Another book where I’ve been putting off the review, but this time because I couldn’t work up the energy to talk about it.
This was a rec from KJ Charles on Goodreads (she’s a good follow for more eclectic and/or self-pubbed books) and I’m glad I picked it up, but I’m not sure I’ll read any more books by this author. It was solidly in ‘I liked this but meh’ territory. Historical f/f romance is so hard to find, and when I’ve found it, it hasn’t often scratched that itch I like my romance novels to scratch. This one sadly didn’t, either.
How to Talk to Nice English girls takes place in the 1920s just after the end of the Great War, which was fun! More of that, please. Our main character is Marian, the quiet spinster daughter of an earl. It’s her sister’s wedding, and a wealthy American and his daughter have come to town. Marian is tasked with keeping the daughter, Katherine, out of trouble, which she finds annoying and insulting. Katherine immediately identifies Marian as a kindred spirit and bothers her until she comes out of her shell, and they eventually start a sexual and romantic relationship.
My problem was that I was never invested. I found Marian nice but dull. Katherine actually annoyed me quite a bit, but I don’t like pushy people in real life, and usually not in fiction, and she’s very pushy and almost arrogant in her approach. I never warmed to her. Maybe I would have if we would have gotten POV from her, but the book is told solely from Marian’s perspective, which I think was a waste. And on top of all that, there is barely any plot or conflict here, just a slow awakening on Marian’s part. It wasn’t what I wanted from the story, but it might very well be great for others who have different tastes than mine.
As a heads up, if this sounds like your thing, it’s currently free if you have Kindle Unlimited!