Two halves make a whole...

~ Edith & Frederick ~
She’s a baron’s only daughter who made her come-out a little late and promptly received a distinguished title by the queen because of her beauty. Trouble is, none of the gentlemen ever bothered to get to know her after that, and her father won’t stop parading her around.
He’s a viscount, a duke legitimised by-blow who was given a title by his eldest brother upon their father’s death. He didn’t want it, nor the notoriety that came with it. Especially since he was never treated as a true member of their family, despite the new duke’s best efforts.
She wants a love match and he believes himself unlovable.
Both lonely in a crowd of loose tongues and gawkers, they’re just looking for that one person who will look beyond the surface.

He’s a treasure and she’s a sweet somewhat naive girl. There’s a bit of an age-gap, but their connection is instant and precious. Their courtship is humorous and a little heartbreaking with plenty of gossip following them around and a nice splash of steam.
I really enjoyed how the dynamic changed near the end for Edie and her father, and she truly is a lovely girl, but Frederick deserved more, a true romance instead of a fake engagement. After everything his half-brothers put him through, this man deserved more than just another scandal to find the love of his life. I would have liked for them to dance around each other a little less, and maybe see a bit more of her under his sisters-in-law’s wing and a dash more brotherly love.
It was a lovely read though, and so far I’ve really enjoyed The Chances series.

I am gonna be honest, I don't think anyone is good enough for Fredrick. I have just been so drawn to his character since the first book and I finally got to read his story. Fredrick and Edie are drawn to each other from their desire to not feel like a spectacle at events in society and develop a friendship/attraction in speaking to one another. The romance is very front in center but his relationships with his brothers is what I was most interested in. It really plays all heart strings in how he feels so other. I wanted him to be fully accepted and we did get an epilogue concerning that but I suppose we will get the full story in further books as we follow their children. The romance was very sweet, I enjoyed watching them fully get to know and support one another. The third act break up makeup was really just so sweet. I also liked the sub plot with her father and companion.
<spoiler>The only thing I wish is that there was more closure with George. He was the most cruel to him and I thought that they had made strides towards repairing their relationship in the previous book that didn't seem to fully carry over in this book. I guess I am just disappointed in George.</spoiler> I did get this as an ARC from NetGalley but this is book I pre-ordered as soon as I saw it was available just as I have the next. The cover again is beautiful.

Having been a historical romance reader for over 50 years, it still amazes me how the ton can be so cruel and brutal. Watching Frederick go through such ruthless behavior was heartbreaking and irritating. Seeing Edie trying to work through her situation wasn’t quite as bad, but being known for her beauty and nothing else had to be hard. Frederick’s brothers were no help either, but that’s another story. This writer has a way of placing the reader right INTO the story and wrap our emotions around her little finger. The twists and turns of the story keep the reader enthralled and the chemistry between Frederick and Edie was palpable and just oozed off the page. Her father was a bit of surprised and his trajectory was adorable. It just goes to show, getting to know people is much better that judging them -after all, aren’t we all imperfect? I am really glad to hear that this is not the end of the series and look forward to seeing the next generation! (P.S. I DO love an author who doesn’t use many swear words!)

I received this story for free and these are my own opinions.

A Chance To Fall In Love

They were both hiding for a reason, they shouldn’t have connected but they did and forced into a situation that was sadly thrust on them it was their opportunity to get to know each other.

Frederick had issues, being born on the wrong side of the blanket and being made to suffer growing up had left him emotionally scarred but could Evie be the one woman who was meant to be his saving grace and accept him for who he is?

A wonderful well written storyline with lots of romantic moments, some steamy with some ups and downs in their relationship until they realize they really love and want to be together.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Chances is the new series from Emily EK Murdoch and I've enjoyed reading all the various branches from that tumultuous family tree. I missed my chance on the second brother and his stuttering bride because I always balk at second chance romance. I'll have to remedy that soon! Half a Chance focuses on the illegitimate son Frederick, Viscount Pernrith. I had been looking forward to his book in the previous installments. He seemed so lonely and separate from his half brothers due to being born on the wrong side of the blanket. Frederick was a major sweetheart and I was less than enthused in his choice of bride. She gave off major Daphne Bridgerton vibes and I do not mean that as a compliment.

The other half of this romantic pairing featured Edith Stewart, our Diamond of the Season. She spent the whole book complaining of her breathtaking looks and how others only remarked on her beauty. Perhaps if she invested in hobbies or a richer vocabulary, they would have nicer things to say. Edith in comparison to Frederick was bland as ricepaper. He was the shining beacon of the book and compensated for her dull personality. I will continue with this series but I had higher hopes for the baseborn brother born to the Chances. He deserved a partner that maximized his light rather than dimming it.

I was disappointed by Frederick's romance and hope that doesn't carry into the next novel. I'm staying positive we have new personalities and characters to play with in the subsequent book. I have come to enjoy Murdoch's books in the Dragonblade catalog. I can't say I'll give them all 5 stars, but I'm willing to give them Half a Chance.

This is a sweet story about a couple who are caught together at a ball and them fake an engagement to stop the scandal. As time goes by, they catch feelings for each other and want to make this happen for real. Both mmcs were very likeable and sweet - especially Frederick. At a time period when rakes abound - Edie was very fortunate to find such a attentive young man.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

At times I might have wanted to bash Edie and Frederick’s heads together, but overall I enjoyed the book. I especially enjoyed reading about a season’s chosen beauty preferring to hide away, instead of being the centre of attention.

This is the 4th in the series, but the first that I've read. As with many romance series, this can be read in any order and I never felt lost about the other relationships. This book did wonderful things for showing society's pressure - while Frederick and Edie seemed like opposites in the public eye, they had more in common than anyone expected. Neither of them relished the spotlight, one for scandal and the other for beauty, and found that they felt most authentically seen by each other. I always enjoy Regency pairings with this trope - finding a home in an unexpected ally.

Social Status, Brothers, Ruse:
Wow, my favorite character Frederick now has his own story that captivated me from the start.
Being born on the wrong side of the blanket didn't leave Frederick with a very happy childhood. Actually, it was a most miserable childhood. 
Never interested in high society usually found himself hiding away from the usual crowd.
This is where we meet Edie. Hiding and or just plain escaping the crowds at the ball since she is now known as the Flourishing Rose of the season. A title she doesn't enjoy. She just wants to be known for who she really is.
The two characters meet quite unexpectedly and a terrific story of romance, begins to blossom.
We follow this couple through the usual ups and downs until they finally realize just how much they want to be together for real.
I was so happy to see how all of the family finally came together, and I look forward to just what their family life will look like in the future.
A delightful series of intriguing characters.

Frederick is the bastard son of a Duke. While his oldest half brother is now the Duke, Frederick has never been truly accepted by his brothers. The ton tolerates him because he is related to a Duke. When the beautiful Edith is proclaimed by the Queen to be the “Flourishing Rose of the Season” she is not impressed as it only attracts more attention to her beauty, but not her brains. Accidently being alone together requires thy declare their engagement. Frederick does not feel worthy of her, and Edith is shocked when people start snubbing her like they do Frederick. Can they find happiness together? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

This book is good for people who like Julia Quinn novels. It is a relatively low angst historical romance with one major point of conflict. You should read it if you like the following tropes: miscommunication, fake-fiance, bastard brother, going against societal expectations. The story is interesting and the premise is good. A beautiful, kind woman meets a shy, hot man with a secret. The FMC and MMC clearly connected well and obviously enjoy each other's company, but they aren't good at communicating... at all... so of course this leads to the novel's main conflict. The dynamic between the brothers was interesting and the author articulated their struggles well. However, the text was a bit repetitive at times and some of that repetition could have been eliminated.

This is my first book in the series, and I am undecided. On one hand, the hero Fredrick is pretty nice, a decent fellow with a big heart. But boy, he gets battered on every end, and that kind of emotional beating did not impact him as much as I expected. Edith proved that she was shallow after all, which was a letdown, but the ending reflected all the groveling. Overall, it's a decent read. I would like to read at least one other in the series before I give up.

#netgalley #HalfAChance

How happy I am that this is not the last book in the series, even though it is the fourth book about the fourth brother Chance
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I love how Emily E. K. Murdoch writes and describes the feelings of her characters, making the reader feel in the skin of the characters and understand their desires and decisions despite the historical distance. That make every book hard to put down, even if you don't like one of them, you just can't stop reading and sometimes also crying
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Frederick got my heart and I love how much he grew through this book, how Edie saw him for who he was and fight for what she wanted. I think they're my favorite couple. And yes, maybe is because I love a good fake relationship, that partnership in that they go thinking that they're not going to fall in love or get hurt and end up in journey to discover themselves and what makes them happy
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Each book in the series has very strong female characters and it is a pleasure to accompany them on their journey until they end up in their way to a happy ending
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I never get tired of recommending this series, I always think that the books are short and it ended up surprising me when I look to the number of pages, and that is a sign of how much I liked it.
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Thanks to Emily E K Murdoch and Dragon Blade publishing for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Fredrick is the fourth Chance brother, all with titles only he is the illegitimate one.
He feels himself as only half of the Chance lineage and does not look for any woman to become involved with him.
But Edie comes into his life and changes his thought process.
Edie struggles with her circumstances and would like to just love him.
A love story filled with angst and relationships.
A good ending to the series of these four brothers.
Liked the epilogue.

ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)

Omg Frederick was so mopey and pathetic I couldn’t take it. I like a self deprecating man but he’s got to have something else going for him (a sense of humor, money, SOMETHING) He was just pathetic. Edie was just boring.

This was adorable!

Half a Chance is a fake engagement/fake dating historical romance. I thought the trope was well done and entertaining. Plus it added some great tension between Frederick and Edith. Both characters were lovely and had me rooting for each of them. Edith has a rebellious side and Frederick is trying to fit into society, they made quite the pair.

I enjoyed the historical setting.

This is part of a series but I was able to read it as a standalone.

If you like fake dating and opposites attract, I would say give this a try.

This was a strong fourth entry in the Chances series, it had what I enjoyed from the previous three books. The overall feel worked and enjoyed the historical setting of this book. The characters felt like they were supposed to and enjoyed how they worked with the story. Emily E K Murdoch has a great writing style and am excited for more.