I just loved the character of Hattie, she had so much to put up with, her dysfunctional family, her unhelpful ‘friends’ and still she managed to keep cheerful. She was able to talk with most people and this endeared her to the staff. Mateo Vincente was a viscount in England but also the Duke of Santiava. His mother is determined for him to marry whilst he is in England. Hattie and Mateo have discovered a connection between them but with his title and Hattie being a commoner there doesn’t seem like it can be taken further. This story moved along at a good pace and it includes characters that appeared in the previous books in the series, including the matchmaker and the enigmatic, Donovan. This was an engaging read that has a very satisfying ending. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When her shopkeeper fiance ends their engagement because of her eccentric family, Miss Harriet "Hattie" Woodchurch is devastated. Realizing that following the rules has gotten her nowhere in life, she vows to secure her independence without a husband. Meanwhile, Mateo "Teo" Vincente, the sovereign Duke of Santiava, has come to England to settle his maternal grandfather's estate and secure his inheritance as Viscount Abbott. If his mother has her way, he'll also be returning to his small Mediterranean duchy with an English bride. Settling the estate is taking longer than Teo would like, both because it's a complicated inheritance and because his grasp of written English isn't the best. An acquaintance, Lord Iddesleigh, suggests hiring a secretary to help and even finds him the perfect candidate: Miss Woodchurch, a graduate of the Iddesleigh School for Exceptional Girls. As taciturn Teo and gregarious Hattie get to know each other through discussions of literature and other subjects, Teo realizes that Hattie is the only woman he can imagine at his side as his future wife. But his mother has other ideas, enlisting the help of a matchmaker to introduce him to "suitable" young ladies with wealth and connections. Will Teo follow his heart and choose Hattie or succumb to his mother's pressure to find a more suitable bride?

I loved this story so much! Teo and Hattie's chemistry and witty banter were phenomenal, and I loved that their personalities balanced each other so perfectly. Teo was a bit shy at first, but he was so sweet once he came out of his shell. Most importantly, he saw Hattie for the gem she was, no matter her crazy family or position in society. They made an adorable couple and I was rooting for them the whole way.

I highly recommend this charming tale for all historical romance fans and look forward to the next book in the series.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a wonderful, big-hearted book with lovable characters. Hetty and Matteo are not an obvious match. He is the ruler of small kingdom, and she is the unloved daughter of a chaotic, English merchant family. Desperate to escape her family, Hattie takes a job helping Mateo with his English. Despite their obvious differences, they are a lovely complementary match. When Mateo's mother hires a matchmaker to find a bride for her son, she is definitely not thinking of Hattie. Fortunately Hattie has powerful friends, and they conspire to win her happily ever after.

I *so* enjoyed this third in series book from Julia London, and recommend it to fans of the historical romance genre.

Fun read for the summer. You can't help but love the main character, Hattie, and her willingness to do what she must.

Hattie is not part of the "Quality" of London. He father is a self made man and very, very cheap. Hattie has essentially paid for anything nice she has herself, her lovely character earning her a scholarship to a ladies school, where she learned to be among society. She is currently employed as a book keeper, companion and now has the opportunity to be the scribe for the newest (handsome and eligible!) Duke in town. She soon learns that Mateo (the Duke) is quiet and she does the talking for the both of them, while she makes friends with the household on her tea breaks. Mateo's guard comes down and he starts connecting with Hattie. Between the school master and the matchmaker, this story unfolds with lots of twists, and humour.

If you enjoyed the Bridgerton books, then you're sure to love this book too!
#indigoemployee

The Viscount Who Vexed Me is a delightful new edition to Julia London’s A Royal Match series of books.

Neither Hattie nor Mateo fit into their lives. Mateo is royalty, but painfully shy, which keeps others from truly knowing him. Hattie is very down-to-earth and knows where she fits. She’s optimistic and sees the best in others, even when not deserved. She is a bit of a Cinderella who finds herself befriended by an earl, which sets our plot in motion.

I enjoyed this book and how London resolved the ending so everyone found their HEA.

Hattie Woodchurch just wants to earn enough money to live far away from her embarrassing family. She has no interest in the Season or catching a husband. Mateo Vincente, Viscount Abbott, arrives in London in need of a social secretary, the perfect job for Hattie. They get together and bond over mutual interests. Things are going well until Hattie’s friend falls for Mateo and Hattie gives her information on his likes and dislikes. Things are going ok until Mateo realizes that the person he really wants as his duchess is Hattie. This is a good story with plenty of interesting characters and of course a HEA.

Such a great book! I loved this couple and their romance. Their positions in life brought various characters to the story and I loved their interactions and banter. This is the first book I've read in this series and I am looking forward to going back and reading the first two books.

Title: The Viscount Who Vexed Me
Author: Julia London
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Daring. Darling. Determined.

Next to the Season’s newest diamond, Harriet (Hattie) Woodchurch feels like a plain Jane. But that’s of no consequence, since Hattie’s plan for her future is to earn enough to live far, far away from her embarrassing family.

That is until Mateo Vincente, Duke of Santiava and newly minted Viscount Abbott, arrives in London. While the shy European’s spoken English is impeccable, his writing is less fluent. The ton is eager to meet the handsome bachelor, and so many invitations flood in that Mateo needs a correspondence secretary.

With her perfect penmanship and way with words, Hattie is recommended, and the two bond over books and the ton’s eligible ladies. But when Hattie’s friend Flora becomes smitten with the viscount, things get complicated. Flora is tongue-tied in his presence. To help, Hattie feeds her information about Mateo’s interests. Soon things turn around and Flora appears on track to become his duchess. Yet for Mateo, something’s not quite right. Conversation with Flora isn’t as scintillating as it is with Hattie…

This was a cute read! Hattie’s family is an absolute nightmare and made my skin crawl. I think I would have lived on the street before putting up with them any longer. They were just so horrible to her. Mateo was an interesting dashing hero, with his reticence and reluctance to be around people (same), but I really liked how their growing relationship changed them both.

Julia London is a bestselling author. The Viscount Who Vexed Me is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

The Viscount Who Vexed Me is the third book in the A Royal Match series. I think you could read this as a stand alone although there are a few mentions of characters in the other prior books.

I enjoyed this book. Hattie and Mateo are well developed characters and London does a great job of building out their stories. I loved the initial awkwardness and how their relationship developed too. I'll admit, I really disliked Flora from the start and wasn't surprised with how things went with her.

All that to say, check this one out and consider picking up the series too. I thought all three books were well done. They could have done with a bit more spice (in my opinion), but overall a solid historical romance book / series.

This had a lot of potential, with both leads having intriguing backstories and families, but the side characters were more interesting in the end, especially the matchmaker and Beck!

The Viscount Who Vexed Me
Book 3 in the "A Royal Match Series"
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.


***SPOILERS AHEAD***


The Viscount Who Vexed Me is the third book in the series. To be honest I was a little hesitant in reading this one because the previous two were kind of okay reads for me, but I'm so happy I gave this one a chance.
I really enjoyed it!! This is kind of a Cinderella re-telling trope. It was so good! I loved the slow burn romance between Teo and Hattie. Their story is full of angst and longing, especially because they belong to two different social classes. This book made me cry! I can't even remember the last time I cried with a HR story. It just broke my heart how Hattie was treated by her family and her so-called friends.
Be aware that it is very slow burn and that nothing really spicy happens, but even without it the story is so beautiful. I love how they are complete opposites in personalities and Teo is such a timid male lead. His personality made for other people to take advantage of him, of course this was all due to how his father treated him. . He is so uncomfortable with people, even with Hattie at the beginning. It was funny to see how he did not know how to handle her. LOL Also, when Teo spoke in Spanish to tell Hattie he loved her. Aww 😍
I loved the matchmaking going on and how it really worked out in the end. Hattie's family was a little over the top, but I'm glad when her mom finally spoke up against her father's shenanigan at the end. .

My final thoughts are that I really enjoyed it!

Another winning romance from Julia London. The 3rd in A Royal Match series, The Viscount Who Vexed Me delighted me from beginning to end. Hattie & Mateo, although from such different lifestyles were totally made for each other. I was wondering how the author would have these two overcome the many obstacles before them. I will say it was an enjoyable journey to their happily ever after. I recommend this as a standalone as well, although there are a few characters that make an appearance. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for this entertaining read!

I adore this book! The characters are just wonderful. Both Hattie and Teo are so relatable, each with their own challenges, not the lease of those being their families. Julia London must have had so much fun creating hattie’s family because I just could not believe how truly awful, and yet believable, they were. That Hattie turned out to be a warm, caring and intelligent woman is a miracle. Her friends are not much better than her family, both of them being wealthy snobs who take advantage of Hattie’s good nature and think nothing of subtly putting her down. Teo also has issues to deal with where his mother is concerned. She’s determined to marry him off at all costs, ideally to a well-connected English lady who will help his duchy build strong political links. Matchmaker Lila has featured in a number of Julia London’s recent books and she’s here again, working her magic to bring two lonely hearts together, though these two really test her mettle. The story itself is light, filled with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour and a quick and easy read. I came close to reading it in one setting, interrupted only when I fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. This is one of Julia London’s best books and a definite keeper.

THE VISCOUNT WHO VEXED ME (A Royal Match Book #3) by Julia London is another charming and witty addition to this historical romance series. Each book in the series has a royal who needs to find a mate and hopefully a love match with the help of a determined matchmaker and recurring characters working to assist. Each book can easily be read as a standalone with a complete HEA in each with the recurring characters introduced in each book of the series.

Harriet “Hattie” Woodchurch is determined to earn her own living and move very far away from her embarrassing family. While she has friends in society from her time in school, her father is a rich penny-pinching merchant and not a member of polite society and she realizes her life and circumstances will not be like her friends.

Mateo “Teo” Vincente, Duke of Santiava and now also the Viscount Abbott after the death of his mother’s father arrives in London to set his new inheritance in order. Society is excited about his visit and the knowledge that he seeks a wife, but he is not comfortable with the attention. When he needs assistance with his English correspondence, Hattie is recommended for the position. Teo soon finds he and his entire household are enchanted with his scribe.

As Mateo meets all the eligible debutantes, he finds that he is only truly himself with Hattie and Hattie is finding herself increasingly infatuated with the Viscount. The matchmaker still has a few things up her sleeve to assist this pair, if the Viscount is willing to find his voice and stand up for what he wants.

I adore this series not only because of the well written characters and situations that I never know how Ms. London will resolve them into a HEA, but also because the dialogue is always so witty and fun. Hattie is a determined young woman willing to work for everything she wants and yet she is also friendly and warm despite her difficult family, and it broke my heart every time her supposed friends hurt her. Mateo is complicated and a product of his father’s constant verbal abuse, but that makes it even more wonderful when he finally finds his own voice and power. I loved that his hobby and passion is baking. This book has no explicit sex scenes, but a steadily growing romance from the discovering of friendship to love.

I recommend this enjoyable historical romance and the entire Royal Match series.

Hattie is an intelligent and thoughtful young woman who has a terribly embarrassing family. They don't appreciate her, and they have become the reason that she has to reevaluate her life. She decides to speak up for herself when necessary and to behave according to her own common sense instead of silly rules that don't serve her. I have to admire the way she goes about this -- too many heroines in histroms seem to think that ranting about society's unfairness and doing impulsive and dangerous things are the path to freedom. I dislike those books intensely. Instead, Hattie behaves sensibly and with very little drama. I found her very refreshing and realistic.
Mateo is lost in a sea of poorly written English and confusing letters. He is glad to have Hattie to help him, but he has no idea why she talks so much. Mateo's upbringing taught him to be wary of voicing his thoughts, and he can't imagine sharing as freely as Hattie does. He begins to admire her, and they form a friendship. He can hardly imagine his life without her when he has to return to his duchy. I am glad that this book is written in dual POV so that we could read his true thoughts and feelings. Mateo is a complex man who just wants to love and be loved for himself.
Fortunately for him, Lila Aleksander is incredibly observant and begins to matchmake in the subtlest of ways. She will need a miracle to get these two together, though. I enjoyed watching it all play out.

This installment of the “A Royal Match” series sees Lady Aleksander working her magic again. Everyone except Mateo can see that he needs a wife. Then there’s Hattie who is trying to escape her crazy family and broken engagement. To do so, she needs more funds than she was already getting as a paid companion so she interviews for a position in Mateo’s household. The parade of potential wives begins and as each one comes into Mateo’s life, he leans into Hattie more and more. Sprinkle in a little Cyrano style romance with Hattie’s tongue tied friend Flora and you get to see Mateo begin to use his wits to figure out what is not quite right with his relationship with Flora. This book can be both a Standalone but it is much better as a continuance of the series as you get to revisit several characters from past books. Spending time in Mateo and Hattie’s world was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.

The Viscount Who Vexed Me (A Royal Match #3) by Julia London
I have enjoyed this series and this book does not disappoint. Mateo Vincente, Duke of Santiava and newly minted Viscount Abbott and Harriet (Hattie) Woodchurch are perfect for each other. There is plenty of angst, laughter, tears, friends(frenemies) outlandish family members, budding love and a small amount of steam all to get us to a very HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Wonderful characters Great world building Page-turner Action-packed Romantic Tear-jerker Informative Witty Happily Ever After Unpredictable Easy-to-read Entertaining.

Oops she did it again! Matchmaker Lady Aleksander has her most challenging match to date. The Duke of Santiava also now has the title of Viscount Abbott, Mateo is in need of a wife according to everyone but him. He is an introvert and barely tries to put himself out there, only as necessary as his title demands. Trying to understand and get a grip on his grandfather’s estate he is advised to hire someone to help him with his correspondence since English isn’t his native language.
Hattie has had a most usual upbringing, her family is most difficult and her father a tightwad. Her only escape is to earn money to escape the madness of the household. When Lord Iddesleigh suggests she interviews for the new Viscount she sees away to earn the much needed money. When Hattie meets Mateo and he barely says 2 words she of course needs to fill in the awkward silence. Mateo couldn’t believe the women, she seems to have no fear of his title. And now the matchmaker and his mother are demanding he meets with several women as a possible candidate to be his wife. Of which one is a friend of Hattie! But the longer they work together, the more Mateo begins to interact with her.
It’s to bad she isn’t Duchess material, but the matchmaker believes in love.
Fast pace, page turning read! I love the characters of Hattie and Mateo, plus a few from previous books make a showing. Definitely can be a standalone, but you will enjoy the first two books. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheViscountWhoVexedMe #JuliaLondon #ARoyalMatch

I love Julia London's books. I have read many of her books over and over again. She is a wonderful author who never ceases to entertain me. The Viscount Who Vexed Me is a charming book and Hattie and Mateo are lovable. characters. This is a safe read for anyone looking for a nice historical romance. The book will make you laugh and keep your attention until the end. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

London - 1870

Miss Harriet (Hattie) Woodchurch was lucky to get a scholarship at the Iddesleigh School for Exceptional Girls despite not having the social connections of the other girls. Her roommate from school, Flora, and Flora's friend, Queenie, are daughters of wealth and titles, but the girls, now grown, are still steadfast friends. In fact, Flora's father essentially pays Hattie a small fee to accompany his daughter around London. It is while the three are out together that they learn of the arrival in the city of the latest highly eligible bachelor, the new Viscount Abbott, who is also the Duke of Santiava, a small country near Spain. His English mother's father died leaving him as the only heir. Hattie is not as excited as her two friends, for she is already engaged. But when Flora reveals to her that her intended wants to beg off and not marry her, Hattie is devastated.

Mateo Vincente, the new Viscount Abbott, is not happy about his new title. The fact that he had to leave his beloved home, Castillo Estrella, and come to the crowded, noisy London has left him feeling angry and frustrated. He is, by choice, a man who prefers solitude, peace, quiet, and he loves to bake! But here in London, he cannot allow anyone to know the latter, and his mother is determined that he find a suitable English bride. With the ton in a tizzy to present Mateo with a string of young women, he is overwhelmed with invitations. Because he's not comfortable writing in English, he will need a scribe to reply to the many letters.

Hattie wants nothing more than to escape the insanity of her home. Her father, a businessman, is miserly, only allowing Hattie to wear the hand-me-down gowns from her mother. Mrs. Woodchurch is a collector - of grandfather clocks, tea services, and cats. The two younger brothers, who are twins, are completely out of control, and Hattie's older brother, Daniel has as little to do with his family as possible, except to collect his allowance. But now, with her engagement off, life seems to be against her, that is until Lord Iddesleigh sets her up as the new viscount's clerk to answer his correspondence.

Mateo is not used to socializing, and his quiet demeanor makes Hattie somewhat uncomfortable. Her reaction is to talk more than necessary, just because she doesn't know how else to respond to the handsome man! Mateo actually is surprised at how upfront Hattie is, and how refreshing that is. Soon the two are working as a team, and Hattie is trying very hard not to fall for the kind, quiet Mateo.

THE VISCOUNT WHO VEXED ME is book three in the Royal Match series. The unlikely combination of Hattie and Mateo is the basis of this latest novel. Mateo is more down to earth than most of his class, and his wants are simple. Hattie has struggled all of her life to do the right thing, to appreciate her education, and to get out of the unconventional household where she lives. But what will happen when the viscount finds his bride? Where does that leave Hattie?

A sweet story set in the Victorian era where women had few choices, and men controlled their futures, can Hattie break out of her situation? Don't miss THE VISCOUNT WHO VEXED ME.