Barely 3 stars with hefty rounding up. It wasn't necessarily poorly written, but I just didn't enjoy it much. The couple felt really uneven, with the hero having the advantage in nearly every aspect (position, appearance, social understanding, experience, advice, drawing, knowledge of the world, dancing, etc. etc.) and the heroine at basically nothing. She can't even really match wits with him, and when she does say something funny it's almost always unintentional! It just felt a bit sad really, lol. The narration on the audiobook is good. ( )

Rex is a sweetheart, and I love him to bits. Clara is so much like myself that it was painful to read her self-deprecating thoughts, but oh-so wonderful to watch her bloom. What's great about these two as a couple is they help each other become better people. And they communicate (as long as they realize what it is they're trying to communicate, that is). This is just such a romantic book! It felt so rewarding to read it and to see their love blossom. I wanted to insert myself into that newspaper office and help Clara out, as well! Not only does she grow as a woman, but she also grows as an individual. She becomes who she was always meant to be, and Rex becomes less and less of a cynic as the book progresses, revealing his true self that had been hidden behind protective armor. That is something that I have to believe we are all capable of doing—that we can make lasting changes in our lives for the better. ( )

Tedious dialogue. Couldn't finish it. ( )

What a better way to (almost) end the month of January off than reading The Trouble with Truelove, which the second installment of the Dear Lady Truelove series! And that is exactly what I did.

If you have read book 1, you would know all about the mysterious Lady Truelove, aka Irene Deverill, who publishes the Truelove column in her family's newspaper, The Weekly Gazette. Well now Irene is on honeymoon with her Duke; Her brother Jonathan is off seeking his fortune in America, despite promising to come home, so who is left to write the Truelove column? Why, Irene's shy sister Clara.

Clara Deverill is very away of her faults, her big is being procrastination (can totally relate), but in desperation to get the Truelove column written, Clara inadvertently blows her cover to none other but one of the biggest rakes in town... Viscount Rex Galbraith.

But out of what could be a devastating scandal, cooler heads prevail, when both Rex and Clara realize that they actually can help each other...until they mess it up! But is this truly the end.

To say I enjoyed this book, just might be an understatement. From Rex's flirting, to Clara's steely determination, you cannot help but enjoy all the characters. The plot was wonderful, and I got so caught up in the ending, that I didn't realize it was 3am! But I have to say that The Trouble with Truelove is a book you cannot put down, and quite frankly, never want to end either.

I give The Trouble with True Love 5 stars
( )

A wonderfully romantic escape, The Trouble With True Love, is a captivating read starring a very determined heroine and the sort of hero you wish would come bursting into your office :)

Clara Deverill is in a bit of a bind. With her sister away on her honeymoon and her brother's return to England postponed indefinitely, she has no choice but to run her family's newspaper business. Which wouldn't be so bad if it only consisted of managing the employees. But unfortunately it also means becoming the infamous Lady Truelove, which poses a bit of a problem since Clara has no idea how to offer the necessary advice the Lady Truelove column requires. Until she happens to overhear a private conversation between two gentlemen involving a detailed outline of how to continue bedding a woman without having to marry her. Outraged and inspired, Clara embraces her new persona in an effort to warn all women of men and their devious trickery.

Rex Galbreith is an undeniable flirt and a well-renowned rake who never plans to marry. But then he meets Clara and everything changes. Because this beauty appears to have no interest in him at all while also disliking him for reasons he can't quite seem to figure out. Until he discovers she overheard him telling his friend how to avoid marrying his mistress and that she has in fact written an entire article about it in her newspaper. Furious, he threatens to tell the world that Clara is Lady Truelove, but instead, she turns the table on him and he finds himself not only working with her, but falling for her in ways he never would have thought possible.

This story was thoroughly entertaining, consisting of an interesting plot and strong characters who struggled against the irresistible tug of true love. A read I would thoroughly recommend without question and one which can be read as a stand-alone although the prequel, Dear Lady Truelove, is definitely worth grabbing as well. ( )