DARING MISS DANVERS is Book 1 in Vivienne Lorret's Wallflower Wedding series. DARING MISS DANVERS contains some of my favorite romance tropes: a pretend engagement and marriage of convenience. Oliver Goswick and Emma Danvers have known each other for what seems like forever. He is a good friend of her brother Rafe and their families have always been close. When Oliver needs a very proper fiancée to parade in front of his grandmother, Emma is the first woman he thinks of to fit the bill. I like that he is up front with Emma and her family about the predicament he's in. I also like the reason he's so desperate for the inheritance from his grandmother is not for any frivolous concerns.

There are many things about DARING MISS DANVERS that stand out to me and make me love it. Oliver, Viscount Rathburn is not the irredeemable rake that Emma first supposes him to be. After floundering for a brief period after his father's tragic death in a fire, he has turned his life around and is working hard to commemorate his father's life in a meaningful way that will benefit others. He has a nice blend of bad boy sexiness and good guy sweetness. Emma is also not quite what she appears to be. Oliver first picks her to impress his grandmother because she is a stickler for proper decorum, and Emma reigns supreme in that regard. However, when they seal their bargain with a kiss, sparks fly. I was happy to get a window into Oliver's mind to see the evolution of his feelings for Emma.

DARING MISS DANVERS brings romance to the forefront of the story in a big way. There are a million little gestures and sweet nothings that make my heart melt while reading Emma and Oliver's love story. The many flirtations they share build the anticipation, making it all the more satisfying when they finally give in to their feelings. I also like how they both had a fear of being found lacking as a person. Oliver is able to recognize this similarity before Emma.

Vivienne Lorret does a good job of explaining Emma's reticence toward getting involved emotionally with Oliver. Her view of what a successful relationship or a successful life should be is colored by her observations of her parents and their way of life. The lesson she learned from her parents being spurned by society for their artistic endeavors is to suppress her own artistic impulses. She also worries that the passion she starts to feel for Oliver will result in her unleashing her other impulses.

I love the romance and unconventional characters packed in this story. DARING MISS DANVERS is a charming story with a swoon-worthy romance and great characters! I eagerly await the next books in this series to see what's in store for Emma's friends.

Book Summary

It's all fun and games … until someone falls in love.

Oliver Goswick, Viscount Rathburn, needs money—and soon. With time ticking away and his inheritance held hostage until he's properly wed, Rathburn's slim options point to a single solution: a faux engagement. In need of the perfect bride, he knows of only one candidate: his best friend's wallflower sister. The plan seems flawless, except for one problem …

He can't help falling in love with her.

Poised, polished Emma Danvers knows nothing good can come of Rathburn's scheme. Spending the next two months engaged in a mock courtship is not what she'd imagined for her final season. Yet, charmed by his roguish ways and the inexplicable hammering he causes in her heart, she accepts his challenge.

For Emma, keeping the secret seemed easy when it was just a game …

But as Rathburn begins to see past her reserved exterior to the passionate woman within, the risk of losing her heart becomes all too real.

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