Book review - How the Wallflower was Won

Thank you so much to Mils & Boon for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

How the Wallflower was Won (Last Chance Scoundrels, Book 2) by Eva Leigh

Set in 1818, London, this is the second book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series by Eva Leigh. Finn Ransome makes his money at gaming tables, he’s much more comfortable in gaming hells than fancy balls. Although he didn’t excel in school, he is street smart and can read people and situations very well. However, his father has made it clear he must get himself a wife soon or lose his inheritance. After a disastrous first season, wallflower, Tabitha Seaton wants to avoid love and instead focus on reading and educating herself. She wants to be taken seriously in the male dominated academic world, she wants to make a change and have better education available for both men and women, but in order to vote on this she must first join the Sterling Society and attend their meetings. She is told that she is required to marry and be joined at meetings by her husband. With Finn and Tabitha both needing to marry, they strike a deal to marry each other. The two hit it off straight away, but are complete opposites, neither thinking they are good enough for the other, but they have such amazing chemistry and get on so well, can they prevent their mounting feelings from developing further?

Finn and Tabitha see each other as they really are. Something I loved about this book was the equal respect they had for each other. They believed in and championed each other’s dreams. There was so much support on both sides. I also liked how upfront they were about their history and why they were entering into their marriage. They only thing they weren’t always upfront about was their growing feelings! I liked how Finn gradually realised he wasn’t stupid, even though his family had conditioned him to think that. And Tabitha realised she didn’t necessarily need the Sterling Society to make a mark in the world.  

The only (very) slight nosedive for me was an argument between the couple near the end of the book. I knew there would have to be a dispute between Finn and Tabitha, because everything had gone so well for the couple so far. But the argument didn’t seem big enough to warrant them almost splitting up and Finn moving out of their home. I felt like it was a massive overreaction on Tabitha’s part. However, when I thought about it further, this does reflect real life, don’t we all have silly arguments with our spouse, that get blown up out of all proportion and seem like the end of the world? I really enjoyed this book, and I am very much looking forward to book 3.


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