Ratings24
Average rating4.3
"Readers will easily fall for Sophie and Ned in their gaslit surroundings." -Library Journal, starred review A Courtship of Convenience Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things. A Last Chance for Love But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was a really sweet little book. Sophie and Ned were such good characters. A perfect, quick Christmassy read.
A short and sweet Christmas romance. If you love Mr. Thornton and North and South you don't want to miss out on this novella.
Easy, comforting, charming read
Exactly the sort of charming and one-sitting holiday read I was looking for. I enjoyed the subtle references to Gaskell's North and South, and appreciated the author note at the end, being a Victorian history nerd myself.
I did ultimately enjoy this one, but it certainly frustrated me. I was left wondering, especially in the first 25% why Sophie was pursuing the relationship when Ned was giving her absolutely so sign that he was even interested in her. The selfishness of her family, especially her father, drove me crazy, and I really wanted some kind of a comeuppance for him, especially after it's revealed that he used both his daughters' dowries on modernizations for his house . Finally, it bugged me that Sophie had to do all the work for her HEA. I'm not convinced, even after reading Ned's POV, that he deserved her because he put in such little effort.