All Gowned Up by Jen Haymore is a delightful YA historical romance.
An engaging read. Good character development.
And the writing was amazing.

I love retelling, especially relating to Cinderella, but I just wasn’t a fan of this one.

It was cute, but didn’t really hold my attention. The writing was fantastic and the characters definitely had development. But I found myself wishing for more. I’m not sure if I wanted more action, or more development.

Overall, I did enjoy the read and am happy to be granted a copy.

This was a very enjoyable read in a new series from Jen Haymore. More along the lines of a YA, it nevertheless had the requisite HEA. I really enjoyed Emerald Dixon and how she tried to s5ay true to herself. In doing that she shone true and gathered a group of friends. One of the most enjoyable aspects was the camaraderie of the long time group of friends and how well Emerald fit in!

Truly a great book, and I’m looking forward to more!

Happy Pub Day to this fantastic story of how found family can help you find your family.

How on earth was historical romance for YA readers, not a thing when I was a teenager? I would have been obsessed with this genre; I mean, I had a blast reading this book, but I can only think about how much 15-year-old Ann would have loved this.

Now that all of that is out of the way, let's talk about this book; it's absolutely adorable. This book has everything. There's a meet-cute for the ages (skipping stones and ships, who knew), characters that you want to hug and protect one moment and have you shaking your head wondering what they're thinking the next.

Watching Emerald, Will, Tom, and all of the characters learn and grow was quite honestly a wonderful reading experience, and I loved every moment of it.

Following along as Emerald tried to put the pieces together to find out who her father was, I had my heart beating in my chest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing an advance copy of this e-book; I have voluntarily read and reviewed it, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Honestly guys I’m just in my historical romance phase and I love them all! This one is definitely more young adult, but I didn’t love it any less. It was focused on Emerald’s search for her father after not knowing anything about him her whole life and now it’s driving her crazy because of all the unknowns. After finding her mother’s letters, she discovered he is titled and begins her search for him by asking a new friend to help because he is a lord. Will is willing as he feels a connection to Emerald and wants to be in her life, but doesn’t know how he’d be able to marry her with his father’s permission as she is untitled and a commoner.

Will and Emerald have a fun, friends to lovers story, as well as the best kinds of friends who support incest amongst cousins, and I loved their support hahah. That was so fun, and you could really see how much Will’s friend group support his wants and needs, even if Emerald was only posing to be his cousin.

Emerald is the star of this book, she is bright, fun, and so open and honest that it kills her to lie to everyone but I love how it all comes out and you see her make amends and understand what will happen. It was a great story from start to finish!

<i>digital ARC was provided by Netgalley and Entangled Teen</i>

I really want to like it because it's YA and hisrom, two of some of my fave genres! But, alas...

Synopsis
Emerald has been living with only her mother as assistant to a seamstress. She is curious about her father and one day she found letters her mother keeps, along with an emerald jewelry, her namesake. With the help of a son of an Earl, she navigates her fake life into the high society to find her father, and maybe, also her half sister.

Commentaries
Hoo, boy. As stated above, I wanted to like the book. I should be, on paper, it looks great. The execution or writing wasn't bad either. But my problem came from the characters.
Emerald is such a pick me girl, a girl who is different in her time, who can read, who doesn't care about rules and niceties, etc. And then she met Will, a future earl, who is of course quickly infatuated with her, citing her very different from other girls he knows. Oh God.
The more I read the more I was confused with all of these side characters who are unimportant after Emerald gets her way.
It's too long to get to the point and way waayyyyy too serious and cliche considering the similar adult version of the genre.

Final thought
I drag myself to finish it, but sometimes I wish I DNF it.

I actually ended up really enjoying this one. I don't read a lot of young adult romance books anymore but this one was so cute and fun! I loved the main character and loved seeing her development throughout the book. The romance was also sweet.

An amazing YA Regency Romance . Emerald is a poor seamstress born and raised in Govent Garden but has never met or know anything about her father . When she overhears her mother talk with their employer she is sure that there are evindence in Mrs, Fitzfibbons room . Will Granville is The Earl of Townsend and has asked to return from his trip to continent from his ailing father . When he arrived in London he gets hit by a rock that Emerald through at him by mistake . They become friends and she even ask him to help her find her identity of the father now that she knows that he might be a Duke . Will is there every step of her journey to find her family . Even though they shouldn't they fell in love .
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Before I begin, I would like to thank Jen Haymore for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of her upcoming book, All Gowned Up, which will be available on February 3rd, 2025.

Emerald Dixon is a terrible seamstress and it’s not her fault. At seventeen years old, Emerald daydreams about fancy dresses, handsome young men, and the unknown identity of her father more than sewing. Eighteen-year-old Will Granville, the Earl of Townsend, has felt the pressure of never being enough for his future title, responsibilities, and his father. When Emerald and Will plan for her to go undercover to find her father, they have more time to get to know each other and not think about their regular lives for a bit. Pretending in front of nobles is more complicated than they thought, especially with a stolen kiss. Can Emerald and Will pull off their idea without getting hurt?

This book was fantastic. You have Emerald, a beautiful, imaginative, clever, charming, and curious young woman that works as a seamstress with her mother in a dress shop. You have Will, a kind, thoughtful, witty, and handsome young man that is suffocating under the expectations of his father and society in general. I loved Emerald and Will’s interactions from the very beginning, and thought Tom’s protectiveness of Emerald was very sweet. There were quite a few twists in this story that developed beautifully and gave more complexity to the main characters’ original plan. The friendships shown in this book were strong and I appreciated how the author showed the unfairness that people faced, especially the poor, women, and those in the LGBTQ+ community. I enjoyed seeing the main characters grow throughout the story and cheered them on the entire time. Overall, if you like great humor, wonderful found family dynamics, secrets, LGBTQ+ representation, complex characters, and sweet historical romance with low amounts of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link with more information: Amazon.com: All Gowned Up eBook : Haymore, Jen: Kindle Store

It was nice to read a book who's focus was the Romance and the plot.

It's a YA read with logical choices and realistic depictions of the characters.

While some parts were predictable, it was the approach that I enjoyed.

I wish there was more and I can't help but wonder if there will be books for Will's and Emerald's friends, cause I'd read that.

All Gowned Up is adorable. Em and Will are sweet. I liked watching their relationship. The other characters supported them well. I enjoyed the premise of the book.

A lovely cover and a story that has its lighthearted moments and it's struggles. Regardless of what your social status is, everyone longs to have a connection with someone they love.

Emerald has always wondered who her father is, often daydreaming about what his role might be. However, when she finds out who he might be through old love letters to her mother, she must rely on a noble she has just met to help her get the answers she desires.

This is relatively quick read, and Haymore does a great job of making the setting and characters come to life. I am definitely adding her to my list of authors to keep an eye on.

I gave All Gowned Up 3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up to four. Thank you Entangled Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I love the cover of this book! The story drew me in right away and I really liked Emerald’s character right off the bat. She is witty and impulsive, which gives her character a lot of likability. She is “lower class” in a regency type setting so that makes her even more likable. Will, despite being ‘royalty”, is also a very likable character. I love that he fell hard for Emerald!

Cute story, but check trigger warnings. This is a YA book, but there are a few moments that could affect some people.

First things first—I loved the cover! It’s so pretty and really sets the mood for the book. The setting was also great, making the story feel elegant and charming.

The book itself? It was okay for what it tried to be. The love story was fine, but what really stood out to me was the friendship between Kate, Em, and the others. Even though their friendship started with some big lies, I still enjoyed how they stuck together, had fun, and looked out for each other. There's something special about childhood friends who still have that strong bond.

What I didn’t love? The ending. It wrapped up way too quickly and too perfectly for my taste. After all the drama, I expected a bit more depth in the resolution. It felt a little too neat and easy.

Overall, the book is a nice, light read with a beautiful setting and strong friendships at its heart.

And now, of course, I want to go to London again. It doesn’t even matter that this book is set in a different era—Covent Garden is a guilty pleasure of mine!

I absolutely loved this book! It's a super cute story filled with romance, wit and a bit of mystery. I enjoyed the banter between Emerald and Will. They are the perfect opposites attract pairing. If you like historical romance you'll like this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

"All Gowned Up" by Jen Haymore is for Regency romance lovers who enjoy Cinderella-style rags to riches forbidden romance. Although classified as YA, adults will also enjoy the story as it is very well written full of romantic tension and emotional depth. The love story is super sweet and an engaging quick read.
Thank you to NetGallery and TEntangled Publishing, LLC for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For seamstress Emerald, a chance encounter with Will, a young earl, opens doors to high society as she follows the clues to her father’s identity. He helps her infiltrate the ton, hoping to get closer to her while also escaping the pressures of his father’s expectations. But their charade in this world of secrets is risky, and one kiss could unravel everything.

What a fun book! Emerald and Will are kind and well-developed characters who fit perfectly together. The plot is fast-paced and engaging. The story is heartwarming and uplifting.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This seems like a cute book for its target audience as it certainly leans YA. It wasn't working for me, so I DNF'd. I think YA regency romance fans will love this title, so don't let my review stop you!

3.5 ⭐️

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in return for an unbiased and honest review!

This is a dual POV between our two main characters, Emerald and Will. Emerald is a representation of the lower class of London, being a self proclaimed horrible seamstress in Covent Garden. Will is the son of the sick Marquess, and soon to take over his fathers role. The two become acquainted with one another upon Will's arrival home after over a year on "the continent". Will and Emerald happen too strike up an alliance when Emerald decides she wants to find the identity of her father whom she's never met.

I would first like to say that this book definitely reads as a Young Adult novel, which is definitely not a bad thing! I myself have read many YA books, and this is up there with some of my favourite. I found it a very easy read that doesn't need too much concentration. It was a fun journey that you find yourself unable to put down!

I found this book to be very different from other historical romance/regency era books. I'm used to the usual debutante and lord falling in love, a small conflict and then the happy ending. However, it was a breath of fresh air to read a story between a lower class girl and upper class boy. I feel as though there was good commentary on the divide between the social classes in London at the time.

Not only did I find Emerald and Will's love story quite sweet, I really enjoyed the connection between the group of friends we met through Will. I couldn't help but fall in love with the story of Emerald's mother and the long lost love trope! I would love to see a prequel of their story.

I would recommend this book for anybody who is a fan of the Bridgerton series or looking for a sweet historical romance to binge read!

All Gowned Up will have you feeling hopeful and experiencing the bonds of great friendship and romance.

Emerald is a seamstress who dreams of meeting her father. Upon meeting Will, he helps her infiltrate society in search of her father.

Will’s friends show how to be caring and loving and defend Emerald. Will grows as a character throughout the story and develops into a strong man willing to stand up for his beliefs.

I am so hoping to read another in the series about Kate and Percy!