Hilarious and romantic slow burn
Emma Damon falls in love with a painting then falls into the past to meet the man himself. He’s handsome, annoying, and seriously weakening her resolve to get back to the 21st Century.
Jaxon, Earl of Hartley, is trying his hardest not to fall for his brother’s mail order bride (it makes sense in context) as he tries to make her acceptable to polite society, but her unconventional ways are making it difficult and it seems like his entire family are bent on playing matchmaker for the wrong brother.
This book is hilarious. I laughed out loud at several pieces of dialogue, from walking into the linen closet to kicking over an urn. Emma is so delightfully awkward and perfectly made to drive Hartley up the wall. I did feel that the constant dissection of modern slang got a little wearying, especially when it didn’t seem that obscure (seriously, a 21st Century co-worker would understand ‘hang out and hook up’, even if she’s British, right?).
I loved how the relationship grew from a mutual attraction to a genuine connection over time; the scene where Hartley is praising Emma to his brother is really sweet. While I don’t normally go for jealousy as a dating tactic, it was handled deftly enough to be endearing than infuriating.
The mystical element came a little out of left field, but hopefully there will be more books to explore it a little further. Hartley certainly has enough siblings for a series and we see just enough of them to be interested. Aunt Charles is also, hands-down, the best, even if her matchmaking was so blatant it makes Hartley look oblivious.
Five timey-wimey stars
I received a copy of this story from the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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