Something Extraordinary is book three in the Something Fabulous series by Alexis Hall.
An absolute delight, full of wit, charm, and just the right amount of chaos. It’s set Regency England and such a fun read.
As always, Hall excels at creating characters you’ll fall in love with.
I’m so in love with this series!

I think I might have to reread this one. It wasn't my all time favorite of this series. I maybe just wasn't in the mood for this one, it was a bit long for me and it dragged in some parts.

4.75 🌟
The Something Fabulous series has been my introduction to Alexis Hall and I am a staunch supporter of whatever they decide to write next (and I will be visiting their entire backlist because of course I will). This particular story gave me whiplash in all the best ways - every time I assumed the story was going to play out in a prescribed way, it went in the polar opposite direction, which was a delight. The characters were well developed and fully flawed, and I love the fact that Hall recognizes that we contain multitudes, as all humans do. Love, love, love this book! 💖

Everything Alexis Hall writes is gold. I am obsessed with their writing and generally everything they put out. I loved this marriage of convenience and that this was a queer story! I cannot wait to read more.

4.5 - “No human being is worth any more or any less than any other.”

For me, Alexis Hall does not disappoint. The way he balances humor and heart is incredible. This series in particular is pretty silly, but the topics explored are so relevant and it’s really poignant being set in the regency era.

It was satisfying to see Belle and Sir Horley’s story after they were background characters in the first two books. They are so similar in their quests for love and feeling unlovable, which inevitably leads them to their marriage of convenience. I love the way this comes together in that they agree that they don’t have a romantic attention, but rather a platonic one. The marriage of convenience was such a fun aspect, especially because they want to protect the other so much, There's a lot to be said about their friendship, even though they go through their rough patches throughout the story,

Their journeys are as humorous as they are heartfelt. It does seem a bit long, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment. They have an understanding about taking lovers and how their lives will work, which I think works so well for their characters. The vulnerabilities that they share and the metal support is endearing. Considering the setting, it's so refreshing to see these types of characters portrayed. This is something Hall has done so well in all of his books set in this time period.

“Come closer. Hold me tighter. Let me feel your breath and your heartbeat and all the devastating warmth of you.”

Belle and Sir Horley’s friendship is so deep and they truly want the other to be happy. Over their calamity of a journey, he learns that he’s worthy of love and she learns that there are more type of love than just romantic. For an unlikely pair, this was a true joy to read.

Last year, I read my first Hall, 10 Things That Never Happened, and loved it and it now goes down as one of my favourite Christmas-set romances. As a result, I was quite looking forward to Something Extraordinary. My responses to Extraordinary, however, were as uneven as the narrative itself. I started confused, moved to delighted, grew restless, grew bored, recovered and experienced new-found delight, was scandalized, grew restless, and ended with a bout of reader whiplash as the HEA hit me like a fast-falling brick. Am I sorry I read it? Nope. Would I want to repeat the experience? Also nope.

Here are the publisher’s blurb’s details:

Sir Horley Comewithers isn’t particularly interested in getting married, especially when his match is a perfectly respectable young woman. Sir Horley is, after all, extravagantly gay. But he’s resigned to a fate there’s no point resisting—until a dear friend does it for him.

Arabella Tarleton has no interest in romance, but even she can see that Sir Horley’s nuptials are destined to end in a lifetime of misery. Well, not on her watch. And what are friends for, if not abducting you on the night before your wedding in an overdramatic attempt to save you from a terrible mistake?

Their journey to Gretna Green is a hodgepodge of colorful run-ins and near misses with questionable innkeepers, amateur highwaymen, overattentive writers, and scorned fiancées. Then again a bumpy road is better than an unhappy destination.

But when it comes to marriage, Belle and Sir Horley are about to discover that it’s not what you do or how you do it but the people who you choose to do it with that matter most.

Thematically, healing is always Hall’s most important message. He achieves his purpose in two modes: hilarious, especially via snappy banter, and sentimental. These two modes are my romance faves: wit and redemption. While they’re present in Extraordinary, the meandering narrative replacing the classic Regis-ian romance arc work against them. Hall’s narrative is, at best, picaresque, with a stop-start movement which echoed my responses to it.

When the narrative opens, Arabella “Bella” and Sir Horley, whom she calls Rufus after his father for the remainder, leave his messed-up engagement situation for Gretna Green and an equally though less pernicious mess. The opening is weak as it hearkens to the series’ earlier volumes, none of which I read, and took me out of the narrative as former couples and their complications pile on. Once Bella and Rufus are on their way, things look up, though Rufus is in a depressive state and steadily, constantly in recovery from inebriation. There’s a lot of vomit.

Conceptually, I liked what Hall was trying to do: say something about love and commitment, a gay hero and bisexual heroine, no necessarily being linked to sexual desire and preference. Bella and Rufus are funny, the dialogue in particular is hilarious, but they’re also good people who care about each other. And others — many many others. Especially Bella, who makes everyone a project of her goodness. And yet, feels unloveable, especially to Rufus, whom she coerced into the Gretna-Green-bound marriage. Interspersed with Bella’s goodness projects and Rufus’s feelings of unworthiness, a long-standing wound stemming from being abandoned and unwanted by his parents and not having Bella’s twin’s love, and and and and…are a variety of every rainbow colour love scenes, which I skimmed. Because, honestly, like our former prime minister wisely said, the state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation. And I agree, consent and adulthood are the only perimeters to the bedrooms of the nation, but these elaborate details of choice were not to my taste. You’ve been warned, reader, and as for the details, ’nuff said. Irrespective of sexual preference, I prefer subtle over explicit, but that’s my stance and others may enjoy the long, detailed love scenes.

In the end, other than the aimlessly episodic nature of Hall’s narrative, I think my main problem was Arabella’s characterization (though Rufus is screwed up in many ways, his characterization is confident and consistent). “Bella” is saintly and all-knowing and knows exactly what everybody needs. A paragon of perspicaciousness is Bella. She knows what all the broken people need, sexual healing; being of a generous nature, it’s her specialty to ensure it. She can rescue a friend from sexual assault, encourage Rufus to find pleasure with inept highwaymen, and get a fractious baby to sleep. She alternates between aggressive boldness and abjectness. An uneven narrative with inconsistent characterization, especially because what appeared to be Rufus’s story turns out to have the spotlight predominantly on Bella, make for a tedious read.

Alexis Hall’s Something Extraordinary is published by Montlake and releases today, Dec. 17th. I received an e-galley, from Montlake, via Netgalley. The above is my honest, AI-free opinion.

Something Extraordinary took everything that made this trilogy so brilliant, and turned it up to the max. So many tropes and cliches have been amplified or turned on their head in this series, and in this final book, Alexis Hall takes the whole concept of a romance and turns that around too.

I will admit I did go into this one with some trepidation, as neither of the main characters – Sir Horley (Rufus) and Belle – have been my favourites in the previous books. They did both come into their own though, and Belle’s earnestness made for a great contrast to Sir Horley’s cynicism.

I did find the plot to be a little more scattered than the previous books, and the ending felt quite abrupt. Really though, this book is all about the characters, as both Belle and Rufus and went on their own journeys of working out how they could find a place in the world, and eventually realising that it would be with each other, in what we would now call a queer platonic relationship.

The triumph of this whole series is how these ideas of identity and societal norms, which can often feel so modern, are dialled up to the max and celebrated through this camp, larger-than-life regency lens. It’s regency but without the pearl-clutching and the constant scandal, and is instead just people trying to live their lives in a world that isn’t set up for them – and that’s something that is still relevant today.

While this book wasn’t my favourite in the series, I did feel like it really captured what this whole series has been about, and was a fitting end for the trilogy.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

In order to solve all of her problems, Belle decides to kidnap her friend & elope with him on the eve of his wedding. Remarkably, after creating a whole lot of new problems, it actually works out:

This was fucking ridiculous & I loved it. With an aromantic lead and a gay lead, and a focus on queer platonic relationships, this was everything I didn’t know I wanted from a romance novel. I deeply empathized with Belle’s worry about being broken and not enough, and seeing that represented in a romance novel, and specifically a romance novel deeply motivated to examine different forms of relationships and decentering romantic relationships as the be all end all was wonderful.

Millennial humor that made me laugh out loud multiple times, with mostly really engaging sex scenes. The Daddy scene in a regency novel threw me a little bit.

Where this book really shone was in Belle and Rufus’s friendship, and I would read 50,000 more words about Belle and Rufus’s domesticity.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Montlake for this arc!

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This was fun. I have not always loved this series (or Alexis Hall) but this book was fun and I really appreciated how he is taking historical romance, and the romance genre in general, and reworking it to best fit his characters.

Bella and Rufus may not be attracted to each other physically, but through a number of mishaps, come to love each other dearly and for themselves. I loved the road trip aspect of this book (hello Gil) and how up front each character was about their intentions with other people. Will they find love? Will it be romantic? Hall challenges us to recognize that within society's constraints, love can look different for different people and there is a lot of contentment in that. I want Belle and Rufus to narrate more books or really just be the Stadler and Waldorf to this little world. Screw Bonny and Valentine, this is the best couple yet.

Rounding up to five stars (partly rounding up for the whole series).

Something Extraordinary is a lot heavier and darker than the first two Something Somethings. While it still has a lot of fun and humour, it's quite serious at times.

There are a few things that made me love it, despite being a bit clunky in execution in places:
• Like the first two books - so much about this story was unexpected
• The focus and deep dive into aromantacism is so rare and that makes it special
• I am low-key obsessed with queer platonic relationships (another rare type of rep) and this one is so gorgeous that I was crying my way through the last chapter
• The main characters have the deepest hidden depths revealed in this book - in ways that are sometimes uncomfortable and unrelatable - and I really welcomed the complexity

I don't think this was a perfect book, there are a lot of not-so-hidden depths surfaced in less-than-subtle ways and a few gaps that I sort of filled in with my imagination. I know Alexis Hall often espouses the death of the author but I felt like for this whole series I really got what he was going for. And in this case, it made for a very enjoyable and deeper reading experience for me.

When society frowned on their sexual orientations, Belle and Sir Horley found a way to happiness and freedom.

This book presented profound discussions and thoughts about friendship, sexuality, and aromanticism. The characters did a lot of introspection that made me think as well. By the time Belle and Sir Horley made it to Scotland, their unconventional marriage seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Even though it was set in the Regency period, the characters used very modern language and phrases. This didn't bother me at all, in fact, I enjoyed the bits of contemporary vernacular in the historical context.

Any sex happened without the usual romantic build-up and our MCs weren't attracted to each other at all, but that's not what this story was about anyway. The focus was on Belle and Sir Horley and their personal journey. And at the end, I 100% believed in them, their marriage, and that they can make their lifestyle work for the long run.

There were also plenty of very entertaining and sharp, witty banter spread throughout. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

In terms of sexuality, you'd be hard pressed to find a more diverse representation. I won't call this a romance, necessarily, as it deviates quite a bit from what you'd expect from a traditional romance novel, even though there is a happy ending.

I didn't read any of the previous books in the series, and this one stood well on its own. If you like books about queer relationships in a historical context with interesting characters, then this is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Something Extraordinary by Alexis Hall is a delightful Regency romp filled with humor, charm, and a unique twist on the historical romance genre. Sir Horley and Arabella’s unconventional friendship drives the story as they embark on a wild journey to escape societal expectations. The witty banter and absurd situations—questionable innkeepers and amateur highwaymen—are highly entertaining, and appearances from characters in previous books add a nostalgic touch. However, while the humor and chemistry shine, the narrative sometimes feels repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite that, it’s an enjoyable read for fans of quirky, character-driven romance with a historical flair.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

I have been impatiently awaiting Something Extraordinary, eager to dive into Belle’s personality and see an aromantic character. I’ve also really enjoyed the questions posed by the series so far, e.g. who gets to write a person’s story and do we ever truly shape our narratives alone. In Something Extraordinary, Belle finds there’s context all around her, and it’s immensely satisfying to read about her deconstructing the stories she’s read and the ones she’s told herself. The parts of her journey that result in seeing her full humanity as well as others’ “in glittering mosaic” are truly lovely.

On a long and occasionally absurd trip to Gretna Green, two friends go on personal and shared emotional journeys that emphasize the importance of friendship and platonic love while exploring what Love is in all its spectral glory. I enjoy a lot in this book, from the aromantic rep (mostly), the extensive queerness (highly), and the fundamental proposition that the rich are meant to be eaten (supremely). The book’s focus on found family and finding that family is charming, and the prose can be laugh-out-loud funny. The writing makes insightful comments on the human condition and eschatology, and then it calls people a “pissjester.”

There are crises of identity and of purpose. There are killer lines like “He is a fop and a formidable man.” There are lines that made me cry (“‘Whatever our circumstances, I am glad we would find our way to equity.’” and “And what a peculiar cruelty it was, a wasp sting from the world at large, to be someone who required explanation.”) There are also incomplete character arcs and improper uses of Orfeo.

Without getting deep into spoilers, there are parts of this book that fundamentally irritate me. Belle’s obstinacy that she doesn’t know how to love is depressing and—for me—insufficiently challenged in a book that is otherwise so obvious in its ethical message that it approaches preaching at points. It’s possible that the book’s occasional statements about godly love encompassing all forms, the incorrect (and challenged) framing of a patron’s and guardian’s abuses as love, and the false erasure of platonic love in favor of sexual and romantic attractions do enough to belie Belle’s insecurities. She is afterall not always a reliable narrator. But I fear that Belle’s insistence on being “simply not made to love” could come across poorly because it’s never directly challenged in dialogue or really by anything other than inference, she is already predisposed to being The Bad GuyTM, and aromanticism is not widely understood. If requiring an explanation is a wasp sting, then this aro rep's reliance on extrapolative assumption is an anvil to the face.

Smaller issues are around character dynamics. Using one character to further the MC’s narrative is fine on the surface—it’s not like they’re anything beyond narrative devices anyway—but I’m not confident that certain scenes in Something Extraordinary do so in a way that matches the narrative kindness I’ve come to expect from an AJH book. The issues between Valentine and Belle that have now spanned three books continue to feel unresolved, and I think concluding those issues here would have suited the book better than some avenues chosen.

Something Extraordinary is, at its core, a thesis about what love is. It's insightful and amusing. But I’m not convinced it fully made its point.

While this wasn't my favorite of the series, (I found it a touch long and rambling), it does have amazing found family and queer rep not often seen in historical romance. Alexis Hall continues to expand the genre by writing characters exploring their sexuality and what it means to be in a meaningful relationship (whether romantic or platonic). This was a marriage of convenience story between best friends who will do anything for one another and that part I really enjoyed. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. Recommended for fans of authors like Cat Sebastian.

ARC Review: Something Extraordinary by Alexis Hall
Pub Date: December 17

Thank you to Montlake for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This series by Alexis Hall is very fun and pretty lighthearted. The tone is silly and a little ridiculous and while I do giggle quite a bit, that can sometimes take away from my investment in the characters themselves.

I liked this book quite a bit but I do think I liked it as a thought-provoking book more than I actually enjoyed the story/felt the chemistry for the characters. Essentially the premise of this book is that Arabella Tarleton (Belle) is aromantic and her friend Sir Horley is about to marry a respectable young woman as his aunt wants him to despite being profoundly gay. Belle offers to marry him instead knowing that while it won't be a traditional marriage and there will never be romance, they could both still get something out of the relationship.

Now despite this not being anywhere close to a typical romance with a traditional HEA, I absolutely loved Belle and Horley together. Seeing a platonic relationship that is so intimate is something I'm not sure I've ever seen in a romance. This is an incredibly unique book with some really valuable and interesting lessons. It will really get you thinking! Though the do not have a romance with each other, this book still feels deeply romantic. There were some discussions that really were just so lovely.

And don't you worry, the classic Alexis Hall spice is still there - even if neither main character finds sexual satisfaction with the other. In no way would I call what happens here cheating - Belle and Horley know exactly what their relationship is and in fact encourage each other to find that satisfaction outside the marriage. I do recommend this book but encourage readers to keep an open mind about what romance can look like.

This third book in Alexis Hall’s Something Fabulous series of (faux) Regency romps is very much a love story – but not a genre romance. Rather, it celebrates platonic love – and does it incredibly well - and tells the story of two dear friends who, as the synopsis indicates, prove that a bumpy road is better than an unhappy destination.

I really liked Sir Horley Comewithers, louche man-about-town, in the other books in the series, and was pleased when I learned he’d be getting a book of his own. I didn’t, however, realise that the other protagonist would be Awful Arabella (Tarleton), whom I disliked intensely. I admit that I wasn’t at all sure I’d be able to make it through a book in which she was one of the leads but I decided to give it a try – and it seems that in the time that has elapsed between the events of Something Fabulous and Something Spectacular, Arabella has grown up a bit. She’s still prickly, forthright and demanding, and time hasn’t softened any edges, but she’s a lot more self-aware and more focused on trying to do good things for the people she cares about. Long story short – she isn’t as totally obnoxious as she was before.

Note: This is the third book in a connected series of standalones, although I would recommend reading the other two first so as to get a better handle on the characters and their previous interactions. There are spoilers for those books in this review.

When Something Extraordinary begins, Arabella is trying to persuade her very good and extremely drunk friend, Sir Horley, that he really doesn’t have to marry the woman chosen for him by his overbearing aunt. Sir Horley, who relies on his aunt for financial support, doesn’t see that he has any other choice, but Arabella isn’t having any of his self pity, and doesn’t baulk at his attempts at rudeness. She eventually suggests that if a wealthy wife is what he needs, then he might as well marry her as anyone. She’s well aware that he’s not interested in women as sexual partners and is coming to terms with the fact that romantic love is something she has no interest in, so if Horley is going to have to get married, why not marry his best friend? Many marriages have been founded on less.

You will never desire me. I will never fall in love with you. Does that not seem a wonderfully comfortable arrangement?

Thus begins probably the most inept elopement in the history of inept elopements. After making a prompt exit from his aunt’s home (following an act that can only be described as self-defenstration on Horley’s part), he and Bella head off to the inn she’s staying at with her brother Bonny and his ducal lover, Valentine. These early scenes – especially the ones that take place at the inn – often had me giggling out loud; the quickfire dialogue and deadpan observational humour I always enjoy about Alexis Hall’s books is sharp, insightful and frequently hilarious, and it’s the best kind of farcical – silly, yes, but genuinely funny as well (rather than just being silly!).

After assuring Bonny and Valentine that this is what she wants, Bella and a still inebriated Sir Horley leave her brother and his duke to face down a very angry aunt and a solicitous (ex)fiancée, and depart for Gretna Green.

Along the way and having finally sobered up, Horley – whom Arabella has decided should use his second name, Rufus, because it suits him better - makes the mistake of voicing the thought that even if they hadn’t agreed to marry, they’d have to get married now anyway, given the length of time they’ve spent travelling alone in a closed carriage. Bella isn’t pleased about that; it’s one thing to make a marriage of convenience in order to rescue a friend from a lifetime of misery; it’s quite another to be forced into it because of society’s dictats - and, being Arabella, decides to make a point by running away (with the aid of a murderous inkeeper!). When, the next morning, Rufus has escaped from said inkeeper, he’s forlornly trudging along trying to work out what to do next when he happens upon the carriage by the side of the road, where his recalcitrant bride-to-be is waiting for him. With breakfast. Misunderstandings corrected, and in harmony once more, they recommence their journey – only to be held up at gunpoint by a rather nervous highwayman.

Something Extraordinary is a lot of fun, but there’s also a more serious story here about the importance of finding the path that suits you and, if you are so inclined, finding the right person to walk it with you. Arabella has struggled with the fact that she doesn’t want what everyone else around her seems to want – sweeping, romantic love – and she’s starting to realise that not wanting it doesn’t make her wrong – just different – and she’s set on making a life that works for her. Sir Horley – Rufus – appeared, in the previous books, to be a devil-may-care type with a wicked sense of humour and no morals, although in Something Spectactular, there were hints at a darker side to him, and in this book, we get to see some more of that. After a life of mistreatment and disappointment, he’s convinced he’s broken and insists that he’s not the man Belle thinks he is and that he’s not worth her affection and friendship. But she refuses to give up on him, and helps him to realise that he’s not worthless and that he does deserve happiness and good things in life. His character development is probably not as significant as Belle’s, but I really liked the way he accepts Belle for everything she is and just rolls with the punches without ever seeming like a doormat.

They make a good couple – they share a determination and practicality to shape their own destinies that is admirable, and their marriage brings both of them a great deal of contentment. It’s not conventional, to be sure, but it works extremely well for them, and I really appreciated the inclusion of this queerly platonic relationship story in a romance series. Because platonic love doesn’t get enough, well, love.

I enjoyed the story a lot more than I thought I would, although things started to fizzle out around three quarters of the way in and never really picked up again, which dented my overall grade a bit. And - and this may be on me because I didn’t have time to re-read the other books – I don’t remember the friendship between Rufus and Arabella being such a close one as is described in this book. The way Bella talks and thinks about it makes it sound as though they were soulmates and I honestly don’t remember that at all.

None of the books in this series are historically accurate and they’re not supposed to be; instead, they belong firmly under the umbrella of ‘historical fantasy’, with their tongue-in-cheek commentary on the ridiculousness of nineteenth century social convention and characters who are making life and love work for them on their own terms. And only Alexis Hall could come up with the nineteenth century’s version of TripAdvisor!

If you’re looking for a conventional historical romance, you won’t find it here, but if you’re looking for something funny, moving, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting, then Something Extraordinary is definitely worth a few hours of anyone’s time.

Note: There are several sex scenes in the book (m/m, f/f, and m/f), but none featuring Rufus and Belle together – which is exactly how they like it.

Book 3 in Alexis Hall’s Something Something series makes me so very happy. All 3 of these delightful anachronistic Regency romps have provided so many laugh out loud moments, comfort, and exploration of relationships and identity. From his first appearance in Something Fabulous, Sir Horley Comewithers has been a scene stealer; charming, wicked, and a true friend. In Something Extraordinary we pick up from where we left him in Something Spectacular, miserably engaged to a woman he does not want to marry in order to please his terrible aunt.

Enter Arabella Tartleton, very much over her too dramatic heroine era, now entering her eat cheese era - and most importantly build-a-life-she-wants-for-herself era. She is still a fan of ridiculous schemes (never completely gives up on some drama - she is a Tarleton after all) and concocts an abduction and elopement to Gretna Green. Their road trip includes some of my favorite moments in the book as they encounter questionable pies (Mrs. Lovett would approve), a run-in with “the worst highwayman in the history of larceny,” and jilted fiancées.

Slight detour in my review here to discuss the bookseller. Flirting over rare books might be a very small sliver of romance readers but anyone who incorporates conversations about etching, books of hours, and sharing of books…well, ahem, I am here for it.

Right, back to the review. What’s lovely about Belle and Sir Horley’s book is their friendship. They create a queer platonic relationship that works best for them both - full of love, mutual respect, and friendship. Their discussions about friendship, pain, and loss are so moving. They also find what I think is the through line of this series the joy of living the life you want to live with the people you love. And the ending is chef’s kiss.

A somewhat ridiculous, but very fun, romp through Regency England.

Sir Horley Comewithers really doesn't want to get married to a respectable lady, particularly because he's gay. Arabella Tarleton decides that Sir Horley can't have a lifetime of misery, and therefore abducts him on the night before his wedding. They travel to Gretna Green to get married themselves (after all, Belle has no time for romance), and they run into a menagerie of chaos along the way. But has they spend time together, Belle and Sir Horley discover that marriage to someone you choose might not be so bad after all.

First off, this entire series requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but that definitely results in some fun reads. At every turn, this story has shenanigans afoot, but somehow it doesn't feel like anyone is in real danger. It is very much a romcom, and I love it for that. Belle and Sir Horley are sarcastic and silly, and I enjoy seeing what happens when they team up.

To me, I think the book sometimes borders on too silly, but I also can't fault it for providing a fun plot and an enjoyable read. I think this version of Regency England would have been much more exciting than the real one.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book (although I recommend reading the series in order). It's a great vacation read or perfect for when you need something lighthearted and fun.

That's what friends are for...

My first book by Alexis Hall. I came in knowing the hype. It delivers. Its a quirky caper, road trip, with Belle and Harley. Its an unconventional, in the best way, Balances humor, sensitivity, friendship and really seeing another person and accepting them. Belle is determined to save Harley from himself and marriage to another woman, as he is gay.
Recommend.

Something Extraordinary is an unconventional look at romance, friendship, and what constitutes an HEA. Along with a thought-provoking plot, Alexis Hall also provides the fantastic banter and snarky humor that makes this entire series so much fun to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Arabella “Belle” Tarleton feels it’s her duty to extract her longtime friend Sir Howley Comewithers from his impending marriage. After all, he’s very gay and has never shown any interest in marriage to a woman before. Of course, in true Tarleton fashion, the plan goes awry, and somehow the pair end up a journey to Gretna Green to elope themselves. Will these two actually get married? And can they make it through this extended road trip without driving each other mad?

I wouldn’t categorize this book as a typical romance. Sure, the characters are great—even Belle, who I didn’t love in the earlier books—and the snarky humor and modern asides are a hoot. And like the rest of this series, it’s assumed that everyone involved is queer. There are plenty of moments where it’s hard to tell where the story is going, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

The idea that love doesn’t have to look one particular way is intriguing in a romance, especially when the genre tends towards very specific rules for HEAs. And, I understood Belle’s character better when the story looked at what she actually controls in her life vs her sense of powerlessness as a woman of her time. While this book could be read as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading the first two books first, since previous events and characters are vital to this plot.

Something Extraordinary is an interesting romance. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed spending more time in this world with these characters. And as always, Alexis Hall writes the best quips around, no matter what year the book is set in.

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