I found the language to be a bit anachronistic. And while neither of the protagonists went through a sufficient character arc, I thought that Jonathan particularly never grew up. Yeah sure, he stopped gadding around town and he propagated a lie to protect a friend (a lie only made believable by his own shitty, shitty behavior), but there is never a moment where he stands up and says in front of everyone that he was a total douche-wagon and takes responsibility for his actions. And then he gets to marry the love of his life? Way to reward an asshole. ( )

A good regency romance. ( )

This was certainly a different sort of love story, it was also kind of slow, but do not get me wrong. I do not mean that in a bad way. I am just saying they mostly kept calm and they did not hurry.

Serena was 18 when she fell for Jonathan who was just as young. They loved, and then when the scandal broke he shunned her. She left with a broken heart and who could blame her for that. Now she is back but pretending to be her twin Meg who is dead. She is marrying her sister's fiancé. I can't blame her because her reputation is ruined and she could never make a match on her own. She also wants to help her sisters and her mother. They are poor and not finding worthy men back home. But still yes I do feel sorry for poor Will who wants to marry his Meg. Still I also admire Serena for going through with this to save her sisters even if the way doing so is wrong.

As for Jonathan, he has also served his punishment, but I do understand him too. He was young and his father and brother managed to get to him. Still he loved her and the things he has done the last 6 years to drown his sorrows. Well his time is served.

As you can see this is not an easy love story. Jonathan is friends with Will and would never want to hurt him, and neither does Serena. And she can't come out as Serena either because the ton still remember too well. But I need these two to be together, they love each other still so much.

There is also a second story in this book. Serena has her younger sister Phoebe with her, and what can I say. They are a scandalous bunch it seems.

It is a book about falling in love again, about doing what you want, and also about forgiveness.

Conclusion:
A good start to this new series and I like these sisters (oh and I also cling to the hope that Meg is still alive, a girl can hope.) There is also passion, and who does not enjoy that. ( )

This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com

Six years ago Serena Donovan lost not just her reputation but her twin sister Meg as well. Meg disappeared in an unfortunate accident at sea when they were returning to Antigua from England after Serena was shunned by the ton when she was found in a very compromise situation with Jonathan Dane. A situation Jonathan could have easily solved by acknowledging her instead of the cowardly reaction of pretending not to know her.
Now Serena learns that her mother has told the world that she was the one who died at sea and not Meg, Serena also learns her mother has been corresponding with Meg’s old love flame William Langley, pretending to be Meg, and now after six years of love letters Will has proposed and wants Meg to come to London to marry him.
The last thing Serena wants is to return to London and face the people who treat her so poorly and even less she wants to pretend to be Meg and marry a man who is in love with her sister and not her; but her mother clearly explains that they are impoverished and she marrying a rich man like Will is the last option they have, not just for Serena’s future but for the future of her three younger sisters.
After this almost ultimatum, it’s clear Serena doesn’t have an option and travels to London in company of one of her younger sisters, Phoebe, to meet with her future husband.
Now back at London, the person she didn’t want to cross paths with is one of the first ones she encounters, the bane of her existence, Jonathan Dane, and to complicate matters even more her traitorous heart still beats for him. A heart she cannot listen to if she wants what is best for her family.
Jonathan has never been able to forget Serena and the guilt for his behavior towards her when she needed him the most and her subsequent death at sea has taken him by a path of self-destruction. And now her sister Meg is in London and just seeing her is making matters worst for him because she is making him think about Serena and she is also awakening feelings in him he thought he would never experience again. He feels sick for having these feelings towards his beloved’s sister and fiancée of his best friend William. But sometimes no one commands on matters of the heart.
Now Serena/Meg needs to fight against her heart, take care of her high-spirited sister Phoebe, and prevent another scandal while finding a way to live and marry a man she doesn’t love.

Confessions of an Improper Bride is a heart-breaking tale that would have you guessing page after page the outcome of this story, because there is not a simple solution to the predicament our heroine is in, doesn’t matter the decisions taken there is somebody that is going to be hurt. The question is who and how.

Ok, let me tell you I would not want to be in Serena’s shoes. Her agony and inner fights were so real that from page one I was cheering for her and wishing her the happy ending she so much deserves.

I wanted to hate Jonathan for what he did to Serena, but as with Serena’s feelings his repentance felt too real to hate him. He was just an immature man who let his family manipulated him. Over the years he has made himself pay for his actions and now he deserves a second change.

Mrs. Haymore’s writing in compelling and her characters are so well written that is very easy to empathize with them. The story is different from the norm and even though we know our heroine and hero are going to end up together the route they take to get there is not a predictable one.
There is also a nice secondary story involving Serena’s sister Phoebe.

This is my first book by Jennifer Haymore and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I’m planning to read the following installment on this seriesSecrets of an Accidental Duchess next year when it will become available. I would also love to know more about William Langley and hope he would have a happy ending too, why not, maybe a Meg coming back from somewhere…
( )

3.5* I really enjoyed this story. It was well written but a lot more angsty than what I usually read. I'll definitely continue the series. I would have given it four stars but there were some parts of the story that seemed a bit contrived and out of character for Meg/Serena, the main female character. ( )