My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing
Jason Jonquil can't go anywhere, it seems, without hearing at least one of his many brothers praised to the skies. He is hard working and accomplished, but no one seems to notice. Especially Miss Mariposa Thornton. On the surface, she seems quite empty-headed. But Jason is certain she is hiding something. Initially, he wants nothing more than to be rid of the exasperating lady. But as her mask begins to slip, he finds himself wishing she saw him in the same way the world sees his brothers: as a gentleman worthy of admiration, respect and love.
My Review
Bliss! Several years ago when I finished the first four books in the Jonquil Brothers series, I wanted to immediately read the next, A Fine Gentleman, only to discover it was out of print and I could not locate a copy anywhere! So you can imagine how thrilled I was to learn that it was going to be republished, and the day finally arrived that I had it in my eager hands! This is one of my favorite family sagas and the sometimes complicated dynamics between the characters are infused with the trademark light humor of the author.
In the previous books Jason has been pretty straight-laced and even stern. The bond between him and his brothers is obvious, but his harsh criticism of the oldest brother Phillip's facade of an empty-headed dandy created a wedge between them. Mariposa also presents herself to Jason with a mask, and her patronizing treatment of him aggravates him to his wit's end. I think he takes it so personally because she's poking at a particularly sore vulnerability he's struggling with- living up to the examples of his brothers and expectations of his late father. Mariposa's tragic history is unfolded to the reader and then as Jason becomes aware of her fight for survival he is seriously humbled. Learning not to condemn others so quickly is a lesson he then applies to his relationship with his brother, and I appreciated that he came to accept Phillip before learning the truth of why he has been putting on an act for so many years. I loved seeing the continuation of Phillip and Sorrel's story and the way he also helped resolve some of Mariposa's fears. Once Jason and Mariposa let their guard down with each other they have hilarious banter and great romantic chemistry. I love how he becomes her hero and the confidence it gives him of his purpose in life. I also appreciated that Mariposa finds an important purpose as well, one that is close to her heart as a survivor of war. Highly recommend this book and the entire series!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Don't miss the first books in The Jonquil Brothers series! They read well as stand alones but of course I recommend reading them in order for maximum enjoyment :)
Click on the covers to learn more about each book (affiliate link)
Follow the Blog Tour:
March 10th
Don't miss the first books in The Jonquil Brothers series! They read well as stand alones but of course I recommend reading them in order for maximum enjoyment :)
Click on the covers to learn more about each book (affiliate link)
Follow the Blog Tour:
March 6th
March 7th
March 8th
March 9th
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