Jane Ashworth dreams of being an author, yet society insists she become a debutante. Jane finds an unlikely ally in notorious rake Tom Stewart. As a new guardian to his nephew, Tom is out of his depth and intent on remaining a bachelor. They agree to fool society with a pretend courtship, but both are unprepared when the lines of their agreement start to become blurred.
This was a good romance, but I didn't really feel there was a romantic connection between the two main characters. The plot was OK, I just felt there should have been more excitement or suspense. I always love historical London as a setting. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this this advanced reader's copy. This review contains my unbiased opinion.

This was a fine story about a fake engagement, but not much really stood out to me about it. I liked the heroine's desire to write!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Jane Ashworth knows that many in society will think her dream of being a writer is too high to hope for, and she should instead spend her time on the Marriage Mart, and settle down. To combat those who believe that, she finds an ally in Tom Stewart, a known rake, who has no intentions of marrying. Together, they act as a couple, set on forming an alliance and courtship, while helping each other with their goals along the way. Soon though, the lines between friendship and love become blurred, and Tom and Jane need to reconsider their goals.

A true friends to lovers romance, and I love that! Tom and Jane may not have known each other for long when they came to strike up their deal, but they formed a real friendship, particularly surrounding Edward's arrival in London. Because of their fake courtship, they had a lot of time together, both in and out of society, and could learn more about each other than most people did before marriage. Tom seems to realise he has fallen first, but because of his own heartbreaking feelings, he believes he is incapable of love, and that being with Jane would hurt her. A truly sweet found family romance, and a great ending to the trilogy!

I reviewed this title for All About Romance. My review can be found at this link: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/a-match-to-fool-society-by-laura-martin/

Excellent book that caught my interest from the beginning and held it to the end. Jane is not your typical debutante. Though she was sent to London to find a husband, her true ambition is to find a publisher for the children's books she has written. While looking for one of the publishers, she encounters Tom, a recent acquaintance, who is horrified to find her in that neighborhood and escorts her home.

Tom has cultivated a reputation as a rake, all in the name of avoiding marriage. He stays far away from young women and the Marriage Mart, believing marriage is not for him. He likes his life - doing what he wants when he wants. Then he comes home one day and finds that he is his nephew Edward's guardian.

Both Jane and Tom want to avoid marriage. Tom needs help with his nephew, and Jane needs help finding a publisher. When Jane, who has several younger siblings, offers to help Tom with his nephew, he reciprocates by offering to help her find a publisher. Jane and Tom enter into a pretend courtship to facilitate spending time together and protect themselves from matchmakers. Neither expects the feelings that spring up between them.

I liked seeing the relationship develop between Jane and Tom. Their connection was immediate, bonding over their lack of interest in marriage. It didn't take them long to become friends, finding it very easy to talk to each other. Tom envies Jane's easy manner with Edward and pays close attention to her instructions on how to get to know the boy. Jane can talk about her writing ambitions with Tom. But the more time they spend together, the more their fake relationship feels real. Each finds themselves thinking of their little group as a family. Jane realizes she's falling in love with Tom but doesn't believe he feels the same way. Tom fights his growing feelings for Jane, convinced he's incapable of caring for another person (his reasons are heartbreaking). Tom offers to do the honorable thing when their growing attraction causes a compromising situation. But Jane refuses to settle for a loveless marriage. It takes an eye-opening conversation with his best friend for Tom to see the truth, but it is nearly too late. I loved seeing Tom's determination to make things right. It wasn't easy, and Jane made him work for it, but seeing them come together was terrific. I loved the epilogue and catching up with them a few years later.

Jane is determined to remain single and devote herself to her dreams of becoming an author. The last thing Tom wants is a wife, but when he becomes guardian of his nephew, his life becomes more complicated. To keep the matchmakers away, Jane and Tom pretend to be courting. But what happens when they fall in love?

I adored this novel. I'm a sucker for found families, and this book charmed me. It's got heart and humor, a strong heroine and a worthy hero. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is a fake marriage read, that is fun but honestly comes together too easily for me. I enjoyed both Tom and Jane mixing in the whole group of ladies who have been matched and she is next up. I liked that Jane didn't want to get married, and how Tom didn't either but they both did what was best for each other in a way.

This is an easy HEA read that flows smoothly through the paces of the book.

Jane Ashworth wants nothing more than publishing her own books but is thrown onto the marriage mart by her family. Tom is granted a rather unexpected bundle - a little six-year-old boy, his nephew, his sister's son who secretly married an Italian musician despite her family's disapproval. They strike an unlikely deal and tell everyone they're engaged and soon enough, they start losing their heart.

This is a fake courtship/dating kind of romance, which I do enjoy, especially when it's historical, but I find that I prefer when the characters are either complete strangers of in an enemies-to-loves kind of context. Jane and Tom were so easily thrown together it was hard to see what exactly was preventing them from being together at all. That being said, I did enjoy Jane on her own, she had some really nice lines and I love that she wanted to write so much.

My endless thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.