Gentleman Seeks Bride (Hazards of Dukes, #4)
Megan Frampton
In this delightful flip of a classic romance trope, Megan Frampton creates a handsome, witty, hero in need of a wealthy bride who meets his match in Lady Jane Capel, from A Wicked Bargain with the Duke. Perfect for fans of Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare, and Eloisa James. It's a well-known fact that, when a man is in search of a bride, a good dowry is never a hindrance. Thomas Sharpe is handsome, well-bred, and desperately in need of a wealthy bride. His father has lost their income, his sister needs looking after, and so, to save them all from a life of poverty, he travels to London in search of an heiress. Enter Lady Jane Capel. After her fiancé ended their engagement two years ago, Jane boldly left her parents' home and moved in with her half-brother, Percy. What does one more scandal matter to a family with such a curious reputation? Jane is independent but not as well versed in life—and love—as she wants. The two of them strike a deal: Thomas will show her all there is to know about the world—and intimacy—and Jane will help him find a bride. But the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the two of them soon realize that things aren't so simple when it comes to men and women...
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0After being jilted by her fiance years prior, Jane has disappeared into the background of the ton. Thomas, on the other hand, is quite well known for his charm and good looks, but has no money to bring to a marriage, and the need to wed an heiress in order to keep his family afloat. The two of them make a Classic Sex Deal, which allows Jane to get a taste of freedom while Thomas gets introduced to eligible young heiresses.
This was my first Frampton read, and I definitely plan on reading more from her. The book had a fun, romcom-y tone, without being too sweet or too comedic. There was a surprising amount of eroticism to the novel; it's not that I didn't think Frampton had it in her, but rather than the tone was so light that I wondered at first if this would be less on the sexy side. Nope--nothing to worry about there! There's an especially interesting scene in a hot air balloon... (And a sex club! I love it when they go to sex clubs in historicals.)
Another thing I really appreciated about the book is that Frampton made an effort to include a queer character, who doesn't suffer and doesn't mope and is generally a great addition. I've seen a lot of discussion of queer characters in historical romances lately, and how "difficult" it apparently is to give them happy storylines. Frampton proved that it can be done, and without difficulty. I would love to see her write a book with a queer romance at its core next time; the one we have in Gentleman Seeks Bride is a subplot, but she could potentially give us more of it in a novella in the future.
If I was going to critique anything, I would say that the book could have delved a bit further in terms of character development. It's a fairly simple, straightforward love story, without a lot at stake. As an angst hound I do kind of miss having a bit more drama happening; but at the same time, this was a nice change of pace. I feel like it would be a perfect palate cleanser if you're in the midst of a reading slump, or perhaps dealing with a particularly sad or angsty read.
Overall, I would wholeheartedly recommend this to historical romcom fans, especially if they're in the mood for a cozy, friends to lovers vibe. I definitely plan on trying more from Frampton in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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