Say You’ll Be My Lady
By Kate Pembrooke
Rating: 5/5 Genre: Historical Romance Steam: Explicit! Publisher: Forever Romance Pub Date: February 22, 2022 Thank you Forever Romance and NetGalley for my Advanced Copy! You're the best! Available: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop
Say You’ll Be My Lady Synopsis:
Lady Serena Wynter doesn’t mind flirting with a bit of scandal—she’s determined to ignore society’s strictures and live life on her own fiercely independent terms. These days, she chooses to pour her passions into charitable causes with the vibrant group of ladies in her Wednesday Afternoon Social Club. But there is one man who stirs Serena’s deepest emotions, one who’s irresistibly handsome, infuriatingly circumspect, and too honorable for his own good…
Charles Townshend, former boxer and consummate gentleman, worries Serena’s reckless nature will earn her the ton’s scorn…or put her in serious danger. Though Charles isn’t immune to the attraction between them, a shocking family secret prevents him from ever acting on his desires. But it seems Lady Serena doesn’t intend to let his penchant for propriety stand in the way of a mutually satisfying dalliance.
CW: Miscarriage
Say You’ll Be My Lady Review
This book is enchanting. After reading the first one, Not the Kind of Earl You Marry, I knew I had to try to get this one! It lives up to the first book. Actually, I think it might surpass the first book in my opinion. This book follows Serena and Charles (characters we met in the first book) as they navigate their feelings for each other and the secrets that keep them apart. It’s a fairly low angst, slow burn, mutual pining historical romance. It takes place in 1818, but has the crisp tones of modern feminism that make it such a great read. (I don’t want to mention how many times I’ve now gone back and reread parts of this book)
Loved:
Serena is headstrong, knows her worth, and isn’t afraid of what others think of her. She’s fully rounded out with faults, charm, ambitions, and personality to really make you root for her. She’s unorthodox for the time period she’s in, but she’s so determined that it feels right when you read it. Her rationality for hiding her secrets is understandable. Ah! I just love her. Would want to be her friend.
Charles is perfection. His strong duty to what is right and wrong is commendable. His pining for Serena is *chef’s kiss* amazing. All of the things that he does for Serena throughout the novel make him so endearing. He has so much love and too many personal skeletons that make me love him. Also that’s another amazing part to him is that his reasoning for not pursuing Serena actually makes sense and is reasonable. Love that! They’re actually apart because consequential reasons, which is more than a lot of other books can say.
My favorite part of Pembrooke’s books are her secondary characters. I mean her main characters are fabulous, but her ability to craft fully dimensional secondary characters without taking away from the focus of the plot is really unmatched. I want to know their struggles and interests just as much as the main characters. They aren’t cartoonish. This is the reason I will ALWAYS be picking up Pembrooke’s writings!
Meh:
For as forward as most of this book is I kinda expected more steam. This is clearly not an actual plot/writing issue, more of a surprise with the characters. Like I know that Charles has more morals than the pope, but come on man, it’s 1818, live a little ;).
Long Story Short
Do I recommend this book? HELL YES! I think anyone who likes historical romance, especially with non-asshole male leads, feminist female leads, and enough pining to make the HEA the best should read this book. Say You’ll Be My Lady is just so sweet and enjoyable. I cannot wait for Pembrooke to write a million more books because I will be reading them all. (Also I 100% will be buying a physical copy of this book when it comes out because I need it in my personal library.) If you’re on the fence of this book, don’t be. Just pick it up when you can and enjoy!
Kate Pembrooke is a lifelong reader whose path to becoming an author of Regency romance was forged when she first read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Kate lives with her family in the Midwest. She loves puttering amongst her flowerbeds, taking beach vacations, and adding to her already extensive collection of cookbooks.
