Saturday, June 10, 2023

I'm Not Charlotte Lucas

 I’m not Charlotte Lucas

by Kasey Stockton

Covenant Communications, 2023. 224 pages. Romance

Northern California girl Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas has two great loves: Diet Coke and Pride and Prejudice. But her passion for Regency classics is tempered by a very real fear: Charlie is terrified of having to endure the fate of her namesake--spinsterhood. Despite her best attempts to maintain a modern sensibility, she can't say no when an elderly neighbor asks Charlie to attend a charity ball with her grandson. Blind date or not, Charlie is powerless to resist the allure of a real-life ball. Soon it's clear that she will struggle to resist the charms of her blind date too. Liam Connell is every bit the swoon-worthy leading man, straight out of Charlie's daydreams. But he's completely unattainable--his last girlfriend was a gorgeous actress and a far cry from Charlie's world. So, after a magical evening with Liam, Charlie is ready to get back to reality, even if her best option right now is a former boyfriend who wants to give it another shot. Unfortunately, despite imagining she'll never see Liam again, he seems to be everywhere. How is a lady to move past a fantasy when life suddenly seems to be imitating fiction to an alarming degree?

This is a super-cute, clean romance. Charlie has her share of insecurities, but she knows when things feel right and when they feel wrong. She follows her gut. Liam is not perfect. He has his own share of issues. What is great is how they work through these issues together. This open, honest communication is refreshing in a love story. There are some fun nods to Pride and Prejudice and some definite swoon-worthy moments and that makes this book a fun escape.

If you liked I’m Not Charlotte Lucas, you might also like:

Engaging Emma

by Elle M. Adams

Covenant Communications, 2022. 216 pages. Romance

As a successful doctor in Los Angeles, Tucker Madsen left his small-town roots behind long ago, trading his flannel shirts for a glossy lifestyle and a beautiful fiancée. But when his mother requests his help to sell the family farm, Tucker reluctantly returns to a place that holds more memories than he cares to admit. Normal, Missouri, was the site of the golden days of childhood--and the blush of first love. Tucker fell in love with Emma McAllister at seventeen, but when youthful promises of forever ended in heartbreak, he and Emma both moved on. Or so they thought. When they are unexpectedly reunited at the Madsen family farm, both are unprepared for the rush of feelings that brings into question everything they thought they knew. They could never have imagined that now, years after they were torn apart, fate would offer them a second chance in the place where it all began. But when faced with the realities of the separate lives they've built, history seems doomed to repeat itself.

Brides and Brothers: A Novel

by Anneka R. Walker

Covenant Communications, 2021. 275 pages. Romance

Camille Kelly is in real danger of becoming an old maid--at least by Cherish, Montana, standards. She has all but given up on finding Mr. Right--until her broken laptop leads her to Aiden Peterson, a tall, dark, and handsome computer genius. Camille would never have believed her magic moment was right around the corner, but after two whirlwind weeks, she has a ring on her finger and has happily ever after in sight. However, she soon discovers Aiden is part of a daunting package deal . . . As the eldest of seven brothers, Aiden has never had a problem living under the same roof as his rambunctious siblings. When he falls for Camille, he is confident she'll fit right into his family's already bursting home. He thought wrong. Aiden and Camille's storybook romance comes to a screeching halt when she discovers her new living situation. Not willing to submit to a life mothering a bunch of grown men, Camille has only one option: she embarks on a campaign to improve her new brothers-in-law and marry them off. And what better candidates for wives than her own best friends?

 

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