June Calvin: A Lord for Olivia

Fiercely independent Olivia Ormhill hasn’t trusted a man since her former fianc betrayed her. She meets Lord Edmund Debham and believes him to be nothing more than a rakish opportunist. However, she is overwhelmed by his disarming honesty. When her former fianc returns, Olivia and Edmund must decide how much their unspoken passion is worth.

An impoverished Lord Edmund Debham has returned from the wars to be cast off from his family and left with nothing but his horse and the clothes on his back. Stumbling into a little tavern, he decides to use his skill at the turn of the cards to win a little money.

And this is when things go from bad to worse.

After a silly, funny scene, Lord Edmund is led away to the Ormhill estate to marry Ormhill’s sister-who must marry a lord or forfeit her inheritance.

A departure from more traditional Regencies, we get a full taste of farm living in A Lord for Olivia. There are lots of in depth stories about haying and farming that frankly I mostly skimmed through. And with a traditional Regency villain thrown in, this provincial farce is at times funny, whimsical and a bit saggy in parts.

The H/h are what they should be: headstrong, determined to make their own way and very clever. Some will find the romance unrealistic, others will fall head over ears in love–I enjoyed what I thought was a fair passage of time and maturation to help the H/h realize first friendship, then love. In addition to the over-the-top villianry, there is also a heavy hand on the miscommunication romance trope, but its done artfully enough that it adds a pleasing amount of tension rather than disgusted frustration.

Its not the most historically accurate Reg. Rom, but it also manages to capture the essence of the era that Reg. readers will enjoy. It also is light on the hot and heavy, so vanilla and clean Reg. readers will be on happy footing.

Honestly, I would have liked a bit more on Edmund’s travels–he seemed interesting and I think his experience was a good foil for the more cloistered existence of the heroine, Olivia.

I definitely enjoyed the book overall and will be on the lookout for more June Calvins. She has a pleasant writing style, that sometimes ridiculous and sometimes obtuse, is generally entertaining and on track for a solid traditional Reg. Rom.

5 Stars 4 out of 6 Clean, pastoral set Reg Rom will delight some readers and bore others. I enjoyed the funnier, light hearted banter and groaned a bit during the villianry.