Unrequited love on George's part leaves him retreating more in too himself as he becomes more boring. Selina in comparison what's more out of life than the expected wife too child role. There's a lot of room for growth for both of them in this story. The author does a fantastic job of providing eyes into that growth while we cheer on for both parties to reach a hea. Second of a series both extremely well written and fully engaging.

A sweet romance with a pretty cover, set in the lovely town of Bath, I smiled at the interaction between George and Selina, who seemed a bit of a brat. Although they had been friends for years, and George was well into his twenties, the couple are nevertheless a bit like highschool teenagers fumbling around their first relationship. Certainly, a sweet introduction to romance for a young adult. I received a copy of this novel through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Breaking Free by Jenny Worstall is a cute, thankfully, short book, as it was very repetitive. The brunt is that George and Selina were in love with one another but neither realized how the other felt. George was very shy and even more so when around Selina. He was able to speak passionately when he felt on firm ground as it had when he called out Lord Steyne as a cheat at cards and ruined the man. Sadly, Lord Steyne wanted revenge and planned to take it out on George by hurting what he loves: Selina. Selina, meanwhile, thinks women are not allowed the freedoms afforded to men and decides that will not be her.

This was a quick read with cute characters and much angst. There was not much to to plot and Lord Steyne was caught quickly. Selina was sick of waiting and determined that she would propose to George if he wouldn’t propose to her. It was a relief. What this book is lacking is depth, of any sort.

I was invited to read Breaking Free by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #JennyWorstall #BreakingFree

This was both a cosy romantic delight and a page-turning mystery - just what I needed now summer is over!

Loved following Selina her adventures, climbing out onto the roof of No. 1 the Royal Crescent in the dark of night, visiting the local prison to try and emulate a famous prisoner reformer, attending the Quaker meeting house to hear a talk from a former slave - it was a gorgeous love story but also full of tension that kept me turning the pages as much to find out the mystery (no spoilers!) as to see if George and Selina get their happy ending.

I had read the first book in the series but this also works as a standalone story.

An impulsive young girl and the tongue-tied young man who loves her, get embroiled in a series of misunderstandings that eventually get untangled, enabling them to have a HEA. Personally I didn’t engage with either of the characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The sizzle, the suspense, the banter, the denial of feelings it was all a great recipe. And those intimacy scenes, super romantic and steamy.

Book Two in The Heart of Bath series--a swoony Regency England histrom--can be read solo and will delight fans of the era and the genre, as it did me. Recommended!

This new historical romance is the second in a series, but could be read as a standalone, as the previous book's events are rehashed at the beginning of Breaking Free. Even though this book wasn't entirely my cup of tea, there's a lot I enjoyed about it.

I generally liked the main characters. Selina's desire to reform (even if it seemed like mostly a plot device) was admirable. George did well to know, also in the context of reform, when to speak and when to let others speak. Additionally, the relationships between the family and friends were very sweet. I also enjoyed the setting. There was even a little bit of mystery!

However, the writing itself was not to my taste. It was often too over-dramatic and inconsistent for me (e.g., Selina declares George the "last man" on Earth she would marry, while at the same time experiencing an extreme physical attraction to him and fantasizing about him). Sometimes the writing sounded like it was trying too hard to be Pride and Prejudice, while other times it used phrases that were distractingly anachronistic. I also found it strange that George would tell his best friend, Selina's brother, about a "strong physical connection" to Selina.

Though this book wasn't a five-star read for me, it was still a nice story, and I could see other readers enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC! I post this review with my honest opinions.