| Title | : | Unbuttoning the Innocent Miss (Wallflowers to Wives #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0373298897 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780373298891 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 |
| Publication | : | First published July 1, 2016 |
Simple in theory, but how can the ton's most eligible catch, Jonathon Lashley, concentrate on his French lessons with Miss Claire Welton when all he wants is to claim that delectable mouth with a heart-stopping kiss?
Wallflower Claire has loved dashing Jonathon for years—and this Season, she's finally doing something about it! Except the closer she gets, the more she realizes how little she really knows him, and how much he has to teach her…especially about the art of seduction!
Unbuttoning the Innocent Miss (Wallflowers to Wives #1) Reviews
-
I've given this a C- at AAR, so 2.5 stars. As my original note said - this author can do better.
I’ve enjoyed a number books by Bronwyn Scott in the past and have generally rated those I’ve reviewed in the B range, but for some reason her latest title, Unbuttoning the Innocent Miss, which is the first in a new series, proved to be big disappointment. The writing is good, the characters are attractive, and the love scenes are nice and steamy, but the story is rather disjointed and ultimately the whole thing just doesn’t gel.
Miss Claire Welton is the daughter of a viscount, but, like her three friends, Bridget, May and Evie (who I assume will feature in the other books in the series), is something of a wallflower. A disastrous incident which saw her wearing a dress identical to the one worn by the belle of the ton, at her début and the fact that the only marriage proposal she has ever received was from a pompous baron who didn’t want a wife with a brain badly dented her confidence and made her decide that life was safer viewed from the sidelines. But Bridget, who at the beginning of the book announces that she’s pregnant – has decided that enough is enough and that it’s time for her friends to get out there and show society what they’re made of. Evie is too shy and retiring, May is too outspoken and Claire’s intelligence intimidates most men, but as Bridget rightly insists, “nothing will change until we do” and they shouldn’t be content to live the life that society is going to impose upon them. It’s Post-Regency Girl-Power.
Jonathon Lashley is one of society’s darlings. Handsome, intelligent, charming, and heir to a title, he’s an extremely eligible bachelor and is on the verge of securing a prestigious diplomatic post in Vienna, one which will enable him to take part in important negotiations designed to keep the peace in Europe. With the support of Lord Belvoir, whose daughter, Cecilia – a cartoonish, curl-tossing spoilt bitch - will make the ideal diplomatic wife, Jonathon’s appointment is all but assured, except for one thing. While he can understand French and write it fluently, his ability to speak it has deserted him, and as French is the international language of diplomacy, without facility in the spoken language, he will not be offered the post.
Claire has been in love with Jonathon since she was nine years old, but he barely notices her. That said, she has made an art out of not being noticed, so I suppose one can’t exactly blame him for that. With Bridget spurring her on, and some nifty needlework from Evie who makes over some of her dreary frocks, Claire attends a dinner at May’s home at which Jonathon is also in attendance, and is rather alarmed when she discovers that May has manipulated the seating plans so that they are seated opposite one another. When Claire hears him mangling some French, she instinctively corrects him, which is somewhat of a faux-pas, but he doesn’t take it badly, and in fact, thinks that perhaps she is just the person he needs to help him to improve his spoken French.
Jonathon is intrigued and just a bit smitten with this new, bolder Claire, and naturally the time alone afforded by their lessons gives them the opportunity to talk and get to know each other a bit. The author draws an interesting parallel between Claire’s lack of choices – or any woman’s for that matter – and Jonathon’s restlessness at doing nothing other than being charming in ballrooms and his feeling that he’s just waiting for something to happen, and I did like the underlying message that life is what you make it.
The main problem with the book, though, is that Ms. Scott has tried to cram too much into it, and the romance comes across as rather superficial because not enough time is devoted to developing it. Early on in their relationship, Jonathan wonders if Claire is interested in someone; Claire allows him to think that she is and Jonathon suggests that perhaps their being seen spending time in each other’s company will pique the other man’s interest. This plot-point goes nowhere – the two of them are spending time together anyway, so there no need for them to invent reasons to be together. Jonathon’s almost overwhelming need to get to Vienna and recent inability to speak French are tied up with the guilt he feels over his younger brother’s disappearance – likely his death – at the Battle of Waterloo, but it all feels very wishy-washy. Claire very quickly realises that Jonathon’s problem is exacerbated when he sees French written down because he can’t make the words he sees sound right, and then, hey-presto! within a very short time his spoken French is back to normal even though he’d worked for months before with another tutor to no avail.
Confession time; I make my living teaching languages (mostly French) so I did roll my eyes at some of the issues that came up with Jonathon’s pronunciation, and struggled with the concept that he could speak French provided he didn’t have to read out loud. I don’t know, perhaps that really is a thing; and I suppose that I should remember that this is a romance novel, and this is the device by which the author contrives to throw the hero and heroine into each other’s company on a daily basis – and not think about it too much. But I can’t deny that it bothered me enough to take me out of the story a few times.
While both Jonathon and Claire are reasonably engaging, neither is especially memorable, and it has to be said that Claire is rather too good to be true; the worst that can be said of her is that she has allowed herself to be intimidated into fading into the background. I did, however, like the idea of her emerging from the shadows to find herself and put her life back on track, but then she had to go and ruin it by pulling the “I’m leaving you for your own good” card, something I hate, especially when, as here, it’s nothing but an obvious plot device used to try to inject a bit of uncertainty about the outcome.
Unbuttoning the Innocent Miss – and I’m sorry to once again complain about something over which the author may have had no control, but I can’t figure out what the hell that title has to do with ANYTHING about the actual story! – is a rather weak start to Ms. Scott’s new series, and I’m afraid I can’t recommend it. She’s an author I generally enjoy, but the underdeveloped romance and overall lack of depth to the story mean I’m putting this one down as a misfire. -
ARC given by Netgalley and Harlequin for honest review.
Rating 3.5
This was a pleasant read (sorry that's the word that comes to mind :)). It was a steady plot, interesting but not real engaging. Writing was good.
Claire has always had a thing for Jonathon, but she was the quiet and shy one. Jonathon thought highly of Claire but never really showed interest in "that" way for her.
Claire has had her season but never really was noticed and she played down her looks and subdued her personality. But she has heard rumors Jonathan might have possibly picked a bride and is headed to an appointment in Vienna.
But Jonathan has a problem, his french is horrible and if he want this post in Vienna he'll need to improve. This is where Claire comes in, she speaks four languages and French beautifully.
Jonathan askes for Claire's help as his tutor had a family emergency and had to leave for Paris. This is the opportunity for Claire to spend time with Jonathan. The time the two spend together and get to know each other, they develop strong and deep feeling for each other. And so the story of their romance.
It was slow and steady. Both characters had depth, were intelligent and likable. It wasn't a "wow" read but I did find it worth the time to read. -
Terrible title, enjoyable book. Jonathon and Claire are a wonderful pairing, and this is the perfect example of how to write a wallflower/bluestocking well, and have her save herself in the end.
-
Disclosure: I requested this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Harlequin and to Bronwyn Scott for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.
* * *
This is a 3.5-star book for me.
* * *
For three seasons now, Claire Weston and her friends have been content to play the wallflowers -- the ones who fade into the background, and are usually the first ones to leave any event, not that anyone even noticed.
When one of her dear friends drops a life-changing bombshell on them, Claire sees it as a wake-up call, and decides she is tired of playing the wallflower. She's loved Jonathon Lashley since she was a little girl, and, when Claire starts to hear whispers of Jonathon about to propose marriage to someone else, she realizes that she must act now.
With her friends' help, Claire transforms her wardrobe, and herself -- the plan was only to make Jonathon just notice her -- but the universe gives Claire a better opportunity: Jonathon is eyeing the diplomacy post in Vienna, and he needs someone to help him with his French. Claire is an expert in four languages, and she volunteers to help Jonathon.
Bronwyn Scott's characters need to sort out a few things before they get their happily-ever-after: Claire must overcome her doubts and find confidence in who she is, then she must stand up against Cecilia Northam, reigning belle of the ball, and happens to be the lady Jonathon is intending to propose marriage to. Jonathon needs to overcome his injury and, with Claire's help, learn to speak French again. He also needs to remove society's blinders and see and appreciate the gem that is standing right in front of him.
There's a reason why a seasoned diplomat like Jonathon can't speak French -- during the war, Jonathon was injured and it affected his ability to speak French. And, it isn't ambition or fame that Jonathon is after -- there's a reason why Jonathon is desperate to get the diplomatic post: he is still looking for his brother, who remains missing from the war. Jonathon wants to use his position to try to locate his brother and finally bring him home. It's a dream that has consumed Jonathon, and, if it means making compromises and marrying a girl not of his choosing, then Jonathon is willing to make the sacrifice.
Claire is the first of the shy violets who is embarking on a journey of discovering herself. Society pegged them as wallflowers, and they were only too happy to oblige, but Claire is tired of staying in the shadows, watching the dazzling world dance past her. I love that Claire and her friends are taking steps to change their situations -- and I love that the physical make-over is kept at a minimum and the author really focuses on how Claire changes her mindset: on how she views herself, and how she views society. What I also appreciate about Scott's take on the wallflowers trope is how she shows the mental struggle that Claire deals with: fighting her insecurities and her doubts, so she could present the best and most real version of herself to the people around her. In the novel, there are several instances when Claire gives in to her wallflower side and runs away from the party. The author shows a lot of the inner debate that goes through Claire's mind during each event -- and it's a very relatable experience.
I'n trying to decide if Jonathon's transformation is from enchanted to disenchanted or vice versa: he was a master of moving around society, and knew exactly what to say to who and when. But, being around Claire, Jonathon discovers that he's been wearing a mask all along. I think it's wonderful when you find someone who brings out not just the best in you, but also the most authentic version of yourself.
This is a solid, straightforward story -- I do wish the author delved more into the emotions and the growing intimacy between the main characters, but it was enjoyable as it is. -
Unbuttoning the Innocent Miss is the first book in the Wallflower to Wives series by Bronwyn Scott.
This is the story of Claire Welton. She became a wallflower after a humiliating moment during her come out 3 seasons ago. She and 3 of her friends decide that it's time to stop being wallflowers and to strike out for what they want. In Claire's case what she wants, or more to the point, WHO she wants is Jonathon Lashley, one of the most eligible men of the Ton.
Jonathon is set to marry, not for love, but for political gain. He desperately needs a post in Vienna where he hopes to work for peace abroad. Peace that will allow him to search for his brother in France. Supposedly dead, but no body has ever been found. If he marries Camille, the woman in question, her father will ensure that he gets the post. He doesn't question his plans until he notices Claire.
With the help of her friends she is no longer the plain Jane, but an attractive woman who with a few altered dresses, hinting at her figure, and a little more confidence, finally attracts Jonathon's eye. Now that he is finally paying attention to her, he realises that she is quite an intelligent witty woman. She is also fluent in 4 different languages, including French. He desperately needs a French tutor who can help him recapture the ability of speaking the language. All other avenues have failed and he hopes that by asking Claire she will be able to help him where others have failed. He needs to be a fluent French speaker to be able to take up the peace bringing role in Vienna.
That is how they end up spending time together, and how they realise that they want each other, perhaps need each other. Of course Jonathon can't give up his future betrothed, not if he wants to be able to become a peace bringer. Even if he is willing to give up his dreams, and his need to look for his brother, Claire can't ask that of him. He has to marry Camille, he has no choice, does he?
This was a very pleasant book, with a wide variety of emotional scenes, from extremely sad ones, to passionate ones, and to sweet funny ones. I love the way the wallflower begins to shine, how her confidence grows and how she learns to stand up for herself. People have been nasty to her before, and she's let them, it definitely won't happen again. I love that this book is more than just a romance, it's the story of triumph, of a woman coming into her own, no more being humiliated. It's the first of a series, and I can't wait to read her 3 friend's stories and how they too learn to shine.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. -
Enjoyable read.
-
3+
Hampered being the first book of four, because would-be story and development with a couple I enjoyed was expended elsewhere, attending to exposition and set up. There's enough here to satisfy, but the read was a bit rushed and a bit muddled making sure every soon-to-have-their-own-story lass had their groundwork laid.
Even the epilogue was 'go buy the next book, eh?' Which, I get. But as a reader, I didn't love. The book had room to both give this couple a rousing send-off and usher in the next story.
The choice to give Claire's rival a C-name might have been on purpose but it was more confusing than clever. Just desserts used vs just deserts. Purplish sex scenes saved by having emotion and character also in play. I'm not sure I fully understood what happened to the brother--and maybe that was the point. A few other things not-quites but none deal breakers.
Jonathan & Claire are interesting, flawed, and a very good fit. They're a great better-together, better-because, true-selves, couple. I like that J came to awareness about what he wanted (everything) before maybe C did, and went after it, rather than let her maneuver him around & get talked out of it. J wasn't one of those who thought 'well certainly I desire her but that doesn't mean anything' he loves her and knows it, is sensitive and faceted, and it's nice. I like that Claire didn't retreat after finding her grit again. She's brave and deserving and takes hold of happiness, and it's nice. Earned ending and being together and they're gonna go have a fulfilling, adventurous HEA. -
A beautifully written historical romance. Personally, I thought the historical part was well researched, the romantic relationship fulfilling and, individually, both Claire and Jonathon were written realistically. Especially Jonathon's trauma with speaking the French language, after the loss of his brother during the war with France, was spot on. Claire helps him by her sheer empathy and her demand of the French language. And by falling in love with her, he opens up again. I speak French myself, so those scenes were extra special for me.
It's rare that I relate so much to a heroine as I did Claire: she speaks four languages, she loves books, but also she has a tendency to want to hide. Jonathon and Claire's story of falling in love and becoming equal partners worked on all levels, in my opinion. I read this book in a day. Beautiful. I can't recommend it enough; hot and romantic with a relatable storyline. And let's not forget, learning to speak a language can be sexy.
P.S. The English title of the book does the book injustice and doesn't make it stand out as it deserves. What about To Kiss in French? I've seen it translated as such elsewhere. -
Sconcertante * *
Di regola Bronwyn Scott mi piace, ma questo romanzo è davvero troppo inverosimile: il comportamento di Claire potrebbe capirsi (forse) in un contemporaneo, non sullo sfondo del 1821. E il finale è un concentrato di assurdità.
Recensione a cura di Teresa Siciliano per il Blog di Babette Brown. -
3,5*
-
A good Book A bluestocking who is become a wallflower almost by choice, a wounded Hero both physically and mentally. French language as a way to connect
-
Opět historická romance. Jak už to u takových knih bývá, skvělé čtivo na relaxaci o večerech.
Za mě spokojenost. Na vypnutí mysli ideální. -
Claire and her friends are wallflowers. They are heading in to their third season with no prospects in sight. A mistake leads to a decision amongst their little group. They will each work together to help the girls go from wallflowers to wives. Claire's friends help her with new clothes, and arrange for her to tutor the man she's been wanting in French. Jonathan is wanting a job working in France, but since an accident has lost his ability to speak french. He must get a tutor and quickly learn the language again if he wants a chance at the prime position. Claire speaks fluent french. The perfect opportunity has landed in her lap. Now she must have the courage to take back what she lost.
This was a fun story. The author did a great job of creating drama in several areas and some tension among the characters. The chemistry between the two main characters was great. I also really enjoyed the story of the wallflower friends. That theme alone will bring me back to the next book in the series. The title is a bit misleading. While there were some "hot" scenes, the book was so much more than a bodice ripper. Overall, this was a fun, adventurous story that fans of romance, history, and drama will enjoy.
I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review -
Claire is one of a group of Wallflowers who have decided to seize their own destinies. She has had a crush on one of the brother-of-a-friend's friends, one she never pursued after the popular girls insulted her during her Season. Instead, she retreated into herself and studied. She ends up fluent in four languages, including French, which is where Jonathon comes in.
He has no idea that she's nursed a crush on him for all these years, but he needs a French tutor and Claire is right there.
Throughout, both the H and h are charming and likable. Jonathon's brother drama wasn't too interesting to me, but it gave a good reason for him wanting to achieve his goals, even at the cost of love. I appreciated that Claire was always described as pretty, just not really fashionable and far too willing to fade into the background, so her change was believable.
I'll definitely read the next books in the series, I am assuming the things that didn't get wrapped up very neatly will be addressed in next books (I loved that ).
Overall, highly recommended if you like any of the trope shelves I listed it under. -
"Wild and wonderful! Wallflowers unite and conquer in Scott’s newest release, book one of her Wallflowers to Wives series. This new series is hot, sexy and original — another Scott triumph! Readers will enjoy the strong characters and the continuous action" (4 stars @ RT Book Reviews).
Miniseries:
Wallflowers to Wives
I can't wait for the next book in this series! I really enjoyed this one and want to know what happens next. Basically 4 wallflowers are determined not to be wallflowers any longer, especially after one of them reveals a spicy secret. They encourage and help each other when needed and the rest of the series promises to be so much fun. In Unbuttoning the Innocent Miss, French lessons are the stepping stone used to get the wallflower her groom. The hero's backstory is heart breaking but the heroine helps him and in so doing proves she loves him but she doesn't believe she is the one for him if he is to be happy. He believes otherwise but will he convince her or will she remain a wallflower forever. ~ Kim -
I almost feel like I read the wrong book because the title of this novel is not fitting of its plot. I enjoyed the romance, although there wasn't much that made it stand out to me. It was nice and short but included very interesting characters. I enjoyed the quartet of friends but I wish they had been more involved throughout the plot. I did enjoy there being an evil girl out to get the male lead but it was very high school, the way she went about it, with her snarkiness. Overall it was good and included some spicy scenes that lacked many details, particularly concerning bodily fluids.
https://slbuchanan.wordpress.com/2016... -
Its a buy buy book.
I was perhaps a little disappointed in this book as I believe the author could have written more into it... However, I am never completely disappointed as the writer is a very good one.
Now...
A good summer read. It has such a range of emotions that you are engaged in the story wondering what is going to happen next. The plot line is interesting and engaging at times. I liked the characters and the way it flows from one part to the next. So all in all... a good summer read! I look forward to more from this author in this series.
I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom -
Having read Bronwyn Scott before I knew I would like this book. I have been fortunate enough to find a first in the Wallflower to Wives series. Enjoyed every minute of this story. Loved the characters of Claire, Evie, May and Bea. Having been a wallflower myself I understood the idea of "nothing will change until we do" that empowers them. Now to have the patience to wait for book #2 in October. Always nice to have something to look forward to.
-
Miniseries:
Wallflowers to Wives
I would give him French lesson any day. Well, if I knew how to speak it. LOL But seriously, this was a great book. i enjoyed the energy it seemed to contain. Watching these two find love together deprived me of sleep but it was worth it. ~ Kim -
Really good historical romance, about a woman in her third season out. Claire is adept at languages and helps the ton's most eligible catch with his French lessons. Love and acceptance ensues. Would like to read the following three books in the series. If you like getting away to English ballrooms filled with scheming young misses and even a well deserved slap, this may be the book for you.
-
I liked this romance, where a woman decides that she's going to stop hiding and start being more herself and hope to get the man she has fancied for ages but had been afraid of clashing with her rival.
Claire Welton is a great character and I also liked how Jonathon Lashley finds himself torn between the two women and eventually making a decision that he is sure he won't regret -
This is a densely written story with interesting characters and a plot that keeps you reading. The premise is different and it does have an HEA. If you have the time this is a small book that you must
digest slowly. There is no cliffhanger.
