An Unexpected Gentleman is the second book in the Haverston Family trilogy by Alissa Johnson. While I really enjoyed the first book, this one fell flat for me. I think, however, that part of the reason has to do with my state of mind as much as the story itself – I have been sick and not feeling good makes me cranky. I tend to read romances for light escapism and this book didn’t really let me do that so I got irritated with it. Also, I could not for the life of me remember the heroine’s name. The author actually has the character acknowledge that her name is slightly unusual and gives a reason for it but still, it drove me a little bonkers that she was basically “chick whose name starts with A” for the whole story in my brain.
The premise of the story is that Adelaide Ward is expecting a proposal from Sir Robert, who she doesn’t much care for but who does have five thousand pounds which will go far to helping her family out of their financial straits. Basically, she is out of options and marrying herself off to save them as the responsible sister. As she steels herself to enter the ballroom where she expects him to propose, she encounters a stranger who convinces her to blow off the evening instead. This fellow, Connor Brice, has his own reasons for not wanting Adelaide to accept Sir Robert’s proposal and ends up compromising her the next morning by kissing her in full view of the house guests – and Sir Robert – in the garden. Adelaide must now choose between marrying two men she isn’t really jazzed about. And that was my issue with the book – I wanted escapist fluff from life, not to watch a woman desperately try to make the best of a miserable situation. Connor keeps trying to force Adelaide’s hand and justifies it by insisting that he is doing what’s best for her – and, since this is a romance, it ends up that he is – but I just kept balking at how poor Adelaide had so little agency over her fate. I know it is a common trope in romances but for some reason it just really tasted sour with this book, maybe because the previous one allowed its heroine to be so free spirited. There is of course a happily ever after so it feels churlish to be so negative about it all but I don’t see this one getting a reread – I’ll just go back to Nearly a Lady instead.