The Season - Sarah MacLean

I LOVE historical fiction, and one of my favorite time periods to read about is the Regency Era. There's something completely enchanting about the London Season, when girls of a marriageable age attended balls in beautiful gowns in hopes of finding a husband. Slightly less enchanting is the manner in which women were often paired with undesirable partners solely to move up on the social ladder, but a girl can still dream. Anyhow, this is one such enchanting novel.

Alex is making her debut for the Season this year, but one thing sets her apart from many of her hopeful counterparts; she has absolutely no desire to marry. In fact, she believes the whole thing is ridiculous. The headstrong Alex finds the expectation to be the perfect lady burdensome at best and is irritated (and intimidated) by her inability to discuss important things like politics. Additionally, growing up in the presence of four jocular males has had the unfortunate side effect of causing her to speak her mind without thinking of the consequences. The only people she feels comfortable with outside of her immediate family are her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, and Gavin, her brothers' closest friend and her confidant. But that was before the mysterious death of Gavin's father. Now, he has inherited the title of Earl of Blackmoor and the responsibilities that go with it. Whether it's the Season or Gavin's new title, something has affected their relationship, changing it from familial to something more intimate. As they struggle to cope with these new (and not entirely unwelcome) feelings, a shocking discovery comes to light regarding the so-called accidental death of Gavin's father. Soon, Alex, Gavin, Ella, and Vivi are mixed up in a life-threatening plot that could have devastating national consequences.

The fact that I chugged through this book without stopping should indicate the level to which I love and adore it, but in case that doesn't speak for itself, I'll explain. First off, I love Alex's character. She goes against the grain of society in an inadvertently determined way and she's not willing to settle for the norm. She's intelligent, witty, and amusing, but she doesn't always think things through, which, I have to admit, grated on my nerves a little bit. Second, have I mentioned the Season yet? Beautiful balls, stunning ballgowns, man-hunting... what's not to love?! Finally, Gavin is pretty much what every girl dreams of, except for the occasional annoying incident. Pretty much the only real problem I had with the book was how she rushed into the conspiracy, knowing that people's lives were being put at risk. Even with that, it's definitely a book I would want to add to my collection!

Pros:

• London Season!!
• Forbidden romance (I know, I know, so typical. But give it a chance!)
•  Mystery AND romance AND historical Easter eggs

Cons:

• You say "life-threatening danger", Alex says "I'm on it! Never mind the impact on my entire family, my two closest friends, and the love of my life!"
• Plot seemed a little rushed with regards to the relationship between Alex and Gavin
• Snobby debutantes who think they can get whatever they want just because they're beautiful