interfering in their relationship. This was a great read and I really enjoyed all the back and forth between Giles and Yasmin, Giles getting over his objections once he actually gets to know Yasmin and learning how much he hurt Yasmin with his attitude and behavior since he made her feel worthless and bad about herself. This is my first Eloisa James book but won’t be my last.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this second book from the Would Be Wallflowers series. I read the previous book and liked it as well. I still think this could be a standalone. The previous heroine is mentioned, but it doesn't affect the story that you don't know her story.

In this book Yasmin is disgraced in France so she moves to England and is presented to society. She and the Earl of Liliford are interested in each other but his preconceived ideas about her, who should be his countess, and his awful sister work against their getting together.

I was disgusted by how Lydia, the Earl's sister treated Yasmin, and she only got worse over the book. Yet Yasmin was protective and sweet to her the entire time. Even though James discusses what influences were on the book in the back, I don't think that the fact that her name was Lydia wasn't a coincidence between this book and Pride and Prejudice. It also takes awhile for the Earl to get over his own attitude and treatment of Yasmin. I enjoyed the overall story and of course the happy ending. I'll continue reading this series.

as someone relatively new to historical romance it feels somewhat like a rite of passage to read eloisa james. i devoured this book and cant wait for more!

I truly enjoy the written word of Eloisa James. I start reading and then, BAM! The book is done. Her books are so engrossing that I finish them too fast. This book was no different.

The chemistry between Yasmin and Giles was excellent and their scenes together were definitely spicy. However, I did have a problem with Giles’ irrational jealousy and the fact that he basically tried to slut shame Yasmin because of the way she dressed and the way other men responded to her. I understand that being a product of this time period would have made allowances for Giles’ misogynistic tendencies, but I just wasn’t feeling it. And don’t get me started on his horrendous sister! That family had some serious issues.

But some of our favorite characters are back and we have the great pleasure of meeting Yasmin’s grandfather. And can I just say that I adore him? He’s a cheeky old man that cherishes his granddaughter no matter what. I love the relationship that they have and would’ve loved to have seen even more of it.

Overall, the story had a few bumps, but it was exquisitely written as usual. I give it a rating of 3.75. I would’ve rated it a 4, but I had to try too hard to look past Giles’ toxic masculinity.

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

My only complaint about this book is that I wish Giles would have been described more/better. I really like the character of Yasmine, and I was impressed that the story didn’t follow the usual bell curve of t romance novels.

This took a little bit to get into. I couldn't connect with the characters. But it was a very light historical romance.

Another winning title from this very popular author -- perfect for her current readers, and for any romance reader who likes things on the spicier side.