The Unlikely Lady by Valerie Bowman

I had read the first book in this series , The Unexpected Duchess, and noted that, while I thought the author was trying to make the main characters Lucy and Derek similar to Beatrice and Benedick, the honor belonged more to her friend Jane and the man I called Lucy's brother, Derek. Well, this is their book only Derek is actually Garrett, a very good cousin of Jane's and they more or less grew up together. And while I think the author was still shooting for a play on "Much Ado about Nothing," it just didn't work for me. I did enjoy most of the book however and made it all the way through to the HEA.

Jane doesn't want to get married. She is a student of Mary Wollstonecraft and thinks that men are thoroughly unnecessary, even pests. However, her mother thinks differently. Which is why Jane resurrects the fictional Miss Bunbury from the second book in this series, makes her a Mrs., and creates a fictional chaperone so she can attend the first week of Lucy's houseparty by herself.
Garrett, for his part, is an avowed bachelor.  He is also a big softy who has been supporting the widow of his dear friend for years. Mainly because he feels responsible for the man's death. Now, the widow has invited herself to his cousin's party, mainly to follow him around. Somehow, she seems threatened by Jane. Is it the fact that at the masquerade ball, Jane and Garrett kissed (well, rather more than that) not knowing who the other one was?
I honestly think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had just been an exploration of Jane and Garrett's relationship. Isabella, the widow, was a complication that didn't need to happen. She helped bring about the ending... sort of... but it was the ending given to Hero and Claudio in the Shakespeare play so I was rather confused.
This book comes out next Tuesday and is an okay read, but if you're a fan of the Bard, this might not be the book for you.

Preceded by Playful Brides #1 The Unexpected Duchess (I DNF'd the second book)

The Importance of Being Alice by Katie MacAlister

Image linked from Goodreads

While the romance in this story is a little fast for me and the "madcap adventure" just a teeny bit too madcap for me, I overall enjoyed the story.
Alice is about to get engaged to Patrick. Well, they were about to get engaged. They even bought tickets to a cruise in Europe, but then Patrick found somebody new. That somebody is his friend Elliot's sister.
Elliot is in sort of a hash himself. He's inherited a falling-down castle and doesn't want to accept help. His family is the general sort of crazy that you see in this type of story. And sequel bait (but bait I definitely look forward to being baited by.) As a writer, he needs quiet so he jumps at a chance to take Patrick's ticket, on the understanding that Alice is not going to be there.
But that is where Patrick has once again done his almost-fiancee wrong. Alice shows up for the trip. Now, she's generally a go-with-the-flow type of gal. But finding out that her trip of a lifetime is on a boat that's falling a part and there's a lordly gentleman with a stick up his ass already in her room... she's not to excited. Until she gets to know the lord a little better.

The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins

Image linked from Goodreads

I normally don't like the historicals set in Scotland (why, I couldn't tell you. I think I OD'd at some point and haven't gotten back to them.) So why request this book from NetGalley? I really do like Karen Hawkins and didn't notice the setting. But I still enjoyed this book.
We have two strong characters, Prince Alexsey Romanovin and Bronwyn Murdoch. When they first meet, neither knows who the other is. It's a really sweet meet-cute.
Alexsey is only interested in Bronwyn because he thinks she's a maid (someone he can dally with.) Bronwyn, at twenty-four, with a disastrous season behind her, is not at all interested in marriage but her station makes her out of his reach.
The prince was a bit overbearing and the machinations of both their families were a bit much for me. Also, I would have liked to know more about their life once they got back to the gypsies, but I overall liked Bronwyn and Alexsey overall and think that regular Hawkins readers will as well.