Not So Sweet Maria by Jessica Spencer (Review)

Not So Sweet Maria
(Sisters by Marriage #1)
by Jessica Spencer
Adult Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 178 Pages
June 1st 2017 by Unit Books

Summary

LOVE UNDER MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

Lady Maria despises the hypocritical ways of Polite Society. Fiercely loyal to her American mother, she is determined not to marry a nobleman and agrees to an arranged match for the sole purpose of keeping her persistent suitors at bay. Then, most unexpectedly, she finds love with a commoner. Only, he isn’t a commoner but the Earl of Daventon.

The Earl of Daventon believes love is a quagmire but falls in love with a mysterious young woman who dresses like a shop girl and behaves like a lady. He finds a remedy in accepting an arranged match with Lady Maria, whom he hasn’t seen.

All of which leads to a delightful tangle.

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My Review

NOT SO SWEET MARIA was an endearingly sweet story with a touch of mystery and a little humor. Those who enjoy sweet Regency romance may enjoy this one.

I thought the characters were quite likable and the dialogue fairly fun. I always enjoy stories where there is some witty banter, which definitely is present here. The plot had a few twists and started off really well. I enjoyed the historical setting and how everything was described. I also loved Gareth's family and how he interacts with them. I also liked how Maria interacts with them and how her relationship with her grandmother changes. The hint of danger towards the end was a nice touch.

There were several things I would have liked improved or developed more... I thought the various points of view weren't all necessary and also distracted from the story in parts. I would have preferred to just have had two POVs from the heroine and hero. I also liked the whole disguise twist until it became a little overdone about half-way through. There were also some parts that were more like information dumps versus being weaved through the story. I also didn't quite believe Maria's blindness towards a specific issue. It just felt off for her character and background.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed the story even though I also had some issues with it.

Content: Clean

Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.

What do you think? Will you be reading this one?

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