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The First Waltz
253 pages
A charming Regency romp where a meddling daughter's matchmaking turns a quiet widow's world upside down and melts a jaded bachelor's heart.
What it feels like
Stepping into this Regency romance feels like entering a brightly lit London ballroom, full of elegant banter and playful matchmaking. The narrative unfolds at a steady, engaging pace, wrapping the reader in a warm and lighthearted atmosphere. It centers on the delightful dynamic of reverse matchmaking, exploring the tender and often humorous second-chance romance between a sheltered, countryside-loving widow and a worldly, cynical veteran. The prose is charming and period-appropriate, capturing the wry observations of a jaded nobleman slowly losing his heart to a woman who doubts his motives. It is a deeply comforting read that will thoroughly delight fans of historical romance who appreciate mature protagonists, witty societal observations, and the slow, satisfying melt of a lifelong bachelor finally meeting his match.
- Mood
- elegant
- lighthearted
- warm
- Tone
- charming
- playful
- wry
- romantic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- second chances at love · reverse matchmaking · overcoming cynicism · later-in-life romance
- The writing
- Elegant and period-appropriate, balancing witty societal observations with moments of tender romantic tension.
- The arc
- A sheltered widow and a jaded veteran move from reluctant participants in a matchmaking scheme to discovering an unexpected, passionate second chance at love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in classic Regency romances featuring mature protagonists, meddling relatives, and cynical bachelors who fall unexpectedly hard.
About the book
A SHELTERED LADY — Lady Annabelle Fairfax found London fashions and manners altogether too daring. Once she'd married off her daughter Phoebe she would return to the countryside, where she had lived quietly as a widow for eighteen of her thirty-six years. Little did Annabelle suspect the sly Miss Phoebe's design to marry her off first! Thunderstruck, Annabelle soon found herself the object of several gentlemen's attentions, including the cynical and elegant Sir Neville Colston... whose bold kiss inflamed her sensibilities, but left her doubting his motives. Could her fortune have made her an easy mark?
A WORLDLY BACHELOR -- The ton, in Sir Neville Colston's estimation, could not compare to the Wars for excitement. Still, it amused him to guide Phoebe in matching up her charming mother. But why did he judge every candidate so harshly? Could his own growing passion for the lovely Annabelle be crumbling his lifelong resistance to getting leg-shackled? And, if the delightful widow should discover herself matched, had the jaded nobleman dealt himself a losing hand in the game of hearts?
Description from Open Library.
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