ARC Book Review: The Mismatch of the Season by Michelle Kenney

The Mismatch of the Season is a delightful Regency romance that blends humor, charm, and a dash of mischief. The story centers around Phoebe Fairfax, an independent and spirited young woman, who finds herself thrust into the restrictive world of aristocratic expectations. Bound by an impending arranged marriage, Phoebe embarks on a journey of rebellion and self-discovery, culminating in a fateful meeting with the enigmatic Viscount Alexander Damerel.

Kenney masterfully captures the societal pressures of the era while giving her heroine a refreshing sense of agency. Phoebe’s wit and determination make her an endearing protagonist, while the chemistry between her and Alexander is both playful and heartfelt. The novel’s pacing is brisk, with twists and misunderstandings that keep the reader engaged until the very end.

While the book is rich in charm, some readers may find the modern tone in dialogue occasionally at odds with the Regency setting. Additionally, the romance, though enjoyable, could benefit from more gradual development to deepen the emotional stakes. There is also no spicy scenes which may suit some readers.

Overall, The Mismatch of the Season is a spirited romp through Regency England, perfect for fans of lighthearted historical romance. It’s an engaging read that celebrates love, independence, and the courage to defy societal norms.

Ahhh I love a good Regency romp! This was fun and modern, but still set in Regency times. It felt fresh and witty. The characters were great. Would definitely buy more from this author.

We have a very young and at times very naive young lady Phoebe Fairfax who has been so sheltered she appears to believe she can live life as a heroine in a novel!
She is surrounded by siblings and brothers do so she is very forthright and plain spoken but longs for adventures!
We have Viscount Alexander Damerel who rescues Phoebe from a highway she was fighting with a fake rapier. She definitely earned the shoulder injury she received!
There are secrets and no plain speaking between them!
Alexander appears cold and hot at times but he has a sick younger sister and a brother with a secret that could see him hanged!
Way too much on his plate and now he has a dishonorable fiancé!
Which Phoebe who can’t seem to make heads or tail of his treatment of her won’t even give him a hint of her very duplicitous nature! She is very vindictive and petty to say the least!
When an elopement goes awry with her and Alexander brother to save his life this story gets even more confusing!
It does have a HEA but the ending is far too abrupt and needs an epilogue or 2!!

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc.

This book had so much potential. The cover and blurb really intrigued me as a big regency fan, however it fell short of what I expected. The writing was all over the show and hard to follow. The characters lacked depth and were pretty forgettable.

I wanted to love this but I had to put it down because of the second hand embarrassment.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read the story.

I thought the latter half of this book was very fun and cute. My only issue with the overall book is that there are SO many characters and honest to god I could not figure out the plot until the play scene. I sincerely couldn’t figure out who the viscount was and why he was so infatuated with her.

I felt like the relationship between Phoebe and the viscount could have been better more banter and overall more contact. I couldn’t even tell you how many scenes they actually had together.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me access to this eARC.

We get to follow miss Phoebe Fairfax, who is about to be engaged to an older man due to her father’s dying wish. But Phoebe craves an adventure before her upcoming nuptials and she runs away, dressed as a man, to do just that.
But of course nothing turns out as one wishes it does.

I do have to say that sadly I was not a fan. The story felt all over the place, the characters were a tad boring and the love between the characters felt extremely rushed. Like when did you guys fall in love? After looking at each other?

It also was so difficult to read about a character that just ends up suffering so many misfortunes and embarrassments. I almost had to put the book down a few times and watch some TikTok’s before continuing so I didn’t get as much secondhand embarrassment…

I do believe people will like this book. It was just that I didn’t. And I wish I did because I LOVE regency romance books with all my heart.

I really don’t read enough regency romance or historical romance nearly enough but after reading this, I find myself wanting more. I loved the wittiness in this, the characters are relatable (as much as they can be) but very enjoyable to read.

A romantic Regency read that was very entertaining.
Main character Phoebe has to protect her three younger sisters at all costs.
Will her adventurous nature get her in trouble?
I wasn’t a fan of the romance in the book. It just didn’t seem to be going anywhere until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I liked this a lot more than I was anticipating. I love an enemies to lovers with a Bridgerton twist to the plot.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

What an absolute gem of a book! From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and the way the story unfolds kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot is packed with unexpected twists, humor, and heartfelt moments that made it impossible for me to stop reading. I devoured it in one sitting, and I was hooked from beginning to end. What I really loved was how the author built such strong, unique characters that I found myself rooting for from the start. This book is the perfect mix of romance, drama, and surprises—definitely a must-read!

The Mismatch of the Season is a refreshingly spirited regency romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Up front, I found the pacing of the story to be inconsistent, and quite slow at times, meaning it took longer to read than typical. However the author packed a lot of heart into this story and characters, making it a wholly enjoyable read.

Phoebe and the Viscount felt layered, constrained by societal expectations but yearning for true freedom. I really enjoyed the slow build of their chemistry. I loved Phoebe’s relationship with her sisters and the quirks of dreary Bath society. I was particularly interested in the asthma storyline and the plight of her youngest sister.

I hope the author considers sequels to this book. There’s a lot of potential in the storyline’s of the MC’s siblings, and I’d love to read more.

Thank you HarperCollins UK for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

3 stars
TW: toxic relationship between siblings, injury, manipulation and betrayal
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

This was just okay. Whilst it had a storyline of an eldest daughter fulfilling her duty to marry an extremely old man for the status it would give the family, and not wishing to give herself and her dreams up so freely, I wasn't all that captivated by the storytelling. This was down to four things: there were constant historical inaccuracies, the pacing was jarring from tediously slow to sudden bursts of speedy development, repeated infiltration of modern language and overzealous punctuation into a periodic piece, and there was zero chemistry between the protagonists.

I appreciated Phoebe's strong desire to not marry the "crusty" earl, and her relationship with her sisters was endearing. As an overall character, however, I found her to be a bit of a miss. Whilst mishaps continued to rain upon her every attempt for adventure before her impending nuptials, the same "oh no, this could be ruinous!" speech was given and Phoebe never had any character development that led to any satisfaction from her journey. Further, when the resolution arrived to her dilemma, it was so speedily delivered that there was no joy in her happy ending for me. I wanted it to develop more, to have some substance. Sadly, that time was wasted on earlier storytelling and constant interjection from the "mean girl" of the story.

This meant the romance had a shaky foundation at best. Alexander is constantly belittling her or appearing to rescue her, and yet says a couple of lines to Phoebe and she feels heat over him? There is no real physical interaction in this novel, and aside from two extremely mild scenes, it's him berating her for being a woman trying to outstep her boundaries and being moody when she mouths back at him. I was exasperated at best by this connection.

I feel if the author had addressed some of the pacing issues and worked further to be clearer in the historical elements of the storyline, this could have been a delightful, albeit predictable, period romance. It was marketed as being one for fans of Evie Dunmore, which is the reason I accepted the invite from the publisher to read, but aside from the loose concept of both authors setting their books in similar time periods, the content isn't comparable at all, sadly.

I was so excited to read this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.. the pace of it felt a little inconsistent and felt myself wandering off rather than being immersed. That being said if you’re looking for an easy going history romance this could definitely be for you! It’s refreshing to find a book with a steamy viscount that doesn’t have some form of sex every few pages. All in all this book was just okay to me but i honestly believe that it was a matter of personal preference as this book seemed to hit a lot of my check list for history romance.

Thank you NetGalley, Harpers Collins and one
More chapter for the arc!

I have been in the mood for historical romances recently. I just finished the Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas so when I saw this on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read another!

Phoebe has been promised to her father’s best friend as his dying wish. The Earl of Cumberland (the best friend) is old and round yet holds a powerful position in society. So what is an 18 year old girl to do? She attempts to have one last adventure before her life is settled. Running away to London doesn’t quite work out as she’d planned and she ends up in Bath with her sisters under the care of their aunt and uncle. Familiar faces also appear in Bath - as well as a villain to replace all villains.

I could not put this book down. There was such a complex story with a conflict I couldn’t predict the resolution too. The characters were so well developed with a throughly thought out plot.

I loved the overriding theme of women’s rights (and basic humanity). This coincided nicely with the theme of heroism.

The references to Austen were perfect and I felt not on the influence of her works but also the influence of Little Women and newer novels like Bridgerton.

My only struggle with this book was the language. There are quite a few common phrases of the time that are no longer used. I did not realize until I finished the book that it contained a glossary.

This was such a fun read - I hope to read more by Michelle Kenney!

This quick and cute regency romance will have you rooting for the fmc the entire time while reading! The plot was easy to follow along, had some good viewpoints on feminist ideas which I enjoyed, as well as a good enemies to lovers romance. Would definitely recommend to people who enjoy regency romances or are starting to get into the genre.

Historical enemies to lovers?! Sign me up! I thoroughly enjoyed this historical romance, especially Phoebe. So much fun!

I thought Michelle Kenney's The Mismatch of the Season was a quick, enjoyable read that didn't take itself too seriously. The plot, for me, was quite fun. A lady who only wants adventure (however ridiculous and ill-conceived) was a nice twist on a classic theme. The threat of marriage to the earl actually bothered me and I honestly hated Phoebe's brother. That said, this book either wasn't terribly well-researched or the anachronism was meant to be funny. I'm thinking of particular of the weird handling of Miss Fairfax as a title--the eldest daughter is Miss Fairfax and the other daughters are Miss Josephine, Miss Sophie, etc. Yet, this was used a few times as a comic element with people struggling to refer to the daughters Fairfax. There were a bunch of little things like that and I guess I would have liked a bit more indication that the author was in on the joke, too. Overall, though, it probably fell at about 3-1/2 stars for me, so I rounded to 4.

Regency romances follow a predictable path since Bridgerton hit the TV screens, and this book is a brilliant example of this genre.
This has a determined female, who wants more out of life than a husband, children and reluctant domesticity. We have a dark, moody, sullen and apparently killjoy male, all these attributes make him so attractive to the unwed ladies of the ton. There are strong family loyalties, such knowing humour and wholly believable characters, this book is a delight to read, with genuine chuckles of amusement.
Phoebe is the tomboy, frequently found in scrapes, much to the frustration of her older brother Thomas. She has been promised in marriage to a man, several years her senior, this doesn’t fill her with joy, and she resolves to run away. She literally runs across Alex, Viscount Damerel, whilst she is engaged in swordplay with a highwayman, and every time thereafter, she is found in awkward situations that confound and confuses the Viscount.
The journey can be guessed, but this is a fabulous account of awkward love that takes both parties by surprise.
The ending is familiar, the perfect partner is hiding in plain sight.
There is male love and affection, that will cause public outcry if discovered, and misguided offers of a marriage of convenience that tries to throw a budding romance off course. Social gaffes and manners collide, there are wonderful words and expressions used, these are explained in the glossary, so hilarious in detail. What a film this would make! I have rated this as a five star read, for the sheer exuberant life force contained in these pages.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, HarperCollinsUK for my eARC, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and description and was hoping for one written in a similar way to Julia Quinn’s great Bridgerton series. However, I felt the constant references to equality between men and women was too focussed on and I didn’t really connect with either main characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

The Mismatch of the Season by Michelle Kenney is a masterpiece of a book! OMG!!! It was so overwhelmingly good that I couldn't put it down for a bit!