The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress

So good

While the main character is rather naive, she’s so charming and earnest that you can’t help but cheer her on the whole way. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, and I’m still smiling as I write this review. The ending is a bit much- honestly I would have enjoyed seeing them find their happy ending in a more traditional and drawn out way because I think the two have a lot of sparks that worth exploring. Still, it’s well written, funny, and endearing- this is a book I’ll be reading again, with pleasure!

I enjoyed this book even if it is the 2nd time I have read it. I just got the story before and the this books make sense. Thank you for good Books.

A lovely quick read with sprinkles of laughter and joy... And filled with life lessons for every era!

We first met Xavier in book 1, a friend of Oliver, the new Earl of Carlisle, and Oliver’s worry for his friend are great. In that book, Xavier was literally “dead inside” needing to be moved, seated, fed, you name it. So trapped in the horrors that he saw during the war, Xavier is broken, perhaps beyond repair. Enter Jane, thought to be firmly on the shelf, her intelligence is apparent, even as her social skills are better suited to a pre-teen. Jane’s dichotomy is unusual: her candyfloss proclamations are not an affectation, her girlish side often pops out and is spoken before she can reign it in. But then, just as quickly she can astound with her intellect: with a brilliant observation or statement so pointedly real that you often wonder if it came from her lips. While I thought early on that this trait of hers would frustrate me, it was quite endearing and made her wonderful to watch since you never quite knew what side would come out. And poor Xavier: he’s never quite sure what Jane will say next: her utter delight in things she enjoys, and then her daring honesty when she declares her affections for him. Totally keeping him off balance even as she intrigues him to no end, I don’t believe that he thought her proclamations were honestly meant or possible, even as it was the first light of hope to shine in the prison he has built from his memories. Jane may not be in line for marriage, but she has no intentions of continuing to be alone: if she can’t rouse Xavier’s interest in her with conversation, perhaps she can convince him to be seduced. And her plan is foolish but so very Jane, and another man just may have taken her offer. But here is where Xavier is head and shoulders above the rest: he lets Jane in: from his outright refusal to interact with anyone, he opens up marginally to Jane. And that little crack is all she needs to walk in and push, prod and worry him with her wit, her heart and her humor. When she thinks she has made some progress toward a goal, Xavier’s grand gesture from one who hasn’t made any moves at all to speak of since his return will bring cheers from reader’s lips. So wonderfully over the top and so perfectly unlike the Xavier we have come to know, the romance and development of their connection is wonderfully written. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

I was given this book to read and give a review. This the third book I have read in this series. Ms Ridley is author with a amazing ability. Her description of her characters are believable and life like, they allow you to imagine them in real life. Ms. Ridley brings the historical romance of The Captain's Bluestocking Mistress to our pages with a beautiful love story. Jane Downing dreams of someone to notice her so she could stop feeling invisible Jane was concerned a Bluestocking because she love books. However she also wish that Captain Xavier Grey would make her as his mistress so she makes plans to follow him home. Captain Xavier Grey is back from the war. He try's to make everyone believe is lost in his mind. But his friends would not allow him any peace , so his next plan is to go home where he has only hisself and his loyal servants for company. Then, one fateful day there is a knock on his door, Captain Grey can't believe it's the devastating beautiful Ms. Downing with a valise but no maid. Because of the weather they are snowed in and he can't turn her around to send her home. Ms. Downing realize that she must get the Captain to make her his mistress. This is a beautifully written historical romance that readers will be sure to love.