Contracted As His Countess by Louise Allen
Secrets of a Victoria Household #3

2 stars

Madelyn has been raised in a different century. Well, not really, but because of her father's obsession with medieval castles she has a lived a sheltered lifestyle of a few hundred years earlier. Her father's dying wish was for her to wed Jack Ransome.

Jack is a titled gentleman but has no lands to manage. Until he attends a meeting with Madelyn and she proposes a marriage of convenience.

I initially liked the premise of this book. It had promise to be unique, have some humor, and pull it all together in a love story. Yet, this book just didn't do it for me. I didn't find any humor in the situation of Madelyn's eccentric medieval dress and mannerisms taking storm in London. Instead I found myself cringing multiple times. Talking to her in my head “Noooooo, don't do that!”. Their relationship almost turned into enemies, at least it seemed to be non stop bickering and sizing each other up. Not trusting each other. The non stop talk about how hideous the heroine was. Well, they didn't use those words but it was stated how plain she was so many times that's what it turned into. This gown cut made her look like this and the gown color made her look like that and the droopy ringlets made her look like this. I kept waiting for her to have some sort of transformation or the hero to fully accept her medieval eccentricities but it didn't really happen. The sex is lackluster. I didn't care if they were together. And that's just not how romance should be.

I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.