Megan Bryce: To Catch a Spinster

Olivia Blakesley, self-proclaimed spinster extraordinaire, is quite happy with her life. She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn’t need a husband, all one needs is the right man…

Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he’s looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?

I have to start the review with the caveat that I don’t think this was a terrible book, just trying to pack too much into a limited word count, so the character development and believability suffered. I generally love the spunky spinsterish heroine who pursues her desires and dreams. However, in the Regency setting it just wasn’t believable. More than unbelievable, it was a bit silly. Contractions and anachronisms aside, the idea that a woman would whistle down a proposal for someone she seemed well suited for felt like a forced plot device.

Better conflict would have been discovery of their romps, or a rival, or illness…I could think of a hundred that would’ve been more appropriate.

This was a fast read and one most folks could finish in a couple of hours. It is filled with many of the tropes of the mass market Reg Rom genre and so will feel familiar and comfortable to Reg readers. However, if you were expecting something fresh or at least funny about Bryce’s take, this probably isn’t the book for you.

I think Bryce has talent and as its the first title from her that I have tried, I am not sure if its just lackluster attention to the genre/era, a tight publishing schedule, or indicative of what to expect.

For a short book, I was also a little taken back at the quick to drop the pants intimate scenes. Without the build up/anticipation, it honestly came across as sort of clinical with the exception of purple prosey descriptions of body parts.

It was that which made me feel a more appropriate title would’ve have been The Education of a Spinster or the Bold and Brass Miss Blakesley. I also would’ve liked the obligatory cover signal, with more bodice ripping to get me prepared for the get-down get-down.

Overall, I would recommend a pass or you find this one on the cheap and treat it like the light, quick read it is.

5 Stars 2.5 out of 6 Little character development, less than steamy intimate scenes and unrealistic H/h love made this a less than favorite read