The Honorable Mr. Malcolm has a secret. This elusive matrimonial prize, long the target of desperate debutantes and their matchmaking mothers, is well known for his fastidiousness. What is not well known is that he has a list of qualifications for his future bride. Can any woman hope to win the heart of such a hardened critic? Selina Dalton can only try her best. And when she begins to succeed, Jeremy Malcolm is not sure whether he has discovered the perfect woman… Or the perfect hoax.
Led on by promises that this was funny, I delved excitedly in to Mr. Malcolm’s List. Based on the perfect match list trope, I think the heart is comedically based, but the execution fell a little flat for me. Or at least, the hero immediately rubbed me the wrong way and I never got over it.
The perfect match list trope is familiar but not officially recognized. Its probably more prevalent in Reg Roms than other romance genres, and is definitely the stuff of rom coms. The general premise is, I have an idea of who would be the ideal (husband/wife/lover) and I have made a list. But guess what….my list is totally wrong…because the perfect husband/wife/lover is wrong for me! I have seen it in Hallmark movies, teen movies, and definitely Reg Roms. There are variations of the theme, where the list is more of a general idea of the perfect mate, or when the list is reversed (think How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days).
This trope is employed in a very strict sense, and Mr. Malcolm is rigid when it comes to his list. Something about this set up and the way he ticks of points when thinking of Selina just made me squirm (and not in a good way). When the conflict comes in to play, I had no sympathy/empathy for him, rather something strongly like antipathy. Uh-oh, not a good emotion to have for the hero.
So…Selina, the heroine was perfectly likeable. A good girl who has been living as a companion, she is also breathtakingly beautiful, smart and witty, and kind. Not a total Mary-Sue, but definitely the Ideal Woman. Not surprising that she ticks off all those boxes, but definitely surprising that she starts to fall for Mr. Malcolm. Yes he is a “catch” and handsome and charming…or at least that is what everyone keeps saying. I found him about as charming as a wet blanket.
The supporting characters kept trying to be interesting, but were a little underdeveloped. Normally, secondary characters in a Reg Rom are best employed as a foil, and while I felt Allain was clearly aiming for that goal, again it fell a bit flat. Maybe it was that Mr. Malcolm was just so blurgh and Selina so goody-goody?
I clearly had difficulty overcoming a personality clash with the hero. Other readers evidently have not had the same problem. I obviously will not be re-reading, but you may feel differently.
There are some questionable scenes that stray from the sensibility of the era (pre-engagement kissing in a public place), but other than that the scenes and characters were appropriate for immersion in the era.
Some of the scenes were cute and entertaining, and although I liked Allain’s Incognito much better, it was nonetheless evident she enjoys the genre and is a strong enough writer that I look forward to future releases.
3.75 out of 6 A perfect-match-list romance is light and easy to read
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| Suggestive content | |
| Intimacy | |
| A couple of kisses | |
| Violence | |
| Not really | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Kisses only romance will appeal to most Reg readers. | |
