Lady August by Becky Michaels
Publisher: Mildred Press
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by MistflowerAugust Summer thinks she is a nobody until a London solicitor barges into her employer’s drawing room, revealing not only is she the daughter of an earl but a wealthy heiress as well. Optimistic about a new life, she travels to her ancestral home of Linfield Hall, only for her brother to banish her to London to live with her aunt, a dowager duchess with a reputation.
When Lord Bolton asks him to fetch his illegitimate daughter, solicitor Samuel Brooks does not expect himself to become so invested in the young woman’s debut after wanting nothing to do with dinners and balls before. But as August navigates her way through this new world of the British aristocracy, Brooks is the one who is most dazzled by her unexpected charms.
Since society demands every young girl must marry, August decides she will accept nothing less than someone’s heart in exchange for possession of her newfound fortune. Forced to reexamine his negative views of love and marriage or lose August forever, Brooks soon realizes his heart is the only thing in danger of becoming possessed.
This synopsis sounded amazing. The best part was that the synopsis didn’t give every plot thread away. I’m thrilled to tell you that Lady August is so much more than just the synopsis. Thank you Becky Michaels.
I was excited to read a story about a heroine that was consider a nobody until it was revealed that she was in fact the daughter of an earl. It was wonderful to read how that transpired and evolved. I appreciated the detail involved with the significance of the heroine’s name, August Summer. Her character was smart, strong and mixed with a little naivety. I easily related to her and quickly cheered her on.
The hero, Samuel Brooks, was a steady hero but not my typical book boyfriend. While he worked well with August, he had some issues he had to deal with that I felt he over-dramatized. However, Samuel and August were heartwarming together.
The best part of this story was that it was like an onion. There were multiple characters with side plot lines. It was easy and fun to follow along. I found the pace to be consistent and non-troublesome as some story lines flowed with expected and unexpected situations.
The writing style was smooth and authentic for a historical novel minus one curse word, or so I thought. I Googled the timing of when that curse word was invented and was surprised to learn that it is indeed an accurate historical curse word.
One thing that was an eye-opener was how the majority of the love scenes were sweet/sensual. It wasn’t until near the end of the book that a certain couple turned up the heat level. I wasn’t prepared for that intense heat index. Fortunately I don’t have an issue with that but my mother would. Ha, ha.
In conclusion, Lady August was a very nice read. I’m not sure if this is a series or not but I would like a book with the hero being August’s brother Charles. I’d like to see him redeemed. A third book would be nice with the heroine being August’s sister, Rosamund. I’d like Rosamund to find her happily ever after. I loved the epilogue that did tie up all the lose threads and gave me a feeling of satisfaction. I am just greedy and wanted more. Lady August is a welcoming addition to my list of books that I gladly recommend.
