In Regency England, it takes a special man to understand a woman who needs independence and the freedom to make her own choices. Having fulfilled his own dreams and desires of traveling the world, Seth quickly comes to understand that if he is to win the hand of the strong-willed Lady Philippa he is going to have to make some adjustments to his thinking. Philippa challenges Seth in every way, especially as she has made it clear that she would rather be an independent aunt to her siblings' children than a wife and mother. Nevertheless, when the chemistry between them can no longer be denied, Philippa gives her heart unreservedly, but not without a few hiccoughs along the way. The novel is part of a series and it was lovely meeting up with the rest of the Strong Family once again, but despite that it is a standalone and comes to a delightful conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This was very sweet. Nice people meet each other and are attracted instantly. Everything goes very smoothly so there is basically little plot or character development. Everyone is kind and loving and destined for happily ever afters. It was all a bit too sugary for me.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

"The Perks of Loving a Viscount" is, unfortunately, a rather mediocre historical romance from Alexa Aston, who is normally better than this. This book isn't bad, it is just kind of there. FMC Pippa is an 18-year-old country loving tomboy, twin to Georgina, who loves the ton type things that Pippa claims to hate. MMC Seth is an improbable viscount, staying at his country seat to learn the ins and outs of his estate. His country seat happens to be next door to that of Pippa's family. Upon meeting Pippa, Seth promptly decides she is the only one for him.

There is little drama or angst - Pippa is somehow allowed to spend copious amounts of time alone with Seth. They quickly fall for each other, but don't actually tell one another. Instead they each engage in subtle manipulations to try and get the other where they want them. The moment of drama towards the end is not believable given the relationships established in pretty much every other part of the book. Instead it just drives home how immature Pippa is.

On the positive side, Seth is a lovely cinnamon roll hero. The cover is beautiful. It just wasn't working for me. 2 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

Seth Atwell falls in love with the sea as a young boy & his uncle, Lord Hopewell, arranges for him to become a cabin boy, and over the years, Seth works his way up to the position of captain of a trading vessel. On a return trip home to England, he is shocked to learn that he is the new Viscount Hopewell.
Lady Philippa Strong has a zest for life and is always in motion. Curious about everything, with a love of languages and geography, Pippa doesn’t want to make her come-out with her twin, Georgina. Seth retreats to Hopewood, his country estate, where he encounters his ducal neighbour’s sister. Seth is drawn to Pippa’s free spirit and inquisitive nature, and she agrees to give him riding lessons since he has never been atop a horse.
The second book in the series & this is purely a lovely romance with very little angst, no intrigue, no kidnapping just two people falling in love. There’s a couple of misunderstandings which are easily resolved. I really liked both Seth & Pippa whose attraction was immediate & they became close as she gave him riding lessons, I must say I was surprised that they were allowed to be alone & would have thought a Duke’s daughter & sister would at least have had a groom present. I loved the dynamics between the Strong family members & the subtle hints in the epilogue. A well written romance which was a stroll in the park rather than a canter down Rotten Row & I thoroughly enjoyed it
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rating 2.5 stars

Seth and Pippa. Where do I start?
I'm going to try and articulate myself hopefully without being too harsh.

I know a lot of the reviews I've seen were by reviewers who really enjoyed this book and gave it a 5 star rating. I actually thought it to be quite mediocre. For me, the characters seemed frivolous. Pippa seemed really childish, and Seth, a bit taboo.

I generally don't read the same genre twice to ensure that I don't compare books, and I actually haven't read this genre for over a year, so believe me, when is say expectations were high.

The entire story revolves around Pippa and Seth. Him, a newly appointed Viscount and Pippa, having sworn of her season, falls head over heels for him. That's pretty much the story.

I didn't think there was much depth to the characters, and neither did I feel the chemistry between them. I guess I just wanted more?
The storyline itself just fell flat as well. There was no angst or climax or anything, really. Basically, there are no ups and downs. Just flat.

To me, this was just another book. There's nothing that makes it stand out. Or makes you want to call up your friends saying; "Read this now!"
I guess if you're looking for something light and predictable, then this is it.

Seth Atwell has grown up on the ocean to become a captain of a trading vessel, after many years at sea. However, he returns home to England only to discover that his uncle has passed, making him the new Viscount Hopewell. When he retreats to his country estate, Hopewood, he encounters Pippa, Lady Philippa Strong. He is drawn to her free spirit and inquisitive nature and soon finds that friendship is not enough. Pippa does not wish to make her debut and instead, takes great delight in giving Seth riding lessons.
Seth was a delightful character and wonderful in his new role as a viscount. Together with Pippa, they make for a wonderful read. I also found many of the secondary characters added to make this an enjoyable romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pippa is a tomboy who loves her twin, which is the exact opposite from her. Which is why she doesn’t want a season in town. After that is decided she goes to explore meeting a Captain who ha recently inherited a title, Seth. Through many talks and horse riding lessons things become exceedingly complicated and confusing.
I really enjoyed this adventurous and non stop book. It was a great read that completed a lazy enjoyable weekend. Can’t wait to see what the other family members get up to!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

Being ill did not help this book out in any way. Both main characters really tested me. Seth was the least trying of the two he kept calling her not pretty\beautiful. I'm not saying Pippa has to be beautiful to everybody But like you gotta be attracted to her. And then there is Pippa, When she did what she did with the lord No Just no. To me that was cheating. And also it seems like she was kind of playing games with Seth like 1st telling him that they had no reason to see each other anymore and then when she decided oh actually I don't want the other guy Oh yeah let's hang out. That's so manipulative. Chapter 23 just no Just no. 2.5 cause again the premise just reminds me to much of the previous series. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 stars

I quite enjoyed this read but it seemed much 'quieter' than the author's usual offerings. Pippa, a twin with Georgina, has decided she doesn't want a come out...In any case her mother has at least three other girls to launch at the same time. Seth, now a viscount but was a ships captain (similar to the hero from book 1) has realised that he needs to understand his estate and also learn to ride. Pippa is a very good equestrian and teacher. They start with kisses. Georgie is offended when she realises that Pippa is not going to be with her in London and worried about how they might loose their closeness. The romance continues though there are a couple of places when there are misunderstandings due to jealousy. I'm not sure that in those times Pippa's wearing of trousers would have been accepted and I found the one scene where she sits naked on Seth's knee in the cottage a bit crinch worthy.

There are plenty of more relatives to work through and I liked how the epilogue gave me some hints. Overall I will stick with this series.

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

This is my first ever book by Alexa Aston. If you know me, you know that I truly love a good regency/historical romance but this one WAS NOT regency or historical. It was romance for sure but the characters could have been placed in any time period and they would still work. I mean who can believe that Pippa could go meet Seth by herself and give him riding lessons in that time period? That was a strech for sure! I did like the dynamics in Strong household, the easiness between Seth and Pippa but I can not agree with how the author presented the time period, the relationships in the era and the liberties the characters had. For a contemporan romance, yes but for a historical one ... not really.


I have received this book through NetGalley to read and review as a see fit. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and I will add more books by this author to my TBR to see if this is her writing style or maybe only what she chosen for this series.

I hate to say this because I have been a big fan of Alexa Aston for a while now, but I really feel like she is phoning it in with this series. My big problem with the first book in the series was that everything happened to easily and my big problem with this one is that it's kind of boring. I don't need there to be constant action or hurdles thrown in the way of characters in order to enjoy a story, but this one just had nothing to it. The biggest argument between the two is when Pippa thinks Seth is carrying on with her twin sister - which is really an insult to both of them - and that gets resolved within the next few pages. The circumstances which lead to Seth inheriting the title were also just kind of lazy. The death of his uncle mad some sense (the man had been unwell for quite some time) but the death of his father was just too easy. And the fact that both men died in their sleep was a little lazy. As far as we knew his father was in good health and not that old. I was expecting there to be some plot against his family but in the end it was just a plot device to get Seth off his ship and into the country where he could meet Pippa. All in all this isn't a bad book, it's just not as good as I've come to expect from this author.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Seth and Pippa are relatable, intriguing, fun, interesting, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and how it played out. I loved that we got to see the couple from the first book at various points in this story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

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

Seth is truly green when it comes to things of the Ton. Pippa needs to explain everything to him. It's quite a reversal of roles.
Pippa states early in the book that she will not marry unless she can find a man similar to her brother. It's almost like she spoke Seth into existence.
I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Very quick read that leaves you craving more. If you have ever experienced the deja vu feeling, this book is for you. Looking forward to read more books from this intriguing author.

Such a wonderful and endearing story! It's pure romance with barely any angst and with characters you can't help but love. Seth and Pippa are so adorable together and are just perfect for each other.

Seth is definitely a swoon worthy hero and although leaving his life at sea to become the new Viscount was not something he ever expected, he takes on the challenge and I absolutely loved how good he was with all the servants and villagers. Pippa is such an innocent and yet she knows what she wants and that is to not want to do her first coming out or ever get married....but, that was before she met Seth:)

Very well written and another Alexa Aston book that I have thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

First of all, this is an exceptional cover. Kudos to the marketing team! It's beautiful. Now, this is a warm hug of a book. I'm usually a high angst girlie, but I enjoyed the gentle waves of this tale, and despite not reading the first in this series, found it charming. Great read!

The Perks of Loving a Viscount by Alexa Aston is the second book in The Strongs of Shadowcrest series. The novels are all about the various people who make up the Strong Clan in Kent. This particular book focuses on Philippa, called Pippa by her family.

Pippa loves to be outside, whether it is riding, walking or fishing. She is very daring to wears breeches when she is riding as a member of the nobility. Pippa knows she is expected to debut this year with her sister and cousins. She is not interested in participating in this. She feels she isn’t ready to put up with the social bore known as the season.

Seth Atwell wanted to be on ship forever and his family helped him start on a ship. Eventually, Seth ends up as a captain on one of the Strong’s ships. When he lands this time, he discovers he is Viscount Hopewell. His life is going to change tremendously and he has much to learn. Hopewell, his new home is where he goes to start to learn his responsibilities. It is here he meets the Strong Family and really strikes a bond with them. Pippa interests him greatly. She teaches him how to ride and he teaches her how to kiss.

I enjoyed this novel! I found Seth a great addition to the clan. Pippa and Seth are interesting together. I was happy to read another novel about the Strong Family. The Perks of Loving a Viscount was a good read!

Having lived his whole life at sea, Seth is not sure how to behave when he learns he has inherited a viscountcy. He is not happy to now have to settle down and marry and be landlocked. When he meets his neighbor Pippa he is intrigued by the tomboy. He doesn’t know anything of the ton and Pippa doesn’t care to have a Season. While Pippa’s independence attracts him, Seth finds that he must overcome that obstacle if she is to become his. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

Seth was a cabin boy who rose to a captain until he becomes the new Viscount Hopewell. Philippa doesn't want to make her debut with her twin. She agrees to give Seth riding lessons and friendship leads to more.

Love Seth and Philippa. Both terrific and smart characters. Love their chemistry and how well they complement each other.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Seth has been a seafaring Captain suddenly coming into becoming a Viscount.
Pippa is not ready to make her come out and wishes to remain in the country.
As they meet and become friends over riding lessons, they slowly begin to realize love might be in the cards for them.
A sweet slow developing romance with a HEA.