Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Welcome also to Series Sunday!

As you all know, my favorite books exist in series.  In honor of Julia Quinn’s release slated for the end of May, I’m going to post all the books that I’ve read and reviewed so far.  Today we are going to start with a book that is written by three friends – Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway.  Unlike a true anthology, this book moves from one story into the next.  It wasn’t until I was listening to the three ladies talk at a book signing back in January that they pointed out that you can tell what each wrote by looking at the top of the page to see the author’s name.  Guess I was paying attention to that when I read the book as I couldn’t tell who wrote which part!  This is one of the books that I will be giving away at the end of this stretch of reviews – around about the beginning of June!  For now, enjoy!

The Lady Most Likely… by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
ISBN: 978-0-06-124782-8
Publisher: Avon Historical Romance
Release: 2011
Source: I won this book in a giveaway

Three of the brightest stars of historical romance invite you to a party at the country home of the Honorable Marquess of Finchley

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife, so his sister hands him a list of delectable damsels and promises to invite them – and a few other gentlemen – to her country house for what is sure to be the event of the season.

Hugh will have time to woo whichever lady he most desires…Unless someone else snatches her first.

The invitation list includes:
The horse-mad but irresistibly handsome Earl of Briarly
The always outspoken Miss Katherine Peyton
The dashing war hero Captain Neill Oakes
The impossibly beautiful (and painfully shy) Miss Gwendolyn Passmore
The terribly eligible new Earl of Charters
The widowed Lady Georgina Sorrell (who has no plans to marry, ever)

And your hostess, Lady Carolyn Finchley, an irrepressible matchmaker who plans to find the lady most likely…..to capture her brother’s untamed heart.

The Lady Most Likely is a book that I won in a giveaway some time ago. It’s been tempting me from the shelf and I was happy to be able to spend a few hours enjoying the lively writing of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway.

It seems that the somewhat dense Earl of Briarly announced to his sister and her best friend that he has decided that he needs a wife. Could they make him a list, please and he’ll got to Almack’s that night and pick one out. Gotta love a practical man! Once Carolyn (the sister) and Georgina (the friend) pick themselves off the floor and stop laughing, they realize that something serious must have happened to make Hugh make such an abrupt about face. Under duress, Hugh admits to a coma after being thrown from his horse. He’s determined to marry and produce and heir before another fall is permanent. Not the best thing to say to his sister, but it does spur her into motion! Next thing he knows, a house party is arranged with a selection of young women for him and a selection of young men for Georgina to choose from. She may say that she doesn’t want to marry again, but Carolyn is her best friend, and is determined that she finds wedded happiness!

This is a fun book to read! It is funny, it is heart-warming, and it rocks along at a good pace. It involves a whole host of characters as you can tell from the blurb. The house party is held by Carolyn and her husband, Lord and Lady Finchley. Carolyn’s husband, Piers is a amiable fellow, determined to keep his wife happy. To do so, he seems to be content helping her with her matchmaking activities. She tries to set up Hugh with the unbelievably beautiful, yet painfully shy Miss Gwendolyn Passmore. She’s more suited to Alec, the Earl of Charters. She then tries to set him up with Miss Katherine Peyton until he gets slugged by the war hero Captain Neill Oakes for being too forward with Katherine (who Neill has known and loved since childhood). There goes another prospect. Not knowing where to turn, he suddenly sees Georgina in a new light. Seeing her not as a his sister’s friend, but as a beautiful woman.

Often I find reading a book like this, with so many characters, difficult. I have trouble keeping all the characters straight. I didn’t have that difficulty with this book. The writing is clear and the various relationships are distinct and easy to keep straight! I highly recommend this book as a fun, light regency romp of a romance!

Amazon Purchase Link for The Lady Most Likely…: A Novel in Three Parts

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Barb Drozdowich

Social Media and Wordpress Consultant Barb Drozdowich has taught at University, trained technical personnel in the banking industry and, most recently, used her expertise to help dozens of authors develop the social media platform needed to succeed in today’s fast evolving publishing world. She owns Bakerview Consulting and manages the popular blog, Sugarbeat’s Books.