The Reluctant Countess: A Would-Be Wallflowers Novel

Eloisa James

Nov 2022 · Would-Be Wallflowers Book 2 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Would-Be Wallflowers series with an enemies-to-lovers romance between a proper earl and an entirely improper lady—whom he can’t stop thinking about.

Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, has never made a fool of himself over a woman—until he meets Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is ineligible for his attentions in every way: not as a wife, certainly not as a mistress (she is a lady!), nor even as a friend, since they vehemently dislike each other.  Her gowns are too low, and her skirts are dampened to cling to admittedly lovely thighs. She loves to gossip—and giggle. 

She isn’t dignified, or polite, or even truly British, given that her father’s French ancestry clearly predominated. Not to mention the fact that her mother had been one of Napoleon’s mistresses, a fact she makes no effort to hide.

So what—in heaven’s name—possesses him to propose?

And what will he do if she says yes?

Ratings and reviews

I thought this book was good, but it was not a personal favorite. Of course, the writing was good, and the story was entertaining. For me, the highlight of this book was Yasmin. She was an original and I really liked that. Plus, I could feel for her. As for Giles, well, I wasn't a huge fan. He had his moments, but I did not appreciate his wishy washy-ness and do not get me started on Lydia. This is my frank freely posted review.

While I had a few issues with the characters, overall, I enjoyed them well enough. I liked their banter and the chemistry between them was obvious. The author gives us just a touch of history in Yasmin’s background but I struggled when so many of these character’s actions and behaviors were not in line with the time period. Overall, a nice enough read.

This is a wonderful story. The back and forth in the banter between Yasmine and Gules is a wonder to behold. My heart aches as the struggle to grow together. So many obstacles are put in their way. Such a crazy ride. The epilogues were a delight and definitely eye raising. I wasn’t expecting the surprises revealed in them. The plot was so twisty and packed with emotion. This is truly an enjoyable emotional journey.

About the author

Eloisa James is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author and professor of English literature, who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.