A Dance to Save the Debutante by Eva Shepard
This is the first novel in the Those Roguish Rosemonts series by Eva Shepherd. Featuring three aristocratic brothers who are all expected to uphold the Rosemont family name, which means giving up their roguish ways and marrying well. But are they ready to make convenient marriages, where love is second to duty? This book is Ethan’s story.
The novel starts in 1890, Ethan Rosemont, the youngest of the three brothers, is a carefree lord who doesn’t want to settle down. He knows he won’t be in demand until his two older brothers marry. So, he has plenty of time to play the field before he is tied down by marriage.
Sophia Cooper is a naïve debutante, excited for her first
season. Her pushy mother is looking to get her daughter married to the arrogant and horrible Duke Ravenswood. Sophia dances with Ethan at the
Rosemont ball to make the duke jealous, however, this backfires when instead they
become attracted to each other. Ethan knows that Sophia’s intended husband
is no gentleman and she’ll never be happy with him. He's certain the Duke only wants to marry her, to use her money to pay off his ever increasing gambling debts.
Marriages were like business deals between families and the
feelings of the couple were not taken into consideration. A lot of the women
were excited at the prospect of a fairy tale marriage, but once they were
married the harsh reality set in. Worryingly, Sophia’s mother seems to know
just how awful Duke Ravenswood is, but doesn’t care as long as Sophia marries a
duke. Her mother also resents her daughter’s growing friendship with Ethan, who
has vowed to make sure that Sophia doesn’t marry Ravenswood.
Later in the book, after a truly awful encounter with the duke, Sophia really comes into her own. She also finally stands up to her mother, and decides that perhaps she no longer wants to marry anyone at all. The problem is, Ethan and Sophia can’t just give into their growing feelings and date like we do today, becoming Ethan’s mistress would ruin Sophia's reputation in society. With neither of them wanting to get married, their feelings mounting and the last ball of the season looming ever closer, will Ethan and Sophia find a way to be together?
I really enjoyed this cosy, feel-good read. I loved the way Sophia
saved herself, it made this historical romance relatable to a modern audience. Both Ethan and Sophia were great main characters, I loved their chemistry and how they had a friendship before anything else. The way Ethan cared about Sophia's interests and put her first was very sweet, I think he helped her realise her worth and independence. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Highly recommended for all you historical romance fans out there!
This book is out now, you can get your copy here
* I received A Dance to Save the Debutante, in exchange for
an honest review.
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