3.7 Stars

1820, England 

Rosalind Newbury is engaged to marry a duke even without having a season. Her family sees it as an opportunity to increase their reach. Rosalind agrees to make her family happy. As the wedding date gets closer, she cannot help but feel suffocated and uncomfortable. She barely knows the duke and hasn’t had a chance to live life the way she wanted. 

Rosalind digs out a list from her childhood and is determined to complete it before the wedding. She thinks it’ll make her ready for the marriage. She seeks help from her dearest friend Liza. But Liza’s cousin Charlie also joins the gang. After all, a gentleman-turned-wayward boxer needs something to keep him entertained. 

As Ros ticks off each item on the list, she realizes more about her suppressed self. But with the wedding fast approaching, can she make a decision that’s right for her and her family? Is there a place for love and happy ever after? 

The story comes from Rosalind’s first-person POV. 

This is a straightforward historical romance. It was rather a relief to read something simple and sweet. This is a clean romance, too (not that I mind some steam). 

The pacing is steady. I could finish the book in two days and didn’t have to speed-read either. 

The characters are neither too deep nor shallow. They have the right amount of depth to keep the whole thing light and easy on the mind. 

Rosalind, Charlie, Liza, and Ben are easy to like. They have their flaws but are loving, witty, and family-oriented. Ros can be a little childish, but she isn’t even eighteen, so that’s understandable. 

The banter between Ros and Charlie is fun to read. Some of it is silly, while some of their conversations are thoughtful and heartwarming. 

The secondary characters are also sweet and warm. They don’t get much space, but I can see the potential to turn this into a standalone series. There definitely is a track ready for the next book. 

It has HEA, which is always welcome (with exceptions). We know what will happen. It’s the how that matters, and this was entertaining pretty much throughout. 

I’ll put these in spoilers as these issues can be easily edited in the final manuscript (the release is two months away). 

 

Though the book is from Rosalind’s perspective, it was still jarring to see her mother accept her decision (or the change of her decision) and even support it. A scene earlier in the book to link to this change will make the transition smoother. 

 

Rosalind’s father and the duke have very limited roles. A scene between Rosalind and her father would also make the climax more believable. 

 

We don’t see the duke until toward the end. By then, we already have our loyalties towards another character. The duke has to be live in action early in the book to build a case. It seems unfair that this happens to him (and a couple of dialogues don’t justify it enough). 

 

Rosalind doesn’t even think of updating her list. It seems odd that she’d only want to tick off something she wrote as a child. Maybe have her ponder over the items a little more, delete a couple, and add them back again.

 

To summarize, Miss Newbury's List is a sweet regency romance with pretty likable characters and lighthearted banter. It works great as a breather or a comfort read. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.