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In Lady Be Bad, the kick-off to Megan Frampton’s newest series, Lady Eleanor Howlett is carrying the burden of resurrecting her family’s reputation after her younger sister ran off with a dance instructor (the horror!). Thus, she must marry the man chosen for her, one Lord Carson. Lord Carson, is far too busy running his estates to get to know the woman he is to marry, so he dispatches his younger brother Alexander to do the job. Alexander and Eleanor quickly discover a compatibility that not only pushes the boundaries of propriety, but decimates them completely.
In order to maintain the conceit of Eleanor’s betrothal to Lord Carson, while continuing to develop the relationship with Alexander, Ms. Frampton has to do some high-wire tricks with truth and deceit. To her credit, she executes it successfully, complete with her trademark banter and strong characterizations. I greatly enjoyed these characters and getting to know the other sisters with whom we will inevitably spend more time as the series progresses. I did have an issue with the use of deceit as a major plot point, as it’s one barrier I cannot cross, but even if, like me, you are averse to this plot device, I’d still actually recommend the book. Just know going in that you’ll be spending time with lovely people forced by circumstances to engage in cloak and dagger antics to explore their love for one another. Get past that, however, and then get to know these folks. The scenes in the bookshop are worth the price of admission alone, I promise.
So, with that out of the way, why should you read this book? First of all, it has a fantastic focus on female agency. Eleanor is determined to do right by her sisters; not only the three remaining in the house, but by the one who abandoned them. While she is constrained for sure, the idea of her making choices is a theme throughout the novel. When it comes time to make a choice between social propriety and love, the conversations Eleanor has with her sisters about the topic is lovely. In a time period where women’s agency was so very limited, it’s an excellent reminder to read something where the characters still struggle with that.
Second of all, Alexander is hot as hell and his dedication to making Eleanor see herself that way as well is, shall we say, admirable.
Third of all, Alexander’s hero’s journey is lovely. He can’t imagine himself in the prescribed role of the spare, and so has convinced himself that his activities are worthless, even when they are lovely and for the public good. Through embracing the vulnerability he feels with Eleanor, Alexander learns that his role in the family is distinct but significant and has grown into himself fully by the end of the novel.
There is much to enjoy in Lady Be Bad, which was a complete delight once I set aside the lying part. I’m very much looking forward to further installments in this world – especially considering a certain letter sent to Eleanor towards the end of the novel. Those of you who get there – did you see it coming? Anyway, thanks for this introduction to the sisters, Ms. Frampton! I cannot wait to see where your pen takes them.
Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes and Noble/iBooks/Kobo
Grade: B
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 31/07/17
Publication Date: 07/2017
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
Voracious reader, with a preference for sassy romances and happily ever afters. In a relationship with coffee, seeing whiskey on the side.
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Ooh. I’m game for any book that has “female agency” as a focus. Sounds excellent.
This sounds very interesting. Ms. Frampton will be a new author for me. [HOORAY for AAR…your reviews always provide insight and help me to discover new reads.] I’m looking forward to a new discovery.
This sounds great! I also don’t like the idea of a deceit plot but it can be interesting to see how a good author works around it. Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the giveaway. I don’t think I’ve read this author.
Whenever you guys get a chance to read it, make sure to come back here and let me know your thoughts! I’d love to know if the deceit bothered you the way it did me, or if that’s just my personal tick. Plus, we can all get excited together for the future installments!
Can’t wait to read this book. The premise sounds interesting.
I love a good historical. This was a great review and has me interested in the book. I’m intrigued how the hero is going to pull off a relationship with his brother’s fiance. Hmmm.
The two books of Ms. Frampton’s I’ve read were very enjoyable. This one sounds good, too! I will look forward to reading it. What happened in the bookstore? What was written in the letter? I’ll find out soon.
This sounds interesting. I love trying out new authors.
I’m intrigued to find out more about the scenes in the bookshop now! Alexander sounds very appealing, and I can’t wait to read about him and Eleanor.
One of the best things about reading is discovering new authors…..maybe this will be my first Megan Frampton?
This one sounds good! I have a couple books sitting on my kindle by Frampton, but I haven’t read anything by her yet. I keep hearing great things about her books so I’m going to have to bump them up to the top of my tbr,
After reading the remarks, I am very curious to see what the deceit aspect of the story entails.