Did this book bring me back to my corset ripping, Victorian England, teen reading days? Absolutely. Did I hate that? Nope!

This book is a young adult, finding your family, crush at first sight book. It’s well written, and my lower than 4 star rating is simply because it wasn’t my taste. I’m still so glad I read it, as the nostalgia was great. I loved our main characters, though it was hard to relate as my teen years were so many years ago. A good book!

This was a very fun, heartwarming novel about two teens in the Regency era! Good discussions surrounding class and trust. The respect that the characters had for each other was refreshing and it had me rooting for their romance because the feelings between them were so genuine. I wouldn't say that the plot blew me away. It was quite predictable and I think going in I was looking for something a bit more mature. I don't usually read YA historical fiction from this period so, while the author checked the right boxes in terms of conflict and motive, it felt like it was missing something that could have taken the story to the next level. I still enjoyed it as I do love a historical romance, but I think this would be better suited to someone just getting started with the genre and who maybe hasn't branched into adult fiction yet. Happy Reading :)

Sandy M’s review of All Gowned Up by Jen Haymore
Historical Young Adult published by Entangled Teen 3 Feb 25

I began reading Jennifer Haymore back in 2009, and I loved each book I read. I began to have some issues with historical romance several years back, and Ms. Haymore is one I read to get through that barrier. So with this newest release, I thought I’d try again, even though it’s a young adult story.

I’ve been reading for entertainment for a very long time. After all those years, I don’t delve too much into young adult. I lived my fair share of young heartache, angst, and everything else that goes with the age. But once in a while, a YA story will work for me. This one works for the most part.

Emerald Dixon daydreams more than she works at her seamstress job, one she’s not at all good at anyway. One dream is to find her father, someone she’s never known, and getting her mother to talk about him isn’t happening. When she inadvertently becomes friends with Will, the Earl of Townsend, a new world opens up for her, giving her the opportunity for discovery she’d never have otherwise – and also giving her a taste of society and a bit of romance – and all that goes along with each of those.

Including secrets around every corner. Even Will has a difficult time with the ins and outs of the ton, having to live up to his father and being reminded that is a very tall task. That task becomes even more difficult when he decides to assist Emerald in her hunt, something that could potentially go very wrong and leave them both in tatters. When their hearts become involved, the stakes climb even higher as they delve into the life of one aristocrat who could conceivably be Emerald’s sire.

This is a sweet story with painful issues for women, the downtrodden and others of the time. While I enjoyed Will and Emerald, I didn’t truly connect with them. I expected them to be a bit more mature as most young adults were during this era, but they are definitely teenagers acting like teenagers. I guess now because of my age I want a bit more living and grit with my romance to make the entire story more interesting. But all that being said, Ms. Haymore does a great job with characters and plot to give readers an enjoyable read.

Grade: B

A sweet fairytale regency romance. This feels more Bridgerton-esque than Jane Austen, but it’s way less spicy and therefore a great option for older YA readers who are interested in that time period and romance. The characters are flawed at times and also very endearing, and while it has a dual POV, it has a full ensemble cast that it is fun to get to know (with book 2, a connected standalone tale about Kate, just having published as well!). I loved Emerald’s mother’s side story as well, and especially loved the ending and how everything came together and wrapped up. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the ARC

An enjoyable YA romance set in the 1800s. it might not be extremely historically accurate, but it was sweet and adorable. A quick and swoony romance with loveable characters.

This was delightful truly. I love a historical that is only historical because of the vibes, and this one was just that. I do not want accuracy, I want a cute fun time with fancy ballgowns and manor houses. If you are looking for truly accurate historical fiction, this might not be for you. But if you're looking for a sweet romance with a beautiful setting I would definitely recommend this.
My only complaint is that it reads a little younger than i was expecting, but that is perfectly fine and i still thoroughly enjoyed it.

3.5 stars! This book was a delightful surprise! The characters were so endearing, and the romance sweet as can be. The plot was easy to follow and just complicated enough. My only critique would be that the age of the intended audience (upper YA) didn’t seem to match the writing style/reading level, which felt younger, while the content seemed older.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a cute and quick historical romance read that took place in London in the 1800s. Emerald Dixon, a seamstress in Covenant Garden, and Will Granville, the Earl of Townsend and heir to the Marquess of Milton, meet by chance at a warf on the Thames. They are immediately taken with each other and although their stations in life don't really permit them to run in the same social circles, they find a way to spend more time with each other by having Will help Emerald infiltrate upper class society on a mission to seek out her family and meet the father that doesn't know she exists.

This was a fast read for me and a definite page turner. I was invested in Emerald and Will's budding relationship as well as her mission to meet her family. There was some strong character development on both their parts as the story progressed. Emerald's best friend Tom has a secret love story in this book as well. We also get to meet Will's friend group that he's known since childhood and play an important role in the story. There is a Happily Ever After moment to the ending, which wrapped everything up nicely.

Seventeen-year-old Emerald Dixon is a terrible seamstress but a gifted dreamer, longing for adventure and the father she’s never known. When a chance encounter with eighteen-year-old Will Granville, the Earl of Townsend, grants her access to high society, she seizes the opportunity—unaware of the secrets lurking beneath its glittering surface. As Emerald and Will navigate this treacherous world, one stolen kiss could unravel everything they’ve worked for.

YA historical is a genre I adore when it is done right. When I saw this one, I hoped it would be right up my alley. From the cover, I was expecting the Victorian era. And though it says it is set in the Regency Era, the details are absolutely Victorian (mentions of corset, seamstress’ designing costumes for plays, waltzing). So I found that annoying.

The story itself, kind of a Cinderella re-telling, was alright. If I had liked the characters more, I would have enjoyed the story more. I found both Emerald and Will to be “not like” everyone else. She hates sewing but loves reading. He doesn’t want to be a marquess. They are teenagers and they act like teenagers.

Overall, it was an ok read. Readers who don’t care as much for historical detail will probably enjoy it more than I did.

This was a solid YA historical romance. It was quick and easy with a swoonworthy love interest.
The found family dynamic in this novel was nothing short of joyful to read about. The side characters were developed well to the point where I could definitely see some interconnected standalones being written for them and I would love to read more about them.
The ending was somewhat rushed but it was wrapped up neatly. I would've loved just a bit more controversy but at the same time I also really enjoyed the refreshing factor of no miscommunication. The epilogue gave us those final conclusions and tied up any loose ends efficiently.
Overall I really enjoyed this read. A great 4☆ read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading this ARC.

I can't remember the last time a historical fiction novel captivated me this much! Will and Emerald are absolutely adorable—their acceptance and trust in each other made me so giddy.

Some scenes leaned a little cheesy, but honestly, it fit the story perfectly.

All in all, this was a fantastic read. Now, I can’t help but hope for a sequel following Kate’s love story—there’s definitely some intriguing potential between the brothers! 🤭

This is such a cute story, with endearing characters and a fun plot! I will say that this is very much a YA book, which is what it's marketed as, but I reiterate it here because the main characters are *definitely* teenagers. They worry about things like how their parents think of them and spend a great deal of time thinking about how cute their romantic interest is. It comes across as a very innocent coming-of-age/love story. For that reason, I'd recommend this to a younger audience in search of a comfort read.

For a YA historical romance, this book was solid and adorable, and I'm sure I'll make my kids read it someday (when they exist). The best part for me wasn't the romance itself but the friendships between all the characters, they were real friends who have each other's back and I haven't really seen that in most historical romances. Especially seeing friendships between men and women in a purely platonic way, with no desires involved.
I absolutely loved the fact that Will, the mmc, was so supportive of women, and felt that being entertained by actresses was wrong. A historical romance man who doesn't desire anyone else from the moment he meets the fmc? That is just amazing! There's also the moment when he defends women, telling another character that they are not objects to feed their desires.
The found family trope is always amazing and this was no exception, although I do think that the ending shouldn't be so rushed, it had space to develop more smoothly, and for that I only give it a 4,5 stars. I really enjoyed this read!

Historical romance YA is an interesting genre. I'm not sure how I feel about it. This book was fine. It wasn't groundbreaking, it wasn't bad. Honestly, I read it last week and I can't remember anything noteworthy about it. Take from that what you will.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this incredible book.

Such a beautiful story and amazing cast of characters.

A sweet read

Recommend.

First of all, thank You Netgalley for the ARC granted to me. It was a great book, altough I have read it while I was with the flu, so all of the books I took in that moment were affected negatively in imersion.

Absolutely amazing. This story was so wholesome and in ways relatable. I loved the characters, well most of them. Emerald being a seamstress, was a nice change for me. I haven't seen many character's with that profession (whether they choose it or not). Will is a Lord, which I love in a story. I also really enjoyed getting a feel of London during that time period and how different things were then.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

First historical fiction of the year and YA at that! Will and Emerald make such a cute couple! I loved the drama of the pauper meeting the Earl of Townsend, the pauper infiltrating high society and trying to be a prim and proper lady.

Women empowerment was also one of the things I loved about the book and also how the characters interacted with each other.

The one particular thing that bothered me was Spoiler Alert! How easy Emerald was able to find her long-lost father and sister! There were some characters that I found particularly unnecessary, Percy. I didn't say it 🌚, but why mention his name over and over when he doesn't make an appearance! Let me not even talk about Ben 😒.

Overall, this is a very cute, clean historical YA romance, and it is really amazing how this book drew me in despite my newness in this genre. Kudos to the author!!

Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

Rated 3.5 Stars

On the surface All Gowned Up is a cute and sweet story about a girl longing to know who her father is but during the course of her journey things of a deeper and in some ways a darker nature are uncovered. It didn't fully work for me but I enjoyed this book despite it being slow moving and focusing too much on the mundane. I did like the heroine, Emerald although she was allergic to the truth. I also liked the hero but I wasn't all the way sold on their connection or the romance for that matter. It was a nice read all things considered.

London - 1817

Emerald works as a seamstress along with her mother in a dress shop. She is not a good seamstress and knows she does not have the talent nor the patience for this work. Her mother refuses to tell her who her father is which is quite frustrating for the young woman.

While skipping stones with her friend, Tom, Emerald accidentally hits a passenger on a cargo boat coming into a dock. She sees he’s is a wealthy person and apologies profusely. He stops and Emerald teaches him how to skip stones. He likes her openness and is impressed with her intelligence.

Will Grannite, the Earl of Townsend, has been summoned from his travels in Italy to return home. He finds his father quite ill and says he doesn’t have long to live. The man wants to find a wife for him right away. As Will is just 18, he is not ready to marry. No woman appeals to him. But he cannot stop thinking about the intriguing Emerald.

When Emerald digs deeper into her mother’s private things, she learns some clues of who her father might be. Taking that information with her to see Will, they believe that her father is the Duke of Tenbrook, a wealthy widower and father to a young woman named Kate nearly the same age as Emerald. Together, they devise a scheme for her to meet her father under a false name.

Oh, my! What a totally beautiful story. Lots of angst, intrigue plus clean and perfect love. I’ve always enjoyed this author’s books and this one is truly and standout. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.