Wow! A brilliant regency non-binary/gender non-conformity and Castrato/Unico storyline. Completely unique compared to everything else out there, and an absolute joy to discover! I read both of this series back-to-back (Something Fabulous and Something Spectacular), straight through on the same day, so it really had a great impact with all of the characters. I highly recommend doing that, so you really get these characters in your head and heart. Very important to read the first book and understand Peggy and all of the friends.

Peggy is truly a special case. She’s in love with her best friend Arabella, sister of the main character from book one. They both feature prominently so we get to know them well, and their friendship as they flee together from the proposal of Arabella’s new “brother-in-law,” the duke. Arabella is not in love with Peggy… Peggy also doesn’t feel she is either a woman or a man - she’s neither and both. Non-conforming, gender dysphoria. Before non-binary was something, or they/them, so is still a she. She prefers to dress masculine but will still wear dresses when necessary.

Arabella asks Peggy to speak on her behalf to the Castrato opera singer, performing at their friends party, since she keeps getting tongue tied… wanting to have a fling with them (ah - but the Unico are deemed “they” when gender is removed at a young age!), but Orfeo instead takes a liking to Peggy and her non-conforming preferences, and thus a beautiful, short-term fling bond is forged.

Is it strange that I pictured Harry and Olivia in these roles?? I know they broke up now, but he’s a singer and doesn’t believe in typecasting people into gender identity and the cover art kind of looks like them! (yes, I understand the short-haired one is Peggy)

I definitely did not see what happened at 98% coming!! Wowza! I wish all his books were this steamy!

I completely and totally recommend this to every single romance reader out there - you need this book/series in your lives, right now!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

Something Fabulous was like something I'd never read before. Regency MM is not that available. I knew I would love Something Spectacular because Alexis Hall wrote it. Bella was not my favorite, and for the most part, she hasn't changed much, but for me, this was not her story so she was just an irritatingly funny side character. Peggy, however, wowed me. She was irreverent, hilarious, dry witted, and so many other adjectives. Orfeo was a character that completely captivated me. Obviously, not perfectly regency historical, but great laughs were had and some swooning as well.

This book had me literally laughing out loud!

Alexis Hall's writing style really shone in this book. It was so witty and funny, while also just being a great, feel-good queer read. I love that his Regency setting books don't take themselves too seriously. They play with the way people talk and explore the entire spectrum of gender and sexuality against a backdrop of a society where everyone is just a little bit queer.

Something Spectacular follows Peggy, who considers herself neither a girl nor a boy, and Orfeo, a castrato, who also considers themselves somewhere in between. In each other, they find a meeting of souls, and I loved getting the chance to read their love story.

**advanced reader copy provided by netgalley**

What a hilarious, hijinks-filled historical romance from Alexis Hall!

I loved the characters, the action, and the passion. Hall's writing is so fun. It consistently makes me giggle and even clutch my pearls on the rare occasion.

Something Spectacular is Peggy's love story. I have not yet read book one in this series (Something Fabulous) and definitely got peeks if not straight spoilers into the plot through this book. I'm definitely going to go back and read it because the Tarletons are an absolute hoot and do nothing but engage in poor decision-making, often involving kidnapping.

The highlighting of Peggy and Orfeo as two genderqueer characters in history deserving of love and romance is one of the true strengths of this book. Likewise Peggy's journey grappling with how to desire what society forces on you on your own terms, was a joy to read. She is a strong-willed yet often supporting character finding her own legs in her story.

Hall delivers:
- a pretty much all queer cast
- two genderqueer MCs
- single POV - Peggy
- castrato opera star love interest - Orfeo
- operaaaaa
- more Belle, Bonnie, Valentine & Sir Horley
- absolutely hijinks after hijinks
- homoerotic poetry
- orgies...so many orgies

While I enjoyed this story, I think it could have been strengthened with the addition of Orfeo's POV. I wanted to know better what drove their conflicted decision-making and how they came to love Peggy more than music. The single POV also made it easier to get distracted in Peggy's side jaunts that sometimes took the reader away from the main story (for instance, when she saved the Duke of Marshalsea).

Something Spectacular is a wonderfully sexy, emotional, heartwarming, love affirming, historical romance stunner with distinct banter and humour in places that, I've come to believe, only Alexis Hall can make happen. 

Peggy is a genderfluid hero AND heroine who hopelessly falls for Orfeo, an agender soprano who promises Peggy something spectacular without breaking her heart - but only for a few months. 

And as this is a romance with a wonderful happy ending, it's essentially in many ways, about not living a compromise, not having to follow the labels and 'shoulds' or society, instead making deliberate choices in stepping away from playing small and going after the spectacular, THE one, the love - whatever that looks like.

And while Orfeo's upbringing has been traumatic*, and there are (challenged) instances of harassment due to their identity, there's this overall normalcy of love and acceptance (somehow everyone is spectacularly queer) with some of my favorite scenes featuring Peggy and the chats with her parents, the orgies, old friends supporting each other to find happiness, and so much more.  

This book is explicit and filled with lots of queer people having lots of sex-positive, body positive, consent driven sex. 

Get this book and put it on your keeper-shelf. 

This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone. However, with 'Something Fabulous' - the 1st book in the series - being absolutely fabulous - I'd highly recommend reading that book too. 

Thank you to the publisher for granting me an opportunity to read this book in advance of it's publication date.  

*Check out the author's note at the beginning of the book for detailed historical explanation and context.

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall certainly does live up to its name. This was such a fun, silly and entertaining read. This is such an Alexis Hall book and I'm so glad to have had a chance to read it. If you're looking to read something fun yet still grounded with emotion, I would look no further than anything by Alexis Hall, especially Something Spectacular.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Something Spectacular, the follow up to Alexis Hall's Something Fabulous, follows Peggy Delancey as she falls for the opera singer Orfeo.

I think this is the first historical romance I've read where both leads are gender nonconforming, and it was such a treat! Like in Something Fabulous, Alexis Hall manages to craft a world that is only loosely inspired by history, and that takes its time to construct healthy and safe spaces for its characters. That's not to say these characters are completely free from the prejudices of society, but I do think that Hall handles these moments deftly, and most importantly, these characters and their story are allowed both peace and joy.

Funny and full of heart, I think I honestly enjoyed Something Spectacular even more than Something Fabulous, and I already cannot wait to return to this world and cast of characters.

Something Spectacular is another classic Alexis Hall story, which any reader familiar with their work will know means it contains an excess of wit and charm, an incredibly diverse cast of characters, and definitely is not suitable for anyone with any variety of prudish tendencies.

Something Spectacular gives Peggy, a character who appeared in 'Something Fabulous,' her own time to shine, in this rom-com romp that finds her feeling some complicated feelings for Orfeo, the magnificent Castrato opera singer she's promised to set up with her best friend. The story develops from there, charting the romantic waters of Peggy and Orfeo and also delving into complex feelings to do with gender, sexuality, and the expectations that are placed upon us by society.

As always, Alexis writes characters that are funny and charming, and they include some scenes that are just a little bit bonkers in an incredibly amusing way. For example, there's a particular poetry reading scene that is equal measures absurd and hilarious, and all of the side characters add to the humour of the novel with their own personal brands of wit and uniqueness.

There were a couple of plotlines that didn't get the closure I would have liked – I have a feeling they're being left open for further novels to explore, but they did leave this novel feeling quite open-ended in a couple of regards. I also felt that were some pacing issues, particularly at the beginning, when it felt like we were going around in circles with Peggy feeling conflicted about Belle/Orfeo, something happening with one of them, and then feeling conflicted and exploring the same/similar feelings all over again. And, while I do love Peggy and was 100% rooting for them to have a happily ever after – and I did enjoy the ending and how it (/they - if you've read the ending you know...) all came together – I can't say I loved Orfeo quite as much, as their wants and needs often felt quite inconsistent with what we'd previously learnt about them.

However, I do love the things Peggy and Orfeo brought out in each other, and I can never resist the utter charm, hilarity and ridiculousness of Alexis Hall's writing. While this definitely is not a suitable book for my school library, nor did I expect it to be, I will absolutely be recommending it in other places to other adults, and I will always be up for reading further novels about any of the characters featured in this story.

This book was an exploration of gender identity and expectations. We know from the previous book that Peggy is non-binary. She generally prefers breeches to dresses, and doesn’t necessarily want the typical future of a woman…marriage and babies. When she meets Orfeo, a celebrated castrato soprano, there is an immediate connection. Neither of them fit the traditional binary society wants. And because of that, they understand each other completely. But Orfeo has to decide how to make their career as a musician blend with a life with Peggy. And what that life entails for both of them. There is a touch of angst, and an unexpected HEA. I enjoyed the exploration of gender norms and how Peggy and Orfeo picked thru them and chose what worked for them.

As stated in the author’s note at the beginning, this book isn’t a “strict” regency romance. Being openly queer is more accepted, and many more people are queer. The language used is modern.

“You’re not a coward, mio principe. Sometimes living, simply as we are, is the greatest act of courage there is.”

Peggy is trying to move on from her former lover, Arabella, who is convinced she can’t love Peggy. Belle instead sets her sights on a famous opera singer, Orfeo. She enlists Peggy’s help to woo Orfeo, but instead Peggy finds herself enthralled by Orfeo and unsure of her own feelings towards them. Orfeo is just as affected by their initial connection. Neither of them have ever found their place in the world, and it may just be with each other.

In true Alexis Hall fashion, this book made me laugh so hard while tackling deep issues regarding gender fluidity and societal expectations. I’m continually amazed at how he can do this with Regency era settings. Both Peggy and Orfeo have this innate courage to exist in the world exactly as they are, and we see Peggy really come into her own with this. Peggy wants to have a family and be a parent, and it’s something Orfeo is unsure of, until they completely understand their feelings. And it’s beautiful the way they come together.

Bonny and Valentine are back and as perfect as ever. Belle and Bonny continue to be unbelievably chaotic, and Sir Horley is a joy. I loved the way their stories were weaved in with Peggy and sorcery so seamlessly. And Peggy’s parents deserve recognition for a small, but stunning depiction of long-lasting love.

There were a few parts that were just a bit slow for me, where parts felt like they dragged on a bit too long. But otherwise I adored this one. I was also happy to see that everything was set up for possible additional books in this universe. Having these LGBTQ characters depicted in the Regency era is so unique and interesting, and I think it’s important to acknowledge the existence of such people in that time. Alexis Hall does this exceptionally well and, despite what I feel is period-typical homophobia, the majority of the characters don’t bat an eye at others with different sexualities. These stories are important and necessary.

As always, Alexis Hall hit this out of the park. I absolutely loved the set-up of this one, with Peggy playing wingperson to a most annoying ex Arabella as she tries to seduce Orfeo. Their plan fails and Peggy ends up catching their eye instead.

I loved watching these two fall for each other and then commit to each other despite the obstacles they faced at the time. Their banter was fantastic and their spicy scenes were incredibly hot, especially that last one!!

I don’t believe that I have read an enby/enby romance before and loved this representation. It was so beautiful to see how they could relate to and understand each other’s experiences because of their similarities. It was so lovely to see these characters transcend the expectations put upon them by society and live as their authentic selves.

I highly recommend this for fans of queer romance. It truly is something spectacular!

Thank you so much to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unpopular opinion, but I am not Alexis Hall's biggest fan. I keep reading her books and they just fall flat for me. I don't know if it is the hype that leaves me disappointed or if her writing style is just not for me. I don't have specific complaints or issues - the characters, although annoying at times, are cute and no more (or less) annoying than other book characters. Their relationships are enjoyable to read about - but I find myself struggling to find the interest to continue reading. If you enjoyed past Alexis Hall books, definitely read this one - it has all the charm and spunk of her previous books. That being said, if you are not a huge fan of Alexis Hall, maybe skip this one.

Peggy does not want to get over her former love, Arabella. But when Arabella comes to her for help with her own love life, Peggy can't say no to helping her woo Orfeo. Peggy does not expect to feel a spark when she meets Orfeo. Will she be able to balance friendship and her heart?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Alexis Hall is one of those authors where I know exactly what I'm going to get with his books while also frequently being completely surprised. I read Something Fabulous by Hall last year as well as A Lady for a Duke and even though Something Spectacular is in the same universe as Something Fabulous and has the same hijinks and ridiculous situations. I think Something Spectacular is more similar to A Lady for a Duke.

Peggy is friends with people who are fabulous and ridiculous and filled with drama but she considers herself much more boring than that. She has parents who support her and lots of money and other than her unrequited crush on her friend Belle she doesn't have much to complain about. When she gets roped into Belle's scheme to fall in love with the opera singer Orfeo, all that begins to change for Peggy. She begins to question her identity, what makes her happy, and what she deserves for herself. The relationship she has with Orfeo is hot, lovely, and wonderful. The two of them bring out the best in each other and Peggy is forced to get out of her comfort zone in the best way.

Hall is so incredibly clever and I love every string of words he puts together. Sometimes the scenes he puts his characters in strain credulity for me but ultimately here the character and relationships really shine through. Hall deftly threads the needle with romance and plot while also having his characters have complex and thought-provoking conversations about sex and gender that are endlessly fascinating.

I still don't like Belle and I'm sorry about it.

Thank you so much to Montlake Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

One thing I appreciate about romance books (as opposed to my usual genre haunt of SFF) is that I can often skip around in series and still get a good reading experience. I haven’t read Something Fabulous, but when I saw that Something Spectacular was a nonbinary/nonbinary romance, I knew immediately I had to read it—and I’m glad I did. Something Spectacular was a vociferous, campy, silly, yet surprisingly heartfelt regency romp that included facets of nonbinary identity I found meaningful.

This novel follows Peggy (she/her), a nonbinary person who is still stuck dealing with the unrequited feelings she has for her current best friend and former lover, Arabella Tarlington. Arabella, who is struggling with her aromantic identity, decides that if there’s anyone she could fall in love with, its opera superstar Orfeo (they/them), and she enlists Peggy’s help to do so. Except when Peggy and Orfeo finally meet, an undeniable chemistry and common thread of experience pulls the two together, and complications ensue.

As the author’s note says in the beginning, this is a historical romance that plays fast and loose with history. Orfeo is a castrato which means parts of what the novel deems a nonbinary identity was forced on them. But I think the novel handles both Orfeo’s identity and Peggy with as much grace as such an over-the-top and campy novel allows, which I appreciated. Peggy in particular echoes a lot of sentiments I have heard other nonbinary people express, and the understanding and grace she finds with Orfeo as they embark upon their own unique journey had me in my feelings in a great way.

This novel is at points a bit TOO silly (and bawdy) for my tastes, but the humor mostly lands for me. Likewise, there are pacing issues and random outrageous plot threads out of nowhere, but you could make a case for that being part of its charm. The heartfelt emotional moments to me made up for the parts that didn’t quite land as smoothly as I might have liked.

Though not without its speedbumps, I greatly enjoyed Something Spectacular, enough that I would like to go back and read the first novel in the series eventually. I’ll be recommending Something Spectacular for anyone looking for a fun, over-the-top, but meaningful regency romance with an equal mix of laughs and feels, with the bonus of it being between two nonbinary characters.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Witty, humorful and wholly entertaining, Something Spectacular lives up to it's name.

Graced with Alexis unique and fabulous writing style, this book is packed full of wit, sass and spunk, with tongue in cheek banter, a captivating story and the perfect reprise of some well known and loved characters. A true joy to any reader who loved the first book.

4.5 stars and a poem

There's something magical about Alexis Hall's writing. His books are hilarious and witty and full of unexpectedly profound truths about life and love and everything in between, and always wonderfully, unapologetically queer. I always find myself highlighting dozens upon dozens of passages and then agonizing over which to choose for my 'favorite quotes' section of my review blog posts. Again and again his writing has me collapsing with laughter and then startled into profound revelations when my guard is down. This book is hilarious and tender and incisive with biting social commentary. Every character is ridiculous and dramatic and I love them all.

In this book we have Peggy, who is genderfluid - not only a woman nor only a man - and is often quite cross and contrary about it, and about how the world wants to box her in no matter how vehemently she protests. And then we have Orfeo, an agender castrati opera singer who is also neither man nor woman, simply beautiful. And though some of that was forced upon them, they would be neither man nor woman either way. Being nonbinary myself, I really appreciated seeing them struggle with and ultimately joyfully accept themselves and each other as they are.

Their love story is at times stunningly gorgeous and at times hilarious, and it was a joy to watch them discovering deeper truths about themselves and one another.

It was wonderful to see Valentine and Bonny and Belle and Sir Horley again, for they bring the sheer ridiculousness energy they brought in Something Fabulous. I do feel the Sir Horley marriage thread got dropped abruptly, but I'm hoping that's just because there will be a third book focusing on him in the future.

I hope we get more of Belle, too, as her ending was also a little abrupt and I found her realization that she is aromantic, after a lifetime diet of nothing but romantic books and daydreams, very interesting, especially when contrasted with her twin Bonny, who is romantic to his core. I would like to see Bonny realizing that Belle, though his twin, is also her own person and they do not have to share everything and his dreams do not need to be her dreams.

I really liked the addition of the Duke and Duchess of Marshalsea, and I hope we see more of them in future books as well.

The final scene, involving four participants, struck me as one of the more profound sex scenes I've encountered. It was so unusual, and had so much love and care and trust in it, and such a striking lack of awkwardness, that I found it quite moving. And that's coming from someone who doesn't normally enjoy sex scenes. It's the kind of scene that's incredibly difficult to write well, and it's executed beautifully. Just four people who love and trust one another unconditionally, finding joy and even further closeness together.

In case it wasn't already clear, I adored Something Spectacular. I adored Something Fabulous as well, but I may adore this even more. I will now commence hoping for further sequels.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing an early copy for review.

2.5 stars

Something Spectacular shines in the moments where Alexis Hall's laugh-out-loud humor is on full display, but the romance in this particular book did not really work for me. I'm never the biggest fan of single-POV romances as the genre often doesn't leave enough room for the motivations of the romantic interest to be made clear in such a format. Because our main character Peggy falls in love with a person not unlike a former flame who was completely wrong for her, having Orfeo's perspective could have really fleshed out this over-the-top, occasionally one-dimensional character in a way that would have truly shown me (and not just told me) that they belonged with Peggy.

In addition to not being invested in the romance, Hall's trademark prose felt more overstuffed than usual to the point where I found it obscured much of the excellent points being made about found family, existing outside the gender binary, and the immensely hard task of discovering who you really are in the face of societal pressure.

I really wanted to love Something Spectacular as A Lady for a Duke is one of my favorite romance books of all time, but I acknowledge that every work by an author isn't always going to work for a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

When I read Something Fabulous last year, it really solidified Alexis Hall being one of my favorite authors. Valentine and Bonny were such a joy to read that I was bummed to say goodbye to them after their story, even though I was immensely excited for Peggy's story! However, I think Alexis Hall is one of the few authors who've managed to do these kinds of series (ones that are in the same world, but follow different characters) in the way I like! This is very much Peggy's story, but Valentine and Bonny are still present in it, just as Belle and Sir Horley are as well. I loved seeing them and watching their relationship grow through Peggy's eyes.

Peggy was a standout side character in Something Fabulous so I expected no less from her in this book. She is really so wonderful and funny and I was SOOO overjoyed to see her find love for herself and get the life she wanted. This book was so positive in many ways and perhaps my favorite way was in the idea of being yourself fully and not letting what others may think of you, stop you from being who you are. Orfeo was a perfect love interest for Peggy. Together, they were a beautiful balance and every time they were together, I sunk further and further into this book. I loved it so much and am truly hoping we get more in the Something series :)

The wit in this book was *chef’s kiss,* truly - and the representation was even better. It was beautiful watching each of the characters come to their own understanding of their individual identities. And the romance wasn’t cheesy, but instead well developed and deep and vulnerable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Like its predecessor (Something Fabulous), Alexis Hall’s Something Spectacular is a delightful read with some very pertinent observations to make while being a witty, laugh-out-loud funny, campy, over-the-top and unabashedly queer romance that takes place in a very modern “Regency” setting. As with the previous book, “basically everyone in it is LGBTQ+”, the author (in his own words) “plays rather fast and loose with history” and uses modern language, yet it’s a story that wouldn’t work so well as a modern setting. Despite the “fast and loose”-ness, the themes of gender identity, of how to be oneself when not completely sure exactly who that is, what it feels like to inhabit your own skin in a way that makes sense to you, and the restrictive – for women, especially - social norms – play out against a backdrop of societal expectations and attitudes that, while different, are also very familiar.

Peggy Delancey has been the best friend and on-and-off lover of Arabella Tarleton for years. She knows her love is unrequited and has accepted that Belle will never love her back, but Peggy has been in love with her for so long that she doesn’t quite know how to be not in love with her. In a strange way, this in-love-but-not-loved-back is a nice, safe option; this way, Peggy doesn’t have to think about the difficult stuff, about what being in a relationship means, either for her, her partner, or anyone else. But Belle is still looking for The One, and has decided she’s going to fall in love with the famous and flamboyant opera singer, Orfeo. She begs Peggy - who insists she doesn’t ‘art’ - to accompany her to the soirée where Orfeo will be performing and Peggy, although she really isn’t wild about the idea, hasn’t yet learned how to say ‘no’ to Belle about anything, so agrees to go with her.

The trouble really starts when a sceptical Peggy first sets eyes on Orfeo, who is absolutely nothing like she’d expected. They’re absolutely stunning with a look and a style all their own, and their voice is “merciless in its power and perfection like nothing Peggy had ever heard before.” Peggy is completely and utterly captivated, not only by Orfeo’s beauty and incredible talent, but by their uncommon mix of arrogance and vulnerability and by the way they make her feel truly seen. Peggy is also, she realises by the end of the evening, completely and utterly screwed. Not only does she fancy the person her best friend fancies, it appears Orfeo is interested in her and barely noticed Belle at all. Alarm bells start ringing when Belle begs Peggy to visit Orfeo the next day and put in a good word (well, several good words) on her behalf – Peggy desperately wants to see Orfeo again, but how can she even be thinking of spoiling her best friend’s plans for romance? Well, she won’t. Peggy has always been the sensible one, the one who thinks things through and has spent years curbing the worst excesses of the impulsive Tarletons. She is quite capable of paying a visit and speaking to Orfeo on her friend’s behalf, and if they’re not interested in Belle, then that will be an end to the matter.

Although of course, it is no such thing. Talking with Orfeo again only serves to enthrall Peggy even further – and to her surprise it seems that Orfeo is equally smitten. She’s never been anyone’s centre of attention in quite this way before; she’s used to living on the fringes of whatever drama the Tarletons are in the middle of, to being the sort of person who is simply ‘there’, so Orfeo’s desire to really know her is very unexpected.

I liked Peggy from the moment she appeared in Something Fabulous (and if I’m honest, felt sorry for her for having the misfortune to have fallen in love with someone as self-absorbed and reckless as Arabella Tarleton!). She’s definitely the sensible one in this friendship group (the Tarletons, Valentine, Sir Horley), but she has yet to really find her place, to work out that she wants to be the hero of her own story and then to go about becoming that person. Peggy identifies as female although she doesn’t always feel comfortable in her female body; she exists in the world exactly as she is, and I loved that. But she struggles with her desire to be accepted for the entirety of who she is (as what we would today call a non-binary person) while also wanting things – marriage, children – that are more heteronormative. Wanting a home and a family are the only things society expects women to want – how can Peggy have those things and still be her truest self?

The author talks briefly about the presentation of Orfeo – a castrato – in his foreword, explaining that while some castrati did identify as men, others preferred not to and, as Orfeo does, identified in a way that we now recognise as non-binary or genderfluid. Opera singers like Orfeo were the rock stars of their day and Orfeo certainly fits that bill – flamboyant, outrageous and unattainable but tolerated (even exploited) because of their talent. Like Peggy, they live in the world on their own terms, and also like her, they’re something of a prisoner of circumstance. But where Peggy’s prison is more one of her own making because of the role she’s fallen into of being the voice of reason in the lives of others, in Orfeo’s case, the prison is that of the artist needing a patron, and of being lured into believing that they can never have a life outside of music and that an ordinary life and love are beneath them. I liked them and really felt for their situation – caught between (as they see it) great art and great love – but because we never get into their head (Peggy’s is the sole PoV in this book) they’re a bit… remote, so I found it harder to connect with them and found the romance a bit lacking in chemistry as a result.

Mr. Hall’s sense of humour always resonates with me, and his sense of the ridiculous is alive and well, especially in the scene in which Peggy and Orfeo somehow manage to turn a very insipid poetry reading into an orgy (I will never look at a hyacinth in the same way again!) This might be a very un-historical historical romance, but the author clearly knows and understands the genre, taking affectionate side-swipes at its conventions here and there - and I love the way he doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as keep tapping it, checking for weak spots:

"So everyone in the neighbourhood,” put in Bob, “can get excited that Hadwell Hall is let at last?”

"I don’t think they’ll be that excited when they discover it’s been let by me. But,” Peggy offered, “I’ll do my best to insult a young lady at a country dance.”

There’s a great secondary cast; I loved the way Peggy’s parents accept her just as she is, Bonny is as fabulous as ever, Valentine is adoring and long-suffering, and although Arabella is still irritating, she’s been toned down a bit, and I was pleased when she began to realise that perhaps there isn’t anything wrong with her, and to acknowledge her possible aromanticism. Sir Horley is a terrific addition to their found-family unit with his world-weary witticisms and obvious affection for the group, and I really hope his story will be next.

The romance between Peggy and Orfeo is a lovely mix of tenderness, heartbreak, hope and joy, but I can’t deny that it’s a bit ‘insta’, and that the chemistry is a bit lukewarm. That said, these two complement each other really well - Peggy, down-to-earth, pragmatic and generous, is the perfect foil to dazzling, proud, dramatic Orfeo.

Something Spectacular is lively, thought-provoking, funny, heartbreaking and unashamedly silly, and even though the romance didn’t quite hit the spot for me, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series.