A Tryst with Trouble

by Alyssa Everett

London, 1820

Lady Barbara Jeffords is certain her little sister didn't murder the footman, no matter how it looks…and no matter what the Marquess of Beningbrough—Ben—might say. She can scarcely help it if his cousin is the only other suspect. In fact, she wants nothing to do with ruggedly handsome Ben; he reminds her of all the insensitive clods who passed her over.

For years Ben has been dogged by painful gossip about his father's rumored homosexuality. His gruff shell hides a passionate nature, and he's also fiercely loyal—which is why he'll never let the clever and beguiling Lady Barbara pin a murder on his cousin.

Sparks fly as the two compete to defend their loved ones. But as strange new clues emerge that neither can decipher alone, they have no choice but to compare notes and sleuth in tandem. A tenuous bond develops that soon faces its toughest challenge when Ben himself becomes a suspect…

90,000 words

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Regency, Crime

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Alyssa Everett grew up in Florida, where from an early age her favorite books typically had dukes in them. As a teen she worked in an amusement park, doing just about every kind of odd job a person can do, from collecting garbage to captaining an African boat cruise.

She met her husband, a darkly handsome doctor with a wicked sense of humor, at Harvard University. They currently live with their three children and a springer spaniel in small-town Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy "It's About Bloody Time" Release Day!!

A Tryst with Trouble is finally being published! Seems Ms. Everett is another author who fell victim to the mess that is/was Dorchester Publishing and her book release was delayed...as in, it didn't happen. But I'm thrilled to share that Carina Press was smart enough to see it for the gem it is and now you all have the opportunity to do the same!

I'm wishing Ms. Everett much LONG OVERDUE success with this wonderful story.

And the new cover, which is lovely!!





My Review:


A Tryst With Trouble is a charming, funny, somewhat steamy Regency romance by debut author Alyssa Everett. The witty dialog and hilarious insights into the characters’ thoughts has made this one of the most delightful novels I’ve read in a long time.

The Marquess of Beningbrough, known as Ben to his friends and family, does not want to follow in his father’s footsteps… in fact, he wants to be as far removed from those footsteps as possible. The reason? Because of the gossip surrounding his father’s supposed homosexuality and Ben’s concern that others might think that his apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Ben’s solution? To become the ultimate man’s man so there can be no question about his own sexuality!

Lady Barbara Jeffords is the oldest daughter, and though she is not, by any stretch of the imagination, ugly, she’s been passed over time and time again by suitors who favor her younger sister, Helen. Because of this, Barbara has decided that all men are shallow, arrogant and boorish, and that being single is a blessing rather than a curse.

Helen is betrothed to Teddy, Ben’s cousin, but rumor has it that Helen’s been trysting with the neighbor’s footman, and even though Teddy is ready to break off the engagement, when said footman turns up dead and it looks like Helen might be the culprit, Teddy jumps in to claim that he’s the killer in order to protect Helen.

With gossip, blackmail and murder threatening to see someone swinging from the hangman’s rope, Ben and Barbara, who are both certain that neither Teddy or Helen are guilty of the crime, work together to find out who did it and why, and this made for some great times!

Normally I have trouble with stories written in the first person, and when I realized that this was written in the first person, from two different points of view, I was a little skeptical about how it would turn out. The author did a great job of moving the story along, and even though we get both Barbara and Ben’s POV of a scene, it never felt repetitive or overdone. In fact, the POV changes gave us some of the funniest moments in the book.

The bottom line - Whew! Okay, as I said, A Tryst With Trouble is a simply delightful story filled with enough twists and turns to keep it light and highly entertaining. The most enjoyable parts of the story were those spent inside Ben and Barbara’s minds, and with their often self deprecating, laugh out loud funny banter! I’m so looking forward to reading more by this very talented author!

A Tryst With Trouble was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Dorchester Publishing.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light and fun historical romance. Alyssa Everett has an engaging writing style and seems to prefer a light tone to her stories which makes reading them an enjoyable experience!

The romance was good. I liked Barbara and Ben both as a couple and as individuals so it was easy to root for them. It helps that they felt like a good match and genuinely seemed interested in each other. The other thing I really liked was that both characters felt well fleshed out. The story was told from the first person POV'S of both Ben and Barbara so we got to learn their back-stories as well as learn why they both felt and acted as they did. I liked this aspect of the story a lot. It also played well for the comedy elements of the tale as we quickly got to learn how each character was feeling and thinking about what the other had just said or did! The story had plenty of comedy and the format made all the misunderstandings that powered a lot of the comedy enjoyable rather than frustrating.

Outside of the romance there was a bit of mystery and intrigue to keep the story ticking along. Some of the mystery was easy to figure out but Everett did manage to throw in just enough twists to keep me on my toes. We also got a few interesting secondary characters who were interesting in their own right.

All in all I enjoyed this well written fun romantic comedy!

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Audio Note: This was narrated by Lizzie Owensby. She was nothing special but I still feel like she did a passable job.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The Marquess of Beningbrough -or Ben for short- has tried for many years to prove that he's not like his father, a notorious homosexual. He indulges in lightskirts, boxing and other manly pursuits in order to prove his manliness. However, it becomes obvious pretty soon to the reader, that behind his facade Ben is a decent and honorable man, deeply devoted to his family and friends. His devotion to family is the reason he gets involved in trying to solve a murder that took place inside Helen Jeffords' -his cousin Teddy's fiance- house; a murder for which Teddy steps in to take the blame when it becomes apparent that his fiance will get accused. Now Ben is determined to find the real murderer in order to get his cousin cleared. Equally determined that her sister won't get the blame instead, is Helen's sister, Barbara. Barbara at 24 years of age, is considered almost a spinster, with a prickly, feisty and outspoken nature that hasn't helped her gain any suitors.

Barbara and Ben initially clash swords, but soon agree to work on this case together for the sake of their respective families. The more they work together though, the more complicated their relationship gets, as they begin to admire each other's devotion to family and intelligence along with courage. This admiration of course leads to attraction but as soon as things begin to get interesting between them, the murderer ups the ante and they have to fight for their lives and their newfound trust to each other is put to the test.

To say that this book is ground-breaking material would be a lie. It would not be a lie though to say that it was charming, witty, fast paced and a true delight to read! In a way, it reminded me of Julia Quinn's books, with the easy camaraderie between the protagonists, their witty banter, the feisty but wallflower heroine and the likable hero. That is not to say that the writing style or the plots are similar; it's not. A Tryst with Trouble is written in the hero's and heroine's respective POV (first person), which though it took me a few pages to get used to, didn't put me off in the end, while the mystery is a major part of the story. What thrilled me most -besides the humorous, witty dialogues- was seeing their relationship evolve from dislike to admiration in a way that actually made sense, and how the attraction developed to love after they'd spent some time together and got to know each other.

In short, I loved reading this book and if I had one minor complain, would be the lack of a good sex scene. Though there are a few sensual scenes, we never get to follow the heroes in the bedroom. However, I don't generally mind lack of sex in my books, so I wasn't particularly peeved with this. Had it not been for the fact that I'm mainly a fan of angstier, darker romances, this would be a solid 5 stars romance for me. A wonderful debut and a writer to watch out for in the future.

ARC provided by NetGalley

[Nefise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very well written, very engaging and entertaining story. I love very part of it. Imo, romance books with include suspence are not very successful. At least, I haven't read a good one until this one.
It's official now, Alyssa Everett is a winer and one of favorites authors in HR genre for me.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tryst with Trouble is a thoroughly enjoyable Regency romp in which our two leads – Lord Benborough (Ben) and Lady Barbara Jeffords, by turns bicker, sleuth, and fall in love.

It’s a fast-paced, fun read which brought a smile to my face more than once, but there are definitely deeper emotions and insecurities buried beneath the humour, which I felt lent much to the overall balance of the story. While this edition was published only a few weeks ago, it is in fact Ms Everett’s first novel, and while there were times it didn’t feel quite as polished as her other two books (Ruined by Rumor and Lord of Secrets) there’s no doubt it’s been penned by a very sure, competent hand.

The story reads like a cross between a farce and a whodunit. Ben’s cousin Teddy is engaged to Barbara’s sister, Helen, but having received information to the effect that Helen is carrying on with the footman next door, Teddy has come to see Helen and her father (bringing Ben as moral support) to break off the engagement. But when that footman is later found dead and both Teddy and Helen fall under suspicion, their concerned relatives decide to prove their respective innocence. It’s not long, however, before Ben and Barbara realise that if they work together they are more likely to be able to discover the identity of the murder. And it’s not long after that before they find themselves mired in a plot involving blackmail, deceit, scandal, and attempted murder.
To be honest, the mystery was a little weak, although I have to say that I didn’t guess the identity of the culprit until fairly late in the book. If I have any complaints, it’s that the mystery element did overshadow the romance somewhat, and that Ben got hit on the head so many times I’m surprised his brains weren’t completely scrambled by the end!

Barbara and Ben are not well-disposed towards each other to start with – she thinks he’s an arrogant prig and he thinks she’s an over-opinionated harpy - but the more they are thrown into company, the more they begin to like each other and, more importantly, trust each other. The transition from dislike to lust to love does happen rather quickly, but what made it plausible for me was the fact that Ben and Barbara were able to talk to each other quite a lot, and in doing so began to reveal more and more about themselves, telling each other things they’ve never told anyone else.

I felt like they were actually getting to know each other, whether they were sniping, working together, or just talking, so that when Ben admits his true feelings to himself at around two-thirds of the way through the book, it didn’t feel like it came completely out of the blue.

The sexual tension between them is explosive, too, which makes for a couple of very sensual love scenes, even though they don’t actually have sex. While I often say that I’d rather have a bucket-load of sexual tension in a story than multiple, pointless sex-scenes, I think this is one time I’d have lobbied to read a sex-scene as well, because I think Ben and Barbara would probably have set the bed on fire had they got there!

While there is a lot of humour in the book, there is a deeper emotional element beneath the surface banter and farcical running around. Barbara is red-haired and voluptuous, and while she knows it’s petty of her and dislikes herself for it, can’t help being jealous of her sister who is an acknowledged beauty. Petite, pretty, and blonde, Helen has men falling at her feet, and Barbara has become used to the fact that men only pay attention to her in order to get to her sister. Or rather, she thinks that’s the case – it’s more likely that men are put off by her independent spirit and sharp tongue, but she’s spent so long feeling unattractive in relation to her sister that she’s come to believe that her interpretation of the situation is the correct one.

Ben is arrogant, super-confident, and rather self-centred, but it soon becomes apparent that beneath that rather intimidating exterior, he’s also very honourable and cares deeply for his family and friends. He is also continually trying to prove that he’s nothing like his father, the Duke of Ormesby, who is widely rumoured to be homosexual. This is one of the more unusual aspects of the story, and I felt was it was handled very well indeed. Having suffered a lot of cruel teasing at school, and being given nicknames like sweetheart and princess, Ben has spent most of his adult life proving his manliness by shagging loads of women or by beating men to a pulp in the boxing ring, and has deliberately distanced himself from the Duke, believing him to have broken his mother’s heart with his duplicity. I thought one of the best things about the book was the way in which the Duke was portrayed as a caring man and loving father; and the way in which Ben finally comes to understand and appreciate him was really touching.

The secondary characters are all well-drawn – Teddy is a sweetie, and, in an unexpected development, Helen is shown not to be the perfect young lady that Barbara has always believed her to be.

Unusually, the story is written in the first person (and I’m not a fan of that) and told from the viewpoints of both protagonists. I knew that to be the case going in, but having enjoyed this author’s work before, my apprehensions were allayed somewhat. I didn’t take me long to get used to the style, and once I did, I thought it worked very well, especially when it allowed the reader to get both their perspectives on the same situation.

A Tryst with Trouble is an entertaining, quick and sexy read. It’s well-written, the central couple are well-matched and engaging, and overall, I’d say it’s just the thing when you’re looking for a pick-me-up read on a grey winter afternoon.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tryst with Trouble was a historical romance novel that made me laugh, kept me interested with the storyline centered on a mystery murder, and dealt effectively with issues such as sexuality, insecurity, and devotion to family.

The Characters

Ben, otherwise known as The Marquess of Beningbrough, is a proud man trying to prove to society that he is not like his father. Ben’s father, a married man, is a well-known homosexual. Ben, tortured in school because of his father’s homosexuality, has put up a wall, and assumes the worst of all people. Ben thinks if someone looks at him wrong, says the wrong thing, it’s because he is his father’s son.

Barbara is a strong willed, smart, stubborn, unique beauty who speaks her mind but also has a heart of gold. She lives with Helen, her sister. Barbara is extremely insecure because her father has spent too much of his life comparing Barbara’s stubborn personality to Helen’s lady-like manner. The father’s comments, while not intending to be malicious, come across to Barbara as hurtful and as a result, Barbara truly believes there is no possible man out there for her.

The Story-

While Barbara’s sister may come across as lady-like, in reality, she is a schemer. She is the central character in a murder mystery that brings Barbara and Ben together to solve it (Ben is the cousin to Helen’s fiancée).

While Barbara and Ben start off as mere partners in trying to solve the mystery for their families, what develops is a serious physical attraction, and eventually a mutual respect and love for each other. Unfortunately, their own insecurities cause severe doubt for about 80% of the book, in each other’s motives, and the result is a bounty of misunderstandings. Because of this, the reader is peppered with scenes that involve anger between Ben and Barbara and resulting action that should not have occurred but for simple communication between the two. It became very frustrating to me how often the two main characters chose to assume the other’s feelings/thoughts rather than simply ask.

The relationship between Ben and his father was a big part of this book and I felt the author did a good job handling a sensitive topic. The resolution was great and I was super happy that the author chose this route.

The dialogue was witty…

Ben reacting to his over-protective mother’s desire to keep him safe from EVERYTHING…

“Yes, yes, I realize as much. The night air is unhealthy, and I could meet up with felons or low women with the pox, to say nothing of the possibility that a hitherto-undiscovered volcano might suddenly erupt and bury me in ash before I reach Piccadilly.”

The sexual tension was through the roof and often humorous at the same time…

Ben trying to convince Barbara that he finds her beautiful…

“Give me your hand,” he said.
“What? Why?”
”Do you have to argue with everything?”
Chastened, I gave him my hand. He set it through the worsted wool of his coat, there was no mistaking the heavy thumping of his heart. I nodded.
“Do you think my pulse always hammers that way?”
“I don’t know.” I gulped, afraid to let myself believe I was the cause. “You might have a heart condition.”

Overall

I liked how the mystery evolved, and I was very happy with the overall ending except for one small detail…

The author left out the sex scene!!! There was so much sexual tension, plenty of kissing, and even a few scenes which involved more than kissing but no sex. Oh well.

3.5 out of 5 stars

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I like Everett a lot. This, I believe, was her debut and she's writing better than this now and, thank sweet Jesus and all the elves, has left the first person behind.

I dislike the first person generally but in a historical it really doesn't work. You're just never going to get into the head of someone from the nineteenth century. It's hard enough in third person, let alone opening yourself up to having to examine their introspection moment to moment. There were also elements which felt totally off. No one describes what their mother looks like to themselves in their head. If you're going to write first person you have to be careful how you tackle description and so on. In contemporaries you can just skip it because we all know what an iPhone looks like or the Empire State Building etc, there's less world creation than when you're having to write an historical. Suffice to say: it bugged and it drags down the rating.

That said, it would've been very easy for this to be anachronistic and stray into CILD territory and it did a bit, but Everett makes a credible fist of first person historical writing. Although, I suppose I have nothing to compare her to, never having read an historical in FP (I don't think...)

Things I did like: the two main characters were good. I felt the hero's insecurity about his father and the way it had shaped his character. The heroine was feisty and intelligent and well done too and I liked them together. Their dialogue was funny and engaging.

The mystery element was clunky. Too many notes dropped on the floor and peep holes and looking through curtains at events going on. It was all a bit thin. And then it was super obvious who did it, although I really didn't care by the time we got there. I wish these characters had been in a different novel with a different plot pulling them together. Just compromise them into marriage and take it from there.

So, bits of this worked and bits didn't, leaving it all as a very middling affair.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: *(See note at the end of the review)
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing
Imprint: DP
Author’s Website: http://alyssaeverett.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Warm-Steamy

To be perfectly honest, I was a little hesitant to read this book when I first read the synopsis. ”Dogged for years by painful gossip about his father’s homosexuality, the Marquess of Beningbrough—Ben, to his friends—has protected himself by becoming the ultimate man’s man.” — this made Ben sound as though he were the ultimate rake and seducer of women, and frankly I was afraid that there would be a lot of “on-screen” trolloping around on his part.

However, despite Ben’s reputation, and his own assertation that he’s spent plenty of time being intimate with tons of gorgeous women, there’s no “in your face” evidence of his promiscuity. While I think some readers may be disappointed about that fact, especially if they were expecting this to be more of a “spinster tames the notorious rake” type story, I personally was quite happy with the situation. I love a “reformed rake” as much as the next girl, but one thing I tend to shy away from is when the hero makes free with another woman after meeting the heroine. In Ben’s case, there is no other woman from the moment that he lays eyes on Barbara, which for me is supremely romantic.

While this novel wasn’t perfectly tame in regards to sexual content, I would say that it wasn’t quite as steamy as I’d anticipated going in. There is one scene in particular that pushed it into the “steamy” category as far as this blog’s RATING SYSTEM goes, but there is no actual on-screen lovemaking — merely quite a bit of fairly explicit foreplay. However, I enjoyed the banter between Ben and Barbara, and combined the murder mystery that took front seat, I did feel that the sensuality level was exactly where this story needed it to be.

In short? I loved this book. There were times when I was a bit frustrated by the constant misinterpretation of things by both Ben and Barbara, but honestly, the lovely angst on both their parts combined with the surprisingly good mystery far overshadowed those fleeting moments.

A very solid 4.5/5 Stars.


*This book originally had a release date set in March, but was then moved back to April 1st. The publisher, Dorchester Publishing, has been having financial problems and is currently “going through a reorganization and reassessment” of its product lines. YOU CAN FIND THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THEIR SITUATION HERE.

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulously, fun read! Great debut!

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

According to other reviewers, this is Alyssa Evertt's debut novel but the second book I've read written by her. It is written in first person, from both the hero and heroine's POV. It took a while to get used to that kind of narrative. There are two or three steamy kissing and touching scenes but no actual love scene.

The first half of the book was fast-paced, full of mystery, and fun. There were some witty banter between the hero (Ben) and heroine (Barbara) although sometimes I felt the dialogue between them was forced just to bring in some humor.

At times, the story read more like a contemporary book. There were phrases like, "You're a mama's boy, aren't you?" and "I'll be wearing the breeches in this marriage, not her." Hmmm...yeahh... There were two instances where the main characters would meet in her bedroom to discuss what news Barbara has learned about the murder case. I don't know, I just feel that if he was a true gentleman, he could have asked her to go riding with him in the park and they could have discussed her findings then and there, not in her bedroom. I supposed he was eager to solve the case for his cousin's sake.

The ton believes that Ben's father (a duke) is a sodomite (gay), and he is. I don't know, but...shouldn't this be like a huge deal back then? Why didn't his father try harder to hide this? Anyways, Ben was bullied at Eton for this. The boys called him a "mama's boy" but mostly "princess". Ben's relationship with his dad became strained after this revelation. I liked that when Ben needed someone to help him in the second half of the book, he knew that his father would do all that he could to help him. Thus, restrengthening their relationship. I also liked Ben's mother. Ben is her only son and so she fusses over him a lot, even now when he's older, which just adds to the humor. I think I may have missed this part (since I was listening to the audiobook, I don't like to press rewind), but I don't think Ben dresses like a gentleman. His mother is always trying to convince him to dress more nicely. There are times, though, her fussiness (for a lack of a better word) felt too much like a modern mother hen, but since I don't get to see too many caring mothers in HR, I shouldn't complain. The fact that Ben's father is gay is part of the plot. Some side characters makes remarks that Ben could end up gay like his father, which is something Ben frequently worries about. He also worries that Barbara won't have him because his dad is gay.

Barbara has low self-esteem because most men prefer to court her younger and beautiful sister, and so she doesn't trust men that much. This got annoying after a while.

The second half of the book was a bit more frustrating with all of the misunderstandings. Grrr! I actually wanted to listen to this audiobook more for the mystery than for the romance. And so when the romance was trying to blossom, I was growing impatient. Like, can we get back to who killed the footman and who's blackmailing the younger sister (<--quite the unlikeable character)? lol. I was able to guess who'd done it. :)

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, provided by netgalley. I'd read another one by this author Ruined by Rumor, and enjoyed it, but found it a bit lacking. The heroine annoyed me a bit and the plot was too predictable. With this one, I didn't have those issues at all.

So what did I enjoy?

- The hero and heroine are just wonderful. Both of them. And, quite frankly, how often can you say that you really enjoy reading about both main protagonists in a romance? You know how sometimes heroines are described as feisty in a Regency romance, but really the sum total of their feistiness is daring to wear red, or something equally pathetic? Well, not this one. She is really a lady, knows what's proper, but has a bit of a mouth on her, and resorts to knee-in-groin when required. The hero is a great match for her. Built like a brick outhouse, a veritable Adonis, but essentially upright, uptight and efficient.

- The writing. Oh, the writing is wonderful!! The author uses the POVs of both the heroine and the hero and it's just superb. I don't know why more authors don't give this format a go, because it just works so brilliantly! Also, it's refreshing to find an author not afraid to put in a few choice euphemisms, and yet also essentially close the door on all but a couple of intimate moments. The sexy stuff is cheeky rather than sexy-smutty, and I rather enjoyed the naughty light touch for a change.

- The other characters - normally the secondary characters can be rather insipid, but there are enough interesting ones in this book to keep the whole thing chugging along very nicely. The hero's father, for example, is rumored to be homosexual, not something which is usually included in Regency romances at all, and although it is essentially handled with a slightly comic touch, it didn't feel uncomfortable as a reader. It was handled really well.

What didn't I like so much?

Hmm. Have to think about that one and get back to it, because honestly, I can't think of one thing I didn't like.

5 stars. It was amazing. Can't wait to read the next one by this author.

[Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: 1820 England
4 1/2 Stars!

Lord Beningbough the future Duke of Ormseby,is determined to help his cousin Teddy Lord Cliburne avoid a marriage to Helen who is a flighty young lady who already has a reputation for dallying with her neighbour's footman. Ben does not think to highly of the future Lady Cliburne, but her sister Barbara is another matter as she is nothing like her sister Helen at all. Barbara is a lady possessing a quick wit and a keen intellect and she has vowed never to marry! She chooses instead to live off her inheritance instead of relying on a man for support. But when the footman turns up dead in her sister's house, Teddy confesses to spare Helen further scandal and now it falls to Ben and Barbara to work together to discover the truth.
What a great story/plot/romance! Ben and Barbara are a surprising couple who totally entertained me with their antics as they try to find a blackmailer/murderer while furthering their shared goal of avoiding more scandal and protecting their families. I felt the alternating perspectives really highlighted the sparks that flew between Barbara and Ben, showing the physical attraction that began with their first verbal sparring match and continued to gain heat throughout the story but never once did I feel that what was going on between them take over the story itself . Both these characters have familial issues to work through, Ben must deal with the rumors and truth surrounding his father, and Barbara needed to address her misguided feelings of envy regarding her sister. A truly enjoyable read!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a very very very long time since I've enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed Alyssa Everett's debut novel, A Tryst With Trouble.

I know most of the books I read and review on here are from the Christian Publishing Market... but last week I was getting to the point of frustration at not being able to find a book WORTH reading. There are TONS of books out there--but I wanted to read something I would LOVE. This is the very reason I thought I didn't like to read until I accidentally stumbled upon Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca in my high school's lending library at the age of fifteen. Up until that day, I didn't know there were books out there which I would actually ENJOY reading! Well, anyway, on a regular basis I find myself searching high and low for my next captivating read... and more often than not, I become disappointed by only delving into so many "just good enough" novels.

So I turned to my NetGalley account... in hopes of finding something to abate this desire to be caught up in another world. And I'm so glad I did. Gathering that it wasn't an "inspirational" book, I did look it up on Goodreads first to see what was being said about it. Almost everyone who'd read and reviewed it already had it listed as a 5 star novel... "even though it didn't have a sex scene." Well, that last bit was what made me really want to read it. A secular novel getting 5 star reviews without having sex scenes littering the pages? Sounded like something I might like.

A Tryst With Trouble was nearly perfect and had me bursting out with laughter at times. The author's voice and writing is exceptional... I could read it all day long without ever growing bored. Having a story written from the first person point of view of both the hero and heroine isn't something I see a lot of, but whenever I do see it, I love it.

The ONLY thing that I would have changed about this book was one "rated R" scene (though I must add that it was NOT a sex scene, only... ALMOST one). And once I was through with the novel, I realized it was actually a fundamental part of the plot near the end of the novel. The hero and heroine both felt guilty for their actions afterwards, and strived to do what was best for the other person. Overall it was a rather clean read if you love regency romance/suspense/humor. Even with that one quite racy scene (as well as a few others which were only borderline) I cannot help but give A Tryst With Trouble 5 stars.

I read this as an advance reader ebook from NetGalley and hardly saw a thing wrong with it. And that says a lot since I'm a fellow writer, exceptionally tough critic, and an editor (of words, story and plot) at heart. I already have A Tryst With Trouble pre-ordered at Barnes and Noble because I know this is going to be one of those books I will always be able to turn to when I can find nothing else worth reading.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I listened to the Audible version. Excellent narration. This is a British who-done-it with romance and steam, but no actual sex. Little or no swearing. A little violence. Some humor. Good dialogue. Textured and imperfect characters, including secondary characters. Alyssa Everett's first novel. Kudos! Jolly good show! A talented author, especially for a début novel. I'll read more of her books.

Main quibble: I grew highly impatient with the insecure heroine, looking for rejection at every turn, castigating poor Ben, and too willing to overlook her sister's heartless and deceitful connivance. See my reading status updates for specific quotes and notes.

The book begins with Ben's first-person POV, in London, April, 1820. With each new chapter, the POV alternates from Ben to Barbara. I liked this narrative style.

Ben is rather gorgeous. Inside and out. He bears emotional scars from years at Eton, where bullies pummeled and mocked him because of his father, the Duke -- supposedly a "sodomite" (as they say). He's hyper-sensitive to slurs about his sexual preferences. Ben is Teddy's older-by-three-years cousin. He's helping Teddy out of some difficulties involving Helen, Teddy's fiancée. Helen got caught at the scene of a murder.

Lady Barbara is Lady Helen's sister. Compared to Amazons and Juno, she's intelligent, auburn haired, outspoken, and independent. Very insecure about her lushly feminine figure and her lack of beaus. It doesn't help that she was pilloried in a published cartoon. At first, I felt for her plight, with a sis like Helen and daddy dearest.

I liked this book a lot. On several counts it's an unqualified winner. I was drawn to Ben's relationship with his dad. Even the suspense was decent (enough). I eventually guessed who done it, and several scenes stretched my credulity.

But Barbara took umbrage at every-lovin-thing. She's too insecure, and she maintains that mindset too long, ultimately seeming rather self-centered. Is she a fool, to not be able to read Ben's heartfelt writing on the wall?? Does he have to spell it out in BLOCK letters? Can't she understand what he's going through?? By eighty percent (80%) into the book, I expected her to trust him a bit more. Nope. So, Barbara -- for whom I initially sympathized -- lost my respect, to some extent -- and cost the book one point.

But Barbara wasn't all bad. We needed more time with the couple HAPPY at the end.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review online here: http://rnslnitelite.blogspot.com/2012...

It's been ages since I read a really satisfying Regency romance. I read a few last year that I don't even count as having read since they were so poorly written and disengaging, I might as well have been leafing through a ten-year-old copy of Cosmo. (Wait, is Cosmo still around?)

A Tryst with Trouble, Alyssa Everett's debut novel, was just what I needed to revive my love for Regency. Ben and Barbara provided everything I look for in a good couple--likeability, chemistry, and conflict. Everett embroils them in mystery, a few improper situations, and just enough comedy to keep it from being a stuffy Historical with a capital H. At first I thought I'd be annoyed by the alternating points of view, but I ended up enjoying it. It's really the author's knack for balancing all the story elements that kept me firmly engaged in this novel.

Here's a bit from Barbara's perpective that made me laugh out loud:
"Do you think my pulse always hammers that way?"
"I don't know." I gulped, afraid to let myself believe I was the cause. "You might have a heart condition."
Everett also throws in a bit of commentary on homosexuality that strikes me as very modern, and that I found very welcome especially against the backdrop of prim and proper English society. It's done well in that not only does it seem plausible, but it also figures slightly in the plot--not enough to be a central issue but shaping and nudging the rest of the puzzle pieces into place.

Oddly enough, the last three Regencies I read were sadly lacking in the department of hot and bothered--sad wastes of a romance novel, in my book. I know they're supposed to be more on the tame side compared to Historicals, but there's a fine line between getting some and getting none at all. Again, Everett manages to balance tension with release--not too much, not too little--just right.

A too-transparent mystery would have ruined this for me, but don't be too quick to decide whodunit. Everett managed to keep me guessing almost up until the end. (It also didn't hurt that my mind cast the actors from the new BBC Sherlock in some of the leading roles--yum!) This is definitely one I will be picking up to re-read, and I'll be looking forward to more entertaining releases from this bright new author!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheeky, sweet and entertaining read.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review at "Dear Author": http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...

[MRB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third Alyssa Everett book I've read. It's a credit to the author's versatility and willingness to step outside the proverbial box that all three of those works differ sharply in terms of writing style, theme and general tone. I admire an author who experiments, though for me this one was mostly unsuccessful.

Lord of Secrets and Ruined by Rumor did have at least one vital characteristic in common: both books gave us two of the surprisingly few heroes with whom I fell head over heels in geeky fictional love :) Sadly, A Tryst With Trouble's Ben was not destined to join that elite group of my book boyfriends. I know, I know...the poor man is probably crushed ;) LoS's David and especially Ruined by Rumor's Alex (call me, Alex!) were unique---and, for me, uniquely lovable---heroes, while Ben was more of the typical 'you think he's a macho rake but, like, he's not REALLY that way underneath' type we've gotten in so very, very many other books. I didn't dislike him. I just didn't adore him as much as I expected to based on this author's previously demonstrated ability to write exactly the sort of sensitive, exceptionally smart and quietly but intensely passionate heroes I adore and wish were more common.

And, speaking of unmet expectations...

I should mention that I love and often even require humor in my romances and that mysteries rank right up there with historical romances as my very favorite genres of fiction. So when I heard that
an author whose previous books I really enjoyed was releasing a humorous romance with a strong element of mystery, I was in a state of book-induced bliss and predicting this would be among my favorite novels of 2013. Sadly, it just didn't work for me.

Like many books that strive to be both mysteries and romances, the book ended up excelling at neither. The main characters and their rapport with each other was inoffensively enjoyable, but somehow I just never felt hooked or invested. The whodunnit wasn't the most sloppily plotted and paced I've come across, but suffice it to say that it wouldn't exactly draw comparisons to Agatha Christie, either :) The resolution wasn't a nonsensical mess that will make you want to hurl your Kindle across the room, but it failed to leave me with that 'ah, yes, of course...it all makes perfect sense in retrospect!' satisfaction that the better mysteries elicit from me.

What really precluded me from enjoying this book, though, is something that might not bother most readers in the least: It's written in a first person point of view, but not just one character's; instead, it alternates between the H and h throughout the novel. Now, I often like first person quite a lot...at least when the narrator remains the same throughout the book! And I also enjoy when romances allow us to spend time with both the hero AND heroine's thoughts rather than focusing exclusively on one or the other. But something about using first person AND alternating every chapter between the hero and heroine's point of view just didn't work for me at all. There wasn't enough of a distinction between the H and h's voice for me to have found the technique effective; instead, it was awkward and jarring. Once I even had to glance back to remind myself whether the "I" in question was the hero or the heroine in that particular chapter. Maybe I'd have enjoyed the book more if I were more familiar with this particular technique, but I've never come across it before in a romance---and, after reading this book, I understood why authors don't employ it more frequently :) For whatever combination of reasons, I just think this particular author writes far more naturally and effectively in the third person.

I really do like this writer's dialogue and prose and, while this particular H and h weren't special favorites of mine, I think she's got a real flair for characterization. I'll continue to buy her other books, and I think many fans of lighthearted romances and mysteries may even enjoy THIS book. It just happened not to work for me, but objectively I think it's a solid read that could work quite well for others.

[Amanda Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redonk nutshell: Unlikely friends ally to solve a murder mystery and end up finding love

This book ended up not being at all what I was expecting. And you know something? I kinda liked it.

The Marquess of Beningbrough is a stand-up, straight-laced kinda of guy who has had to go above and beyond to prove his masculinity amid whispers of his father's scandalous homosexual desires. After years of putting up with taunts he's become cold and detached. Until he meets Barbara Jeffords, the elder sister to the woman his cousin is intending to marry. She's bold where her sister is timid, hearty where her sister is whispy, and whip sharp smart. She's trouble and he has no desire to get entangled with her. Or any woman for that matter.

Barbara isn't looking for a husband. When Beningbrough, "Ben," shows up with her future brother -in-law in tow she's intrigued in the way any woman would be when a handsome man walks in. When a footman is murdered later that evening, and Ben's cousin takes the rap for it, the two of them are skeptical. They team up to try to find out what's going on and in the process they end up discovering more about themselves they ever dreamed.

When I first read the premise of this book I was expecting a typical fluffy regency romance. We get a dose of that in A Tryst with Trouble, but we also get much more. Our headstrong heroine is stubborn but not abrasive. Ben puts up a great facade of ice but underneath he's just as fiery as Barbara. They are two people who have been manipulated by those around them, forced to conform or rise above what society has expected of them. When they come together we get an interesting dose of headbutting. At the same time, both are in a state of self-denial of their attraction, and it makes for some fairly humorous encounters. There are moments I found myself smiling at the silliness. Parts of the plot felt a bit shaky - their whirlwind romance had them falling in love in a matter of days (but really what's new about that in a regency romance?), and Ben's over-exaggeration to Barbara about his but overall I really, really enjoyed following along on these two's story. There wasn't too much raunch in this one, and that was fine and well by me.

I'll definitely be looking forward to Ms. Everett's future work, excited to see how her writing style expands and grows.

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with my pretty one, Dhini

Loved it so much !!!! It's just amazed me how Historical Romance make a love story so beautiful...
Its a fun read...I laugh a lot.....the mystery was also brilliant !!!


It's a fun read having two POV. So I won't be questioning the other main character's thinking.
I feel like reading Julia Quinn with a touch of Amanda Quick and a bit Agatha Christie.
The story was great, the mystery was so smart and brilliant...I kept guessing who's the bad guy...until almost the end.
Well, I have some guessing, but Alyssa keeping us in question after question about the motive, and the real bad guy was. And it was great, how finally, I can smile while the bad guy's identity revealed.

I loved Ben, he's not a typical alpha male hero, strong and have anything, knew everything.
Instead, he shows his vulnerability and his human side.
He have a strong will, but he also sometimes, doubted his own decision., mostly when it comes to Lady Barbara, the strong, headstrong, sexy as hell and smart.

There were so many misunderstanding between them, but I can see they can manage it to keep strong to each other.
If you expected a steamy romance, this one maybe a bit disappointed. But the sexual tension was high. I liked it, though.



And about Ben's father's issue of his sexuality, brought somehow, a hard life for little Ben, even until he's 28 years old.
His father's life style choice sometimes made him sad. Until his father explained to him, why he chosen to be gay, but still married his mother.

Again, this one was not the usual issue in Historical Romance, that's why I liked it a lot when the Duke dare to speak up. Admitted to his son that you're gay, it's a hard stuff, but the Duke did it in an elegant way. Loved him!

Overall, loved the story....I'm looking forward to read Alyssa's other books...
Great read, recommended


BEN

[♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben the Marquess of Beningbrough is the son of a Duke who happens to be gay. He has always been a fighter to prove to everyone he does not follow in his fathers footsteps.

Ben's cousin is engaged to the beautiful Helen Jeffords. He accompanies his cousin to break of his engagement, because it was rumored that Helen was seen alone with the neighbor's footman.

The footman end's up murdered, Ben's Cousin is accused & he meets Barbara, Helen's sister. They both decide to work together to find the real murderer.

This was a great story. Full of suspence & action told in the first person switching from Ben's & Barbara's perspective. It flowed really well & never got confusing. The relationships between all the characters were fun, descriptive & even annoying. I got mad at the idiots & rooted for others. Some made me want to pull my hair out.

All in all the feelings brought by the book made it an amazing story I couldn't put down.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tryst with Trouble was an adorable and quirky historical romance filled mystery and two very fun characters. Lady Barbara Jeffords is forced to join forces with the odious (yet handsome) Marquis of Beningbrough when their relatives are implicated in a footman’s murder. Barbara is convinced that her sister did not murder the footman, and Ben is equally convinced that his cousin had nothing to do with it. Setting aside their intense dislike of one another, Barbara and Ben set out to find the murderer, but end up in a lot more trouble than they bargained for.

Lady Barbara is a voluptuous and outspoken young lady, and as a result, at 24 she hasn’t had any respectable proposals, and she’s come to terms with her fate as a future spinster. Lord Ben, at 28, has led a seemingly charmed life; however, he’s extremely guarded because of the rumors of his father’s apparent homosexuality. When these two join forces, sparks fly and they learn that first impressions can be deceiving; however, the road to this realization is hilarious and fun for the reader.

The mystery element played a large role in the short novel; however, I felt that it was more incidental and that Ben and Barbara’s relationship was the main point of the novel. If you’re looking for an involved mystery, I wouldn’t recommend this one. I found it fairly easy to determine the “whodunit” but what I was really reading this for was the Ben and Barbara. Their bantering and bickering was hilarious, and while this romance was pretty tame, I loved the sparing and the tension between the two characters.

My favourite scene between Ben and Barbara would have to be their first almost kiss. Barbara has snuck Ben into her bedroom so they can compare notes on the case; however, this innocence purpose quickly gives to the romantic tension between them:

Just as his lips brushed mine, I snapped out of the trance I’d fallen into. Oh, no, I was not going to make that mistake again – the mistake of thinking a gentleman was interested in me when he wasn’t. The nicest thing Ben had ever said to me was that I wasn’t half bad. Just because he was unfairly handsome and had those beguilingly sleepy gray eyes didn’t mean I was going to kiss him – and in my bedroom, no less. I was nowhere near that idiotic.

I jumped back. “What are you doing?”

He drew back too, wearing a startled look. “What do you mean, what am I doing? What are you doing?”

“I asked first.”

He reddened. “I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Well, neither was I.”

“Good.” He glanced uncertainly at my face. (Except from p. 70)

There are countless similar interactions between our hero and heroine in A Tryst with Trouble and each one made the reading experience all the more enjoyable. In fact, the above excerpt was what initially drew me to A Tryst with Trouble having read the chapter on the author’s website. The back and forth banter, the misunderstandings, it made for an enjoyable read.

To sum it up, this was a fun read that was more of a sweet romance than an explicit one. Barabara was an uncommon heroine and Ben was a rake with something to prove. These characters were what made this novel and for those looking for a light read, you couldn't do better than A Tryst with Trouble.

Review with read-alikes available here.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Inna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars is being quite generous because this book is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t even know where to begin... there will undoubtedly be spoilers ahead.

I don’t think I can do a credible job of a summary for this book because it’s just such a damn jumbled mess of events, so I’m not going to waste my time trying. This book is just one bad decision after another with poor logic thrown in constantly. The hero and heroine are smart, but not really. They are constantly making poor choices that result in many misunderstandings. The writing seemed lazy to me - the author just picking the easy way to progress the story. There is a killer in this story and first the hero’s cousin is fingered as being a suspect and then the hero himself. No one does a credible job of investigating the mystery. The obvious questions aren’t asked and when two people end up dead, and the hero is shot at, no one bothered to question the servants. The author made it painfully obvious that one of the footmen is responsible for the murders, but somehow none of the MCs or side characters bothers to even question him or search the house. The heroine finds a peephole in her room and knows someone’s been watching her, but she tells no one?!? They deduce that the same person who committed the murders is also responsible for the peeping and a blackmail plot, but the heroine continues to accuse a person who is not a part of the household. It’s the willful blindness to the obvious that bothers me. Somehow all of the crime is happening at one location and none of the nearby people are even suspects?!? JFC!!! OH & there’s a little side plot about the hero’s gay father that I thought was pretty damn distasteful (although it may be believable for the time period). A lot of the story was spent disparaging the father and the “redeeming” moment felt insufficient by the time the story got there.

As a final blow to this book, the MCs realizing they love each other was maybe the worst I’ve read ever. It was so forced and unbelievable. They spend 2 days in each other’s company and are suddenly in love? Lolz.

So this story is probably safe for most, heroine is a virgin and hero is a manwhore. He talks constantly about his conquests, it’s frankly disgusting. He even tells the heroine about them. He is clearly trying to prove something (that he is unlike his father), but there’s so much discussion about it that it felt overkill. 🤢🤢 There’s not really much descriptive sex in this book except for some 3rd base action and some making out.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was somewhat difficult for me to get into this book, since I didn't expect the first person narrative with alternating viewpoints in a romance novel. But eventually I warmed up to it and ended up really liking the characters. I wish a few more things had been wrapped up in the story: Helen seemed crazily manipulative, and I wish she'd been made to answer for her spiteful testimony about Ben, because WTF??? And I wanted to actually *see* Teddy calling off his engagement to her so he could inform everyone that she was a terrible person. Overall I enjoyed this a lot.

I've already read all Everett's other books so I need her to write another IMMEDIATELY.

[Maggie Hesseling · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are my favorite type of historical romances. With depth and heartache, miscommunication, and interesting characters. I'm not usually a fan of novels written in the first person, but this novel is perfect just as it is. I love Barabra. She's outspoken, brave, and no nonsense. And Ben is anything but your average hero. Both of them have issues that they haven't been able to resolve since childhood and the fact that we're invited right into their psyche just makes them all the more realistic and human to the reader. Truely a wonderful novel!

[Dhini · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Loved it a lot!!!

Buddy read with my dear friend, mba Lelyana Taufik

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet romance and thrilling mystery, secrets and scandals. We get all of that and more in A Tryst with Trouble. I absolutely loved this historical romance. It was thrilling, romantic, and full of surprises. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was simply amazing.

Barbara was one strong heroine. She was not someone you wanted to mess with. She was clever and formidable and not prone to dramatics. And I really liked her. I thought she was great. There honestly isn't anything else I can say about her other than I thought she was fantastic and likable. So, instead of singing her praises, I'll just move on.

Ben was just as wonderful, though there were a few moments where I wanted to shake him. For the most part, he was a kind, sweet, sensible man. But, sometimes, that sense went down the drain. It wasn't prolific, so it didn't really bother me. It was mostly just how he felt about his dad (why would he listen to some snotrag children instead of his experience with his kind and loving father) and his attempts to push Barbara away when things got very bad (from what you know of Barbara, what made you think she would actually listen). Other than those two, I have no complaints about Ben. He was sweet and devoted to his loved ones, and a wonderful hero. I completely adored his character.

The romance was both sweet and spicy. Barbara and Ben were adorable together. Since both of them had such strong wills, there aren't very many people who can match them. But, they definitely their matches in each other. And, the sparks were constantly flying between them. When they ignited, it was, without a doubt, super hot. I really liked this couple. They were lovely together.

I want to mention Teddy (Ben's cousin) and Helen (Barbara's sister) since they play such a large role in the story. I loved Teddy. He was so sweet and adorable and utterly lovable. I really liked him and I thought he was just wonderful. On the other hand, Helen was such a little brat. She literally never thought of anyone but herself and cared nothing for anyone's happiness but her own. I wanted to strangle her quite a few times. After having to put up with her throughout the entire book, I respected Barbara even more, for having to strength of will to continue loving her sister even when Helen acted like a she-devil (which was most of the time).

The plot was fast paced. I was hooked the entire way through. The mystery had me on the edge of my seat and I never suspected who it turned out to be. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely.

A Tryst with Trouble was a fantastic historical romance. It was a truly enjoyable read and I absolutely loved it! It was thrilling, romantic, and just wonderful. Lovers of romance, you have to read this lovely book.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for a copy!

[Mummy Cat Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very welcome surprise. I loved the characters, story and the general feel of the book.

Everett was very creative when she wrote, A Trust with Trouble. The title is completely accurate and the book was such fun.

Ben was such a great character. He came off as a jerk but he was really cynical and hesitant of people because of the way he had been treated in his past. He has some daddy issues which I loved how Everett addressed this issue.

Ben's father is gay. The book refers to Ben's father, the Duke, as a sodomite. This concept and the way the feelings were towards gay people was very interesting to me. Everett really covers this issue, but not in a condescending way. She stays true to the time period and that is what I found most interesting.

Barbara was a great character, too. She has a silent competition going on with her sister, Helen. Helen is considered the beauty of the family and Barbara is considered a pain, but only by her father. Her father treats her poorly so she believes she will never marry. Her mother is mentioned only a handful of times in the book and does not play a role in her life. I would have liked to have seen more of Barbara's mother and learned more of their relationship. Barbara is spunky and likable. She speaks up when she sees something she doesn't like but she is also polite and caring.

Helen gets into a bit of trouble and Ben's cousin is involved too. Together Barbara and Ben join forces to solve the mystery. In the process... the reader will find adventure, humor, and a bit of suspense. I figured out who the bad guy was but it was still interesting to see what Everett did with the ending.

Overall, very enjoyable read. I recommend this book to those who love regency or England based romances. This book was so much fun and well written that I think most romance readers will enjoy it.


A copy was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Billie Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review Narrated by Lizzie Owensby.

While listening to the book I couldn't stop thinking of that show Murder She Wrote with Angela Lansbury with the twist of an adult romance. The story is really quite good and kept my interest. The courtship of Barbara and Ben, Marquess of Beningbrough is the primary focus as they search for the villain. They share more of a witty banter with each other and slightly less sexual heat but it doesn't take away from the book. There is a lot going on in the plot with quite a few interesting side characters that make it a very interesting but not overwhelming.

This was a bit different kind of book for me in that a good part of it is written from the first person point of view by two people. New chapters start off with "Barbara." or "Ben." a pause and then proceed with the paragraph of their point of view. I thought it was a fun read/audio. I look forward to more books by Alyssa Everett.

Audiobook 3 stars - I think I would've enjoyed reading the book more so than the audio. The Narrator, Lizzie Owensby, did a fairly good job but at times it's difficult to tell if Ben & Barbara were speaking out loud or if it was inner dialog. There wasn't much, if any, of a change between dialog. There were several main character voices and I thought she did a really good job with each. I would listen to another book by Ms. Owensby.

[SOS Aloha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so. - Mark Twain

Mark Twain's quote aptly describes Alyssa Everett's A TROUBLE WITH TRYST. The characters are not all that they seem which, of course, sets up the conflict and even the romance. Is Barbara truly on the shelf? Is her beautiful (but manipulative) sister a better match? Is Ben really a rogue? Is his family as fractured as he thinks it is?

Everett delivers a historical romance in the style of Julia Quinn - witty banter between charming characters, a madcap adventure that challenges society's strictures, and a hint of passion. Yet Everett gives it her own mark by masterfully switching the point of view from Barbara, the sharp tongued heroine, and Ben, a self proclaimed rogue. The changing perspectives give the reader an opportunity to delve deeper into the families that influence the hero and heroine's decisions - good and bad.

A TRYST WITH TROUBLE is a delightful romp through Regency's splendor. The Happily Ever After is satisfying and the couple's acceptance of their families is heartwarming (I remain vague as to not reveal a spoiler that taught me a lesson).

I received an ARC from the author.