Finding Miss McFarland

Wallflower Weddings #3

by Vivienne Lorret

Fans of historical romance authors Lorraine Heath and Sophie Jordan will adore Vivienne Lorret's latest Wallflower Wedding novel.

Delaney McFarland is on the hunt for a husband—preferably one who needs her embarrassingly large dowry more than a dutiful wife. After the unspeakable incident at her debut, Delaney knows marrying for love is off the table, but a marriage of convenience—one that leaves her free to live the life she chooses—is the next best thing, never mind what that arrogant, devilishly handsome Mr. Croft thinks. Delaney plans to marry for money . . . or not at all.

Ever since the fiery redhead burst into his life—in a most memorable way—Griffin Croft hasn't been able to get Miss McFarland out of his mind. Now, with the maddening woman determined to hand over her fortune to a rake, Griffin knows he must step in. He must help her. He must not kiss her. But when Griffin's noble intentions flee in a moment of unexpected passion, his true course becomes clear: tame Delaney's wild heart and save her from a fate worse than death . . . a life without love.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Regency Romance

288 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 5, 2014

About the author

USA Today bestselling author VIVIENNE LORRET writes fun and steamy Regency historical romances. She lives in the Midwest where she coaxes words out of giant mugs of tea and attempts to jot them down before they can escape. For her entire catalog of books, including the Liars’ Club, her latest series from Avon, please visit www.vivlorret.net

Reviews

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Delaney is pretty annoying. Her reasons for avoiding marriage are ridiculous and she spent way too much time avoiding and rejecting Griffin. He’d really done nothing to earn her ire especially after revealing his feelings.

And it ended rather abruptly with no epilogue. 🤷‍♀️

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars (rounded down to 3 stars, because Delaney's reason for refusing Griffin didn't make sense - especially after he agreed to her terms)

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Delaney McFarlane is late for her own debut. That's where she met Griffin Croft, and at an unfortunate time. This last year, Delaney did everything she could to avoid the man, while at the same time searching for a husband of convenience. With the sizable dowry her father is offering, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a man who could overlook her quick-temper and her awkwardness. She wouldn't dare hope for something more than an arranged marriage and have other plans that have no place for romantic notions anyway. Delaney wants a life of her own, to have freedom and to help people. That's why she needs the money. But these days, Mr. Croft always seem to be on her path everywhere she goes and soon become a distraction that could ruin her plans.

"I shudder to think what a mind like yours could do if it were bent on world domination instead of on vexing me."

This book is my favorite of the series. I liked the heroine's fiery attitude and Griffin was a gentleman with just a little bit of an edge. Love their chemistry together, the pull they feel towards each other, even when they feel annoy by each other's presence, the fact he unsettle her as much she unsettle him and how they're both a temptation that the other can't resist. My only complain is that there's no epilogue so the ending is a bit quick.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely read! I'd already read the previous 3 books in the series (the first one is a novella, so #0.5), but it's been awhile—that didn't mar my enjoyment one bit though, so I would recommend you read the other ones just because they were also so enjoyable.

I adore Delaney; she's such a strong character and I loved the cat and mouse game she plays with Griffin. And Griffin, ohhhh Griffin. So dreamy, so funny, so cute. Adored him! And it's always a nice change to have a nice guy be the hero; the guy who is actually a great son, a responsible heir, a loving brother, etc.

Summary. Miss Delaney McFarland avoids Mr. Griffin Croft at all costs—due to what she refers to as the incident. The incident is ... when she threw up right in front of him at her debut ball. I know, not a great first meeting, but her bitch of a cousin basically poisoned the drink to get her sick, and oh how it worked. The gossip spread like wildfire and because she can't bare to face him and doesn't want to give society any reason to revive the gossip, Delaney has spent the last year knowing all the details of Mr. Croft's social calendar so she can be sure to avoid him at each and every single event.

Unfortunately, you can't plan everything, and one day in the park they run into each other when each is walking with their siblings. There's definite awkwardness, but there's also a certain spark of awareness that they both feel, and it leaves them wondering ... Delaney knows she can't afford to have any more run-ins with him though, and when his sisters kindly invite them over one evening, she goes to his mother and sisters to politely decline. Griffin of course wanders in and another disaster ensues (don't worry, nothing like the first one), and it appears that Delaney is destined to always be a calamity around him. But who said calamities were bad?

A kind of cat-and-mouse game starts between them, with each also daring the other to buck up and not avoid the other—even seek them out. But the more run-ins they have, and the more time they spend together, the more they sense something growing between them. Delaney is committed to a marriage in name only, however, with someone who only wants her fortune and will agree to give her half. She has grown up in a household torn apart by money and lost (or never there?) love, and doesn't want to repeat her parents' mistakes. So even though she's falling for Griffin, she knows she can't let anything come of it, no matter that he might be falling for her too ...

Bottom Line. Such a fun read! Ended the book with a huge smile on my face. Also a nice change when the hero is more open about his feelings and isn't resistant to love, but instead it's the heroine who is the wary one. I loved Delaney's strength and that Griffin saw that and admired her so much for it. The supporting cast was also great and their siblings' machinations to try and get them together were cute. Highly recommend!!

Wallflower Weddings Series.
#0.5 | Tempting Mr. Weatherstone (4.5 stars) — my review
#1 | Daring Miss Danvers (3.75 stars) — my review
#2 | Winning Miss Wakefield (4.5 stars) — my review

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good romance! Delaney is a strong, determined heroine and Griffin is a hero who doesn't realize that he's falling for her until its too late. As a person coming into this Wallflower Weddings series late, I didn't feel like I missed anything and this book certainly didn't reveal things that would have spoiled the previous stories. I am happy to find a new author with previous books to catch up on.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

why do men like griffin croft not exist in real life? i read this in less than a day and i found myself wanting to pick it up every time i put it down.

loved the two mc’s so much and they had so much personality. the banter and the back and forth was fab and the secondary characters also felt so real (which is always something im looking for when it comes to romance)

i just wish the ending wasn’t abrupt and it went on a chapter longer but other than that a great quick read and i’ll definitely be picking up this author again

[shoesforall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could this properly be called a book? Yes, it is a bound collection of words but it is one of the worst books I have ever read. Shallow, with a grasp of the English language straight out of sixth grade English, and the silliest heroine I ever ever encountered. Horrible.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Michelle Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding Miss McFarland is an example of a book that starts of high and finishes low.

Let's start with the highs.

FMMF (damn it, Lorret, why'd you have to go and ruin my abbreviations with a 'Mc' - Finding Miss Faraday would have worked just as well) starts off with the mysterious incident mentioned in both Daring Miss Danvers and Winning Miss Wakefield. The author cleverly whips up a good deal of suspense by giving us no bloody clue regarding the incident that made Delaney a social pariah. Upon learning what the incident is, I have to say, it is pretty damn embarrassing. That coming from someone who has been in a similar situation (though my incident was self-inflicted by too much alcohol, not dodgy punch), but that happened to me two years ago, not in the 1800s. So what is mortifying though somewhat amusing in hindsight for me in the 21st Century would certainly be beyond humiliation for a debutante in 19th Century English Society.

The incident didn't disappoint. One tick in the 'highs' box. Delaney also didn't disappoint. She perpetrated my precious LOLs. The banter only delivered some of the time, so Delaney's convenient clumsiness around Griffin gave the LOL factor a much-needed boost, as did Griffin's sisters. Actually, now that I think about it, one of Griffin's best qualities as a hero was his family. He was a bit of an odd sort, certainly not a rake (boo), but that other breed found in Regencies - the straight-laced gentleman undone by the wild, vibrant miss. The good thing about the straight-laced gentleman trope is watching those laces become all unraveled in the face of the wild miss. Griffin did unraveled well, if not a bit quickly for my liking. Still, their angry first kiss did not disappoint.

So, a mixture of highs and lows there. FMMF is not looking too bad thus far, and it would have continued in that more-hit-than-miss vein had Delaney-of-the-unnecessary-Mcs not screwed it up by transforming from the clumsy, lovable, vibrant, wild miss (complete with vibrant, wild auburn hair, because we all know the hair has to match the personality) into a illogically stubborn idiot. Seriously, though, when you're compromised twice you don't bloody turn down two marriage proposals, especially after the guy in question is offering exactly what you want, even if what you want is as stupid and pointless as your fear. I can forgive a lot of things in books - an astounding amount of things, actually - but pointless stupidity isn't one of them. I can deal with a stupid, stubborn heroine if her reasons for being stupid and stubborn are valid and explained and executed well. Delaney's were not. They just weren't believable. She lives in a Society in which the vast majority of marriages are mere business transactions. It's normal for her parents to not be in love, so why the bloody hell does she have such a bee in her not-properly-tied bonnet about it? Sorry, doesn't make sense in the context of that period. Big, fat tick in the 'lows' column for you.

So FMMF was basically a roller-coaster ride that ends after the initial dip. It's fun for a little while, but the high is fleeting the the low is disappointing in its finality.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this must be my favorite among Vivienne Lorret’s Wallflower Weddings series. This installment features the fiery redhead Delaney, who is part of the needlework circle with previous heroines Emma and Merribeth. Only, she doesn’t actually do needlework. She pays her maid to do it — a small price to pay for friendships– and just one of the many quirks about her that made her so likeable. She marches to the beat of her own drum. And she has her future all mapped out.

We met Delaney in the earlier books and learned that she is frowned upon by the ton for a mysterious and embarrassing incident at her debut. It’s one that has made her forever wary of coming too close to Griffin Croft again. I won’t spoil the details of their origin story, but I will say that the story begins there and quickly jumps ahead more than a year. In all this time, Delaney has been skillfully avoiding the man, but that is about to change.

Her careful machinations to stay out of his orbit begin to fail. At first, it’s accidental. But once he learns she has been purposely avoiding him all this time, he makes it a point to foil her plans. Despite their inauspicious beginnings, they find themselves unable to ignore the spark between them. Although, admittedly Delaney is the one trying hardest. You see, she’s not trying to land a love match. She wants a marriage of convenience and a life devoted to her charity of choice. Griffin could never be her husband because his coming title will demand an heir.

I have to say, I was confused by the timeline for much of the story. It runs concurrently with Winning Miss Wakefield, which I didn’t pick up until I went back and skimmed through that installment. The book references, for instance, the upcoming nuptuals of the couple in Daring Miss Danvers… a couple I KNEW had been married. It also referenced Merribeth’s heartache over a man she got over before the end of the last book. Trying to reconcile these things pulled me out of the story more than once, but if you know going in, I can’t see it bothering you.

As I said before, I really liked Delaney. She is determined to do a very worthwhile thing, even at her own expense. And while I found that her determination to avoid marriage to a man she loved held on just a bit too long, I can forgive it. I also liked Griffin. It was fun watching him fall in love with Delaney… watching him see her through a changing lens throughout the book. The romance was good and the ending satisfied.

Even though this is book 3 in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Avon

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying I've enjoyed Lorret's "Wallflower Weddings" stories quite a bit and I've wanted to know the deal between Delaney & Croft for a while. Between her reaction and her friends reaction I expected something far more scandalous then the...Incident. Admittedly yes it was kind of horrid and I could see how the first few weeks (maybe months) after there would be talk, but Delaney took it much too far.

A year has passed since the Incident and in that time she has successfully managed to NEVER be in Croft's presence at ANY function. This is a point drilled home numerous times throughout. Yet Delaney is CERTAIN absolutely 100% certain that if she so much as looks at him the scandal sheets will be on fire. And this is where the story often lost me. All the characters alternate between believing she's right and tut-tutting her for being ridiculous, often contradicting something they said the chapter before.

And while Delaney is constantly checking the papers for any mention of her and Croft being in the same place at the same time, no one seemed to care but her. Let me repeat that--no one cared but her. So all her machinations are basically for no discernible reason, especially as by avoiding him she was giving rise to far more speculation.

There are also several other plot points which kind of dangle and then drift away. Or in the case of her parents' and their relationship informing upon her, take a sudden 180 turn for weird.

I honestly had no problems with Croft throughout, other then some weird thing about his Uncle being kind of a bully towards him for childhood problems (which kind of came out of left field) he was in general entertaining and loveable. Considering off disjointed Delaney's actions/mannerisms were I wasn't surprised he was confused by her at all.

Delaney's friends make occasional appearances, but this takes place mostly during the same time as WINNING MISS WAKEFIELD, so there's not a whole lot of interacting. OH that was the other thing I was thoroughly frustrated by - Delaney goes on at length that her friends would abandon her if they knew she couldn't so much as do a stitch of needlepoint. These are the same friends that have shown more loyalty to each other then to their suitors on more then one occasion. Hell they show more loyalty to each other then to their own blood relatives! I didn't understand how after a year or more in each other's company she would come to that conclusion.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this third book of Ms. Lorrett’s Wallflower Weddings series we meet two people that are so not suited, and yet they do end up together.

Delaney and Griffin Croft had a “one of a kind” first encounter that he all but forgot about, but she couldn’t because it almost ruined her reputation.

After a year, in which our heroine goes out of her way to never run into our hero, and after her family is adamant that she marry, she is considering a marriage of convenience only because it would grant her somewhat of a freedom she so craves.

Griffin is such a romantic! He yearns for one of a kind love and hopes to find it soon because his family is pressuring him to marry and produce the heir.

Once he starts running into a woman that a year ago vomited on him, he begins to see her in a different light and the more intrigued he is by this stubborn woman.

This was such a fun and delightful read! I loved the chemistry and banter between these two characters. It was also a fast and entertaining read. Hope you give it a try.

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher

[BJ Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this trilogy by an unknown-to-me author because the theme sounded interesting, maybe even intriguing, but sadly the intriguing part didn't happen for me. The first two were weak 3*, and this one was teetering on the edge, but what completed the fall to 2* was something that should have been trivial, but kept getting in the way of the story. The first time I saw Warthall Place, I read it as Wart-hall, and that just took me way out of the story (who wants warts?), so I tried pronouncing it War-thall (maybe that's what the author meant). But every time it came up, I instinctively read Wart-hall. I just couldn't get back to that weak 3* - it was just OK.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my favorite of these three books. I really liked Delaney and Griffin and thought their love story was a good one and based on more than looks across a ball. It's a very uncomplicated book, and I found that refreshing. This was almost four stars for me, but I thought things wrapped up a little neatly at the end. I was also a little confused by some things I thought were perhaps editing errors, but maybe I just read something wrong. And...I'm really not sure that a courtesy title would go to the next in line if the next in line was not the son of the peer in question?

[Romantical Skeptic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I found the language distracting - somewhat wooden and forced. At least it wasn't overly "modern". The conflict seemed "off" - he likes her, she likes him but doesn't want to marry him because she thinks money will interfere. I couldn't quite understand why she thought that (the back story was that her mother and father had a marriage based in money and it was a bad marriage). But then when she finds out that the hero doesn't need her money, I didn't get what her issue was.

[Arshia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all the action in this novel. Ms. Lorret paces the story in such a way that you really don't want to put it down. The story was much like the heroine, fast paced, full of energy and fun. I had been waiting to find out what the "incident" could've been and honestly it was funny rather than raunchy, but it explained why she wanted to avoid Griffin Croft. A very memorable first meeting

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Say 'inner flame' one more time... I dare you.

[Miriamgreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the first of series read
engaging but a little like a carriage ride over rough roads
up and down, great supporting characters, great banter, very important, a novel plot twist with Delaney's charity, and her attention to Buckley.
The tension in the romance made the conservatory scene delightful. Also the gingerbread house. the misunderstandings and miscommunications though became a bit tedious, especially at the end. Which made the seduction scene waited upon with baited breath, seems to fall out of the sky. Father's visitation needed a bit more exploration but indicated soon to be reconciliation with wife. Scene at tailor's priceless. Mrs Shaw was a jarring note, that she would be so open about her own circumstances but it was an essential plot device. all in all, a pleasant read, next is winning mss wakefield. as these were unavailable in my library system, actually purchased them which is saying something as was not disappointed.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved it.It was a really entertaining story.I loved the characters.Unlike other stories, the female lead didnt take a long time to realise things which I won't mention for the sake of the readers.The male lead was perfect in my eyes.This story is basically about fear and getting past that fear for a better life.Would have loved it if in the end the male lead made the female lead work for it.The end was a liitle rushed for my liking .I prefered the previos book over this. There were no important secondary characters which aided in this story other than the sisters having very little part for themselves.Also,I would have loved to see the male lead get a little more jealous. I am realsing now that this wasn't a perfect read but i loved it noverthless .I prefered the previious book.
DO READ THE BOOK..

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

This was okay until the end. Methinks Miss McFarland doth protest too much. TOO MUCH. It was getting exhausting with her fear of getting together with Griffin Croft. They definitely had some good barbs at the beginning and she was fairly clever in avoiding him but all the hot and cold was getting annoying especially since I didn't really understand her fear. And then all the talk of the hair. Really? I get it. She has tangled, unruly hair. But it was mentioned too much. It's a short read and I like completing series so I finished it, but my annoyance definitely grew.

Anyway....
Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart flutters: ❤️❤️

[Eli A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of fare I've come to expect from Lorret. After an extremely awkward meeting, the heroine has done everything in her power to avoid the hero, but when the hero becomes aware of this, he starts to have a little too much fun throwing them together at unexpected engagements. I loved the family members' colorful commentary. I loved the heroine's secret hatred of needlework (it's funny in context). Some plot aspects didn't come together neatly (especially as the final book in this particular series), but it was still great fun.

[Obsidian True · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited by the prologue and the first few encounters of Delaney and Griffin, but it quickly became very predictable, and very linear. I did like their conversations and any time they had together but half-way through I lost interest and started skimming just to get to the end.

The synopsis implied that Delaney would be spending time trying to decide between two potential suitors, but Lord Montwood was barely a footnote. It didn't even add any interesting stories to add tension between the two main characters. Disappointing.

[Maria Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts off well but the rest of the book cannot keep up. The resolution is rushed (even the one spicy scene is done in a rush). As if the writer had another project in mind and wanted to get this one over with. A very short and inane third-act breakup and no epilogue. This is a sharp contrast with the beginning, see for example this detailed description "He could feel heat radiate from each drop of blood in his veins, feel the length of each hair on his body. His follicles contracted—released—contracted with those three syllables out of her small pink mouth".

It feels off balance

[Elizabeth LaVela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delaney McFarland is afraid of love. She's seen what it looks like in her parents and she yearns for something else. So she decides a marriage in name only suits. But then she keeps bumping into Mr. Croft. He's looking for a wife and Delaney seems to need him though she refuses to believe that. In fact, it's a miracle that these two connect at all because Delaney does everything she can to avoid being in the same place at the same time as Mr. Croft.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the books in this series, I liked this one the best, mostly because of Delaney. However, it bothered me that the timeline of this book didn’t seem to match up with that of the other two books. I also felt the ending was rushed and somewhat incomplete to the extent that I was surprised there wasn’t an epilogue.

[Sue Gosland]

While this is a slim volume, it is packed full of romance and adventure. Delaney doesn't want to marry, and sees no hope for love after a disastrous debut last season. She has spent the last year avoiding Griffin Croft, who was the one she was embarrassed by. When events throw them together, they find they have much more in common than they could have imagined. Great fun.

[Pufflez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read I liked the female lead my only complaint is I feel the ending was pretty abrupt and didn't feel completely fleshed out I wish she had a better resolution with her father it felt a bit forced but it was still a good casual read I was hoping for a wedding chapter at the end felt kinda robbed considering it's part of a series called "the wallflower wedding series"

[Cass · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too insta-lust-y, characterisations were weird (Griffin being incensed another guy spoke to her for five minutes when he's met her three times? Ugh) and plot didn't grab me overall. Read about a quarter and stopped.

[Diane Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww...insecurities will do you in every time but love will heal you. I loved this tale by Lorret. I liked the characters and the plot of this book. So looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up. Though it kept me interested at the time, it's probably my least favorite of the series -- and I probably wouldn't have read it if but for the series.