A few years ago I started hearing about some fantastic self published historical romance novellas by a new author, Alexandra Vasti, In Which Margo Halifax Earns her Shocking Reputation and In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint. Naturally, I acquired them, plus a third one, In Which Winnie Halifax is Utterly Ruined. I bought them, but because of brain things, I never read them. The first two have been collected in one volume, The Halifax Hellions, which is being released next week. I’m trying to be better about reading more than just advance reader copies, but it’s a process. So I’m delighted to say that Alexandra Vasti wrote some excellent historical romance novellas and I really enjoyed reading them.
Margo and Mathilda are twins, wealthy and highly connected. When they made their social debut, they disliked all the restrictions society tried to impose on them, so they made a point of seeing how far they could push their luck. When the novellas begin, it’s been a few years, and they are at an inflection point. Mathilda is tired of being a Hellion, and so is Margo, but she doesn’t know how to change. When Mathilda decides to run off with a much older aristocrat, Margo asks her brother’s good friend, Henry, a solicitor, to accompany her to Greta Green to stop the elopement.
Henry has been in love with Margo for years. The forced proximity of the carriage ride makes it impossible for them to behave properly in a very improper for the time situation. Margo has to face that she’s grown beyond being a Halifax Hellion and consider why Henry was the person she turned to in this crisis. Margo and Henry both give sweet, kind of anxious golden retriever energy. They just want everyone to be happy.
Christian de Bord is the grumpy, intimidating, possibly murderous Marquess of Ashford and his wrath is set on Mathilda Halifax because she drew erotic illustrations of him that were published in a pamphlet. Romance logic is different from reality logic in that the emotional logic is more important than realism. For the story, it makes complete sense for Mathilda to fake elope with Christian so that she can travel to his estate to teach his sister how to paint. Mathilda is tired of London and being one of the Hellions. Christian and Mathilda have been half in love with each other since before they met, but he is stern, and she is cautious with her emotions. Of the two novellas, this one was my favorite.
I received this as an advance reader copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
