A Proper Romance, "Miss Newbury's List" by Megan Walker features a lighthearted, although unbelievable journey as Rosalind Newbury attempts to complete a wish list before she marries. She ropes in her friend Liza and Liza's cousin Charlie Winston into assisting her.

While charmingly naive characters are delightful, Rosalind Newbury is willfully stupid. On the other hand, "disgraced" Charlie Winston displays intelligence and compassion. Rosalind's entire family acts without thought until the very end.

I've read Walker's "Lakeshire Park" and loved it. "Her Unexpected Courtship" was also entertaining. Walker's prose is pleasing and this book is clean. Admittedly, as a rule I do not enjoy first person narratives, although that is merely a personal preference. An unlikely melodramatic scene near the end of the book sets the stage for dramatic character growth and a sweet conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC of this enjoyable novel.

I thought this was a great new regency romance. The characters are fun to get to know and their arcs were really fun to follow. It was a great mix of friendship, high social stakes, danger and love to keep the pages turning!

“You weren’t thinking. You were dreaming.”

How do I feel about this book? It’s complicated. Mostly, it like an early draft that’s almost really great but isn’t quite polished. Hopefully Miss Walker can go back and tweak it a little bit, because I felt there was a really beautiful book hiding under some flaws.
I’ll start with the characters. Our heroine, Ros, is sweet and adventurous (most of the time). She also reads as very, very young. Our hero, Charlie, is much easier to love. And maybe that’s because this is written in first person POV from Ros’s perspective. Everything Charlie says is adorable and swoon worthy, and that makes it even worse that we never get his POV. There is a fun cast of side characters, especially Liza. There are hints to her fate but I would very much like to read a book all about her.
The writing is alright, but it almost feels like a YA book. I’m not sure if that’s the first person POV (not my favorite), the heroine’s immaturity, or the unpolished writing. A few of the sentences didn’t quite have typos but felt off somehow. I did read an ARC of this however and it might be shined up in later versions.
There were some plot holes (to me at least), so beware of spoilers ahead:
<spoiler>Her brother fought Charlie over her honor, when she could have proved they were telling the truth by just showing him the vomit on the ground two feet away? Couldn’t he smell it? They went all the way to his grandparents and she never got to see the one building Charlie ever designed? Her mom is so sweet at the end but never noticed how completely miserable her daughter was the entire time? Her dad is so supportive when she breaks her engagement but literally wouldn’t sell the land to the Duke and pushed him into the marriage? </spoiler>
Overall I really enjoyed this. It’s light, it’s sweet, and a few of the scenes were very emotional. I would go back to and recommend this author, but I think the book could be better.



Tropes: Rake, list to complete, friends to lovers, healing back to health
CW: Mild violence, death of family member

I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley. Opinions are all my own.

Every once in awhile a book comes around that sort of just sneaks up on you with its wonderfulness and Miss Newbury’s List was one of those! I was anticipating enjoying this one since I had really liked the author’s last release but I ended up loving it far more than I imagined. There’s not any one thing to shout about from the rooftops but this book was just everything I could want in a story. I was completely lost in the pages, hated to put it down, and thought about it when I wasn’t reading it.
Rosalind had that wonderful mix of having a good head on her shoulders but also having a little bit of an adventurous side. Often heroines err on one side or the other but she had a perfect balance and you couldn’t help but like her. Charlie endeared himself almost immediately as well with his boyish charm, kind heart, and the way he was reforming from his previous wild ways.
I absolutely adored the pacing of the romance, going from strangers, to friends, to confidants, before realizing that their feelings went far beyond friendship. It all just unfolded genuinely and beautifully and I was swept away in it. I loved their adventures as they crossed things off Rosalind’s list and their banter along the way.
Basically I have no complaints about this book at all and I wish I could spend more time in its pages! This is definitely going to be one of my absolute favorite reads this year for sure!

What a fun, sweet story! I enjoyed getting to know these characters and the idea of having a list of adventures. It made me think about what I would add for my own. I hope to be able to hear more about some of the secondary characters in their own books!

This was a wonderful Regency Romance story! I loved the friends to lovers trope, and the fun chemistry between Ros and Charlie. Their banter was very fun, and you don't often see that with a friends to lovers (typically I see this more in enemies to lovers). I also really enjoyed these characters. Charlie is very kind-hearted and witty, and Rosalind was very loyal and independent.

The only thing that I might criticize would be the lack of angst between Ros and Charlie. They definitely had chemistry, but it felt very.... young. That giddy first love type chemistry. In my opinion there wasn't enough angst and pining. Because of this, the last half of the book did feel a little bit bland to me. Although I genuinely did love the ending.

Overall though, this is a lighthearted and quick Regency Romance with lovable characters, a nice slow-burn romance and wonderful writing. I also absolutely love Megan Walkers "Lakeshire Park" so if you enjoy this one, definitely check that one out as well!

Absolutely wonderful! There are surprises around every chapter and beautiful character building throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed the relationship growth of not only the main character and her love interest (which I enjoyed very much) but if the character and her loyalty to her family, particularly her brother.

This a very sweet and heartfelt Regency story. I had read the author’s previous book and enjoyed it, and this one was equally enjoyable. Rosalind wants to accomplish a list of adventures she created as a child before she enters into an arranged marriage, and a friend and the friend’s disgraced cousin help her. The arranged marriage becomes less and less appealing as the trio work together. The story is well written and the characters likeable. The setting is nicely done and the dialogue very natural and believable.

I don’t even know where to start with this story, but I loved it and ate through the pages! I just couldn’t get enough of Rosalind’s story and had to know what would happen next.

She is such a likable protagonist. She begins feeling unsettled and decides she needs to complete an old list of items to feel ready for her upcoming arranged marriage. Enter Charlie, and things quickly escalate. He was such a swoony hero! There were so many toe-curling moments, and I loved every minute of Rosalind’s journey to find herself.

This was one of the best proper romances I’ve read in some time, and I highly recommend you drop what you’re doing and grab a copy of this amazing story!

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Megan Walker is great at writing sweet, heartfelt stories! The whole time, I kept wondering how things were going to work out between Rosalind and Charlie and it was so satisfying to watch both of them change and grow throughout the course of the book.

I am a big fan of Shadow Mountain, two of my favourite books from the past year were published by them, and Arlem Hawks recommended this book. The book was well edited and formatted, which is nice as it seems like lately there has been a decline in the attention given to the small details that make reading a book easier.

Maybe it was the setting, or the premise, but this book didn't really connect for me until about halfway through. (Maybe it was the bucket list idea? That is never really my cup of tea.) I would encourage anyone struggling to engage to keep going as there are some great scenes, character growth and just some good old fashion fun if you stick it out.

Charlie was fun and likeable and provided a great foil to the POV character Ros, or Rosalind.

Big focus on choice and how you can control your journey even when the odds are against you.

This falls into a 3.5 rating for me, simply because it took so long for me to get invested.

I have already submitted it to my mom's book club as a future option - they love a closed-door romance!

Thank you to Ms. Walker, Shadow Mountain and #NetGalley for the ARC. My review is all my own.

I loved this book! I thought the storyline was creative and unique. Miss Newbury has made a list of things she would like to accomplish before marrying, back when she was 12 years old. She was inspired by her Aunt Alice, who did the same thing. Now Miss Newbury is about to get married and realizes she hasn't completed her list. There is a lot of great emotion and surprises in this story. It was hard to put the book down. I really liked Lakeshire Park by Megan Walker, but this one is even better.

Okay, but I adored this book 🥹 I intentionally made it last as long as I could because it was such a lovely read. Full of witty banter and a heartwarming romance, Miss Newbury’s List is a call to live life with adventure, to be brave when we have the most to lose, and to choose love, even when the path it leads us on isn’t what others envision it being. Loved this book and would highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of Miss Newbury’s List. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Having enjoyed Lakeshire Park, I was eager to read Walker’s latest. This is just as sweet and as easy a read. While unrealistic, I did enjoy seeing the relationship grow between Ros and Charlie. The themes of love, family, and choosing happiness were very clear. There was some good banter between Ros and Charlie too.
Overall, super sweet, romantic, and an easy read.

3.5 stars

Like time travel books, I have found that I don't enjoy "bucket list" books. I find them cheesy. Contrived. And forced. I almost didn't request Miss Newbury's List because of my frustration with bucket list stories of the past, but I really liked Megan Walker's previous book, and I've been looking forward to her next book. So I hoped the historical fiction setting would be enough to change my typical dislike of bucket list stories.

In short, it wasn't.

I am sure, as independent and headstrong as I am, that I would chaff against the situation that Rosalind finds herself in. Yet as the reader, I often root for arranged marriages. I like seeing them work out despite the unromantic start. I knew I was fighting a losing battle. The description tells you all you need to know, but I kind of hoped the description would be wrong and maybe Charlie would help Rosalind accomplish her list while still leading to a path where she fulfills her original goal. Ms. Walker wrote the Duke in such a way that you couldn't really root for him in the end. But I just feel like I was predisposed not to like this book. Sometimes I can be too stubborn for my own good.

As I said, I find parts of executing a bucket list contrived. The part where Charlie hangs Rosalind's painting in the opera house gave me secondary embarrassment. I felt so awkward through that scene.

I don't know. I can't put my complaints into words that make sense. Ultimately, I just don't like bucket list storylines. I knew this ahead of time, but this book solidified my determination to stay away from them. I feel like I should apologize for even requesting this book. I'll do better in the future. Rosalind and Charlie were decent, and ultimately, I am glad things ended the way they did. Miss Newbury's List gets 3 Stars. Have you readMiss Newbury's List? What did you think? Let me know!

Charming yet a story with emotions, concerns, and actions that gave it a wonderful depth. Full of innocence yet wonderfully romantic. I appreciated that this novel avoided tropes, surprised me, was funny, and demanded it’s characters to mature and grow.

My only critique is that sometimes the descriptions and conversation style had a modern enough tone to it that, while it was still well written, it would distract me a bit and pull me out of the story as I pondered why what I had just read felt slightly incongruous. Otherwise I could have given it a true 5 star rating instead of 4.5.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

A historical romance set in Ashford, England in 1820. Rosalind Newbury is preparing to marry a Duke. Rosalind barely knows the Duke of Marlow but has agreed to the marriage to please her family. Before she marries Rosalind has a list of things she wants to achieve. Her best friend Liza Ollerton has promised to help Rosalind with the list. Rosalind loses her list and Liza’s disgraced cousin Charles Winston finds it.
Charles wants to help Rosalind and Liza with the list and the three of them set out to tick off the items on the list. I loved the way the story unfolded as they went through the list and Rosalind started having feelings for Charles. I liked the way the characters were developed and interacted.

I can’t wait another second before talking about this absolute GEM that I read this weekend with @goodeyreads. It was perfection and I adored every second. You definitely want to preorder this wonderful story.

Here’s a few reasons why:
☕️ it is so heartwarming and will tug all your
heartstrings
☕️ it is ever so swoony
☕️ family comes first
☕️ friendship and sibling bonds
☕️ hilarious moments and mishaps

and so many more reasons. Miss Newbury’s List publishes on February 2, 2023!

What a lovely book this was. Historical Romance is a genre that is very close to my heart.

The book is centered around a young girl at the age of twenty, who had been matched with a Duke without ever entering a season. A pairing that was beneficial to both, her family and the Duke himself.

She makes a list of all the things she wants to do before settling in as a married women, things that were true to her character, the real her. Like eating as many sweets as she can in one sitting or swimming - how scandalous! She lives next door to her best friend, who she asks for help with her list.

She meets her best friend's cousin at the house, a handsome young man with a face full of scars and bruises. She learns that he has been written off by his family for not wanting to step up to his duty as the new heir, and would rather partake in pugilism (boxing).

Instead of her best friend, he agrees to help her with her list. But instead of the list fulfilling her as she thought it would, she learns that there is something else, someone else, who her life belongs to.

The story unfolds in a wonderful romance. A lady and a gentleman who change for the better, a supportive family, a loving best friend and a whole lot of introspection.

It is a beautiful story. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the tension and pure beauty historical romances create!

Girls need to go after what they want! A lesson that happiness is not brought by mere status.

I loved this book! Megan has such a unique way in crafting stories and this was just incredible. I loved the characters and the buildup. It was great!