Another interesting story from Annie Burrows. I can’t wait to find out about the secondary characters and their stories.
The book drops us straight into the dramatic meeting of the two principle characters as well as a brief introduction to the male leads of the sequel books. Lady Harriet Inskip is an unconventional heroine who doesn’t fit into the society around her and Jack “Ulysses” Hesketh, Viscount Becconsall is a soldier returned to claim an unexpected title and reuniting with school friends. The interactions between the two are entertaining and not the usual niceties.
I loved the involvement of the secondary characters and how subtle the mystery that will link the future books is introduced. There are also gentle hints as to the troubled love lives of rest of the group of friends. Once I got into it I had to finish it.

This book really appealed to me as it was a romance fuelled by a meeting of minds and characters as much as physical attraction. The details made it easy to picture and the secondary characters were really interesting, I look forward to finding out much more about Jack's friend Zeus!

Lady Harriet has come to London for the Season to stay with her aunt and be launched into society alongside her younger cousin. More used to the countryside and her academic mother, Harriet is not finding London to her liking, or the endless social events her aunt takes her to. While sneaking out for an early morning ride, she bumps into Lord Becconsall (Jack) and his friends. Jack decides he must find out who she is, and subsequently meets her at a ball.

Their interactions are sharp, as they poke at each other but also allow themselves to be honest, something they haven't done with others in their life recently. I really enjoyed reading about them getting to know each other, and seeing them grow closer, then draw back, then get closer again, and so on. It's a very believable relationship, which is a huge plus in my book - so often, relationships seem rushed to the point that I can't bring myself to believe them, but the pacing in The Major Meets His Match is excellent.

I also loved the other relationships in the book. Harriet gets on well with her aunt and cousin, and really appreciates how her aunt is trying to help her, while still having a good relationship with both of her own parents. Of course we need a little bit of angst, which comes in the form of Jack's disapproving (and now dead) father, who thought his estate would be passed to one of Jack's brothers. Having never expected to inherit anything, Jack must deal with the pressure of learning to manage an estate, and the weight of expectations (or lack thereof) of the various staff tied in to the estate.

This is book one of a series, with the others to follow Jack's three friends, I think. There's an interesting theft plot that kicks off in The Major Meets His Match and isn't entirely solved, so I expect there will be more about that in the next book. I don't think I've read anything by Annie Burrows before, but I'm always looking for more well written historical romance, so I'm going to go and find her previous books now, and I'll definitely read the sequel to this one when it comes out. A believable romance with all the rogues and parties you'd hope for in historical romance, The Major Meets His Match was a great read. Annie Burrows is an author all fans of the genre should try. 8 out of 10.

The London ’Season’ with a twist. Annie Burrows’ latest Regency romance tells the story of Jack and Harriet, two likeable, wholly untraditional characters who flout convention and don’t play by the rules, yet find themselves drawn to each other despite the fact neither is particularly interested in ending the season betrothed to anyone.
The opening scene, with Harriet riding her horse unchaperoned through Hyde Park in the early hours of the morning, and, quite literally, running into Jack (who is galloping on a horse bare-back as part of a wager with his friends - the prize at stake: a cream bun!) sets the scene well, and you know from the off that this is not going to be the traditional story of a season. Indeed, neither Jack nor Harriet seem to want to get married, despite society and convention stating they should, and so begins a story of finding love where you least expect it against the backdrop of balls, picnics and high society with a mysterious jewellery theft thrown in for good effect.
The characters are exceptionally well crafted, and come to life vividly against the backdrop of Regency London as the story unfolds. Jack and his friends are essentially a set of loveable rogues, complete with nicknames for each other (Ulysses, Atlas and Zeus, all named for their good qualities apparently), and Harriet is the opposite of the traditional girl in her ‘coming out season’ - she is witty, and speaks her mind.
What really makes the story enjoyable is the fact that, in flouting convention and not doing what society expects of them (Jack and his friends arriving at Harriets house, via the back door, not at the ‘proper’ time for ladies receiving callers, and entering despite the protests of the butler was a highlight that really made me smile) , Jack and Harriet’s road to a happy ending is filled with an assortment of funny scenes, witty conversation, a serious sub-plot regarding fake rubies, and the realisation that sometimes love happens when you least expect it.
As this is the first instalment of a planned trilogy, I look forward to reading the next book, and, I assume, we will meet Jack and Harriet again as the series continues.
Thanks to M&B/Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4☆ Endearing fun Love story, with added Mystery, Suspense and Passion.

The Major Meets his Match is the first book in the Brides for Bachelors series. It is also my first book i have read by Annie Burrows, and it certainly won't be my last.

The Major Meets his Match is a fun endearing Romance that captures how opposites do attract. With passion, sizzling chemistry, suspense, mystery, humour and secrets a perfect mix.

Lord Becconsall (Jack) has been told he must marry and produce a Son to carry the family name, as soon as possible.
Jack is the only remaining Son left as he's brothers have now passed away. So there is even more pressure on Jack to find a bride.

However Jack has no intentions of settling down any time soon.
He is enjoying his life, until he meets Harriet. She may just be the one to change Jacks childish fun ways.

I really loved Lady Harriet she is fun, but there is also a vulnerable side to her.
 Being the only girl she has been overshadowed by her brothers.
Her family appear to favour her brothers so she never gets the attention she deserves. Lacking in self esteem.

It was so lovely to watch Harriet grow into a beautiful fun young lady.

However because of this she is used to doing what she wants. With very little rules to follow or any role model to teach her how to conform to be a lady.

So when she moves to London with her Aunt, it's a real shock to Harriet.
London is very different to the countryside. She is expected to learn how to become a lady and to eventually find herself a husband.

So when Jack and Harriet meet for the very first time. There is an instant spark between them.
When Harriet rides away, Jack knows he must get to know Harriet more. She intrigues him.

I will stop there I don't want to spoil it for you. Let's just say it's exciting.

I loved Jack and Harriet' s relationship the connection between them was heartwarming. Plenty of teasing, playful banter and stolen kisses.

Although this was a romance, there is also a  mystery alongside the storyline. That will keep you reading till the early hours.

This book is a fun , easy to read, light hearted romance and mystery.

Would I recommend this book, definitely!!

A perfect read for those who love Fun Romances, Regency, Mystery, easy to read books.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mills and Boon Insider for giving me the chance to read this beautiful book and review voluntarily.

3.5 stars rounded up.

The Major Meets His Match is the first in a new, three-book series from Annie Burrows entitled Brides for Bachelors.  The bachelors in question are gentlemen who have been friends since their schooldays, but who were separated when they went off to war and have just recently reunited.  They are discovering that picking up their friendship where they left off isn’t going to be easy; they’re different people now, and it’s going to take a bit of work and understanding if they are to forge their former bond anew.

Jack Hesketh, Viscount Becconsall, is a third son who never thought to inherit and who is well aware that his father favoured his elder brothers and regarded him as the runt of the litter.  He was never expected to amount to much, and when, at school, he was threatened by bullies because of his – then – small stature, he avoided too many drubbings by playing the fool and making the bullies laugh so that eventually they forgot why he had been their target.  He has carried this tendency with him into adulthood; even though he is now a decorated military officer – a Major – he still hides his quick mind, sharp wit and true emotions behind a wall of teasing and joking, sometimes so successfully that even his closest friends find it easy to forget that his quips and jests are a cover.

It’s this automatic reaction that lands him in trouble when, after a reunion turned into an all-night carouse that has lasted until morning, Jack makes a wager that he can ride the Marquess of Rawcliffe’s prize stallion through Hyde Park while drunk without falling off.  He is barrelling through the park when he startles another rider, a young woman, who, believing his horse has bolted, tries her best to stop it.  Jack comes a-cropper, the young woman dismounts to ascertain if he is injured and Jack, deciding to take advantage of their relative positions, pulls her on top of him and kisses her soundly.

Lady Harriet Inskip is taking part in the Season under the auspices of her Aunt Susan, who would have a fit if she knew her niece was out riding in the park alone at such an early hour.  But Harriet needed to shake off the restrictions of society for just a little while and a swift gallop was just the thing – although she hadn’t expected another rider to come bursting from the trees at full pelt. Harriet is simultaneously concerned for his safety and irritated by his idiocy and disregard for the safety of others – but nevertheless, she does what she can to calm the runaway horse and then, in spite of the voice in her head telling her to fetch help, to see to its rider.

The last thing she expects is to find herself being kissed... and worse, enjoying it.  But the interlude ends quickly when the unknown rider’s friends make an appearance, and Harriet, indignant and furious, hurries away.

One of Jack’s friends – the haughty Marquess of Rawcliffe – opines that the young woman lying on top of Jack must have been a lightskirt, but Jack protests to the contrary and also realises that not only had she felt right in his arms, he’d liked her spirit and enjoyed their brief verbal fencing match.  He wants to see her again, but can’t possibly admit that outright to his friends, so retreating to his default of joking to hide his real feelings, Jack makes a wager with Rawcliffe; whoever can locate the young lady and determine whether she is an innocent or otherwise will win their bet.

The story follows the course of Jack and Harriet’s relationship as they meet at society balls and outings and continue to strike sparks off each other.  At first, Jack assumes that Harriet’s forthright, often prickly manner is designed to put off potential suitors, but eventually realises that it’s her defence mechanism.  Nobody has ever taken much notice or care of her and her instinctive reaction whenever Jack says something complementary is to view it with suspicion and shrug it off or respond with a tart comment.  Yet as they come to know each other, they begin to realise that they have more in common than they thought.  Both Jack and Harriet have been discounted and often ignored by those who should have shown them love and affection and have learned to hide their hurt and self-doubt  – in Jack’s case, behind joking good humour and in Harriet’s behind sharp-tongued put-downs and a façade of indifference.  It’s going to take an act of courage on both their parts to drop their guards and admit the depth of their feelings for each other.

The romance that develops between Jack and Harriet is laced with wit, tenderness, charm and a nice simmer of sexual tension as they trade barbs while coming to a greater awareness of each other. The central characters are strongly characterised and I particularly appreciated the depiction of Harriet as an intelligent woman who isn’t afraid to express her opinions, but who also recognises that there are some rules she needs to follow.  Ms. Burrows does a very good job of depicting the complicated relationship Harriet has with her mother and her dawning appreciation of what her aunt – whom she had initially regarded as trying to stifle her with convention – is trying to do for her by sponsoring her Season.  This appreciation leads to the introduction of a sub-plot regarding some stolen rubies which I found rather insipid, but which, as it is not concluded here, I’m assuming is going to run through the rest of the series.

Jack and his friends - who still call each other by the nicknames drawn from Greek mythology they used at school - are well-drawn also, as is their friendship which, they discover, needs to be worked on given the changes they have all gone through.  The marquess – aka Zeus – seems to be cold and unfeeling, but in an unguarded moment, lets something slip that tells Jack that there is more going on beneath his hard exterior than he would have others believe.  Then there’s Atlas – Captain Bretherton – a naval officer who has returned from war almost literally a shadow of his former self, a man broken in body and spirit, who seems to be drifting through life without a purpose.  Both are intriguing secondary characters here, and I’m looking forward to reading their stories in due course.

My reservations about the plotline concerning the rubies aside, I enjoyed The Major Meets His Match.  If you’re looking for a warm, humorous and emotionally satisfying historical romance, you could do worse than give this one a try.

Set in the Regency period, two people meet in unexpected circumstances, and become attracted during Lady Harriet Inskip’s first season in London.
The storyline starts when Lady Harriet comes across Major Jack and his friends, but becomes confusing when the old school friends use nicknames based on classical characters, and it becomes difficult knowing which character is which. I had to keep backtracking to check which character was being discussed.
The story rumbles slowly along but there was nothing new, a typical Regency romance. However, the characters appear lacklustre and wooden, especially the secondary characters. Jack and Harriet both seem immature, Jack with his old schoolfriends, and Harriet acting childishly.
Although the conflict and misunderstanding is resolved by the end of the book, it seems that there will be more books in the series. I would say this book is more for the teen market than adult women’s fiction.

The Major Meets His Match is the first book in the Brides for Bachelors series by Annie Burrows.

Jack Hesketh, Lord Becconsall, known to his closest friends as Ulysses, was a major in the army. His two older brothers are dead and now he has the duty of being heir to his family title and estates. His father has never cared much for him and makes it clear that he is heartbroken that his two sons have died, sons that would be much better suited to be his heir. All he expects from Jack is to marry and beget a son as soon as possible. Things that Jack is in no hurry to do.

Lady Harriet is the only sister to 3 brothers. Her father has only ever shown an interest in his sons and teaching them all there is to know about looking after the estates. Her mother was so busy with her scientific endeavours that she didn't spend any time looking after the house or making sure her daughter learned manners and the ways of society. Things that she needed to know in order to find a husband. Fortunately, Harriet's aunt decides to take her under her wing and offers to sponsor Harriet coming out into London society.

Harriet is used to living life to the full in the country, wearing what she wants, doing what she wants, definitely not thinking about the daft rules of London society. Feeling overwhelmed with all the things her aunt was trying to teach her, Harriet goes out in the very early hours of the morning for a ride in Hyde Park. It is there that she has her first meeting with Jack. A very funny first meeting that also includes her very first kiss!

Jack is fascinated by Harriet and despite having the wrong impression of her at their first meeting, he finds out who she is and before he knows it he is attending balls and functions because he thinks she is a breath of fresh air whom he can be himself around. He also thinks that she isn't looking for a husband, and as he isn't looking for a wife he thinks they are a great pair. He isn't at all pleased when he realises he is wrong, and that Harriet does indeed want a husband.

The couple obviously have feelings for each other, but both, for one reason or another, believe that the other isn't right for them. Communication is the key to any chance they might have for a love match, but how to make that happen, that's the question?

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written, the characters were all likeable, well apart from Harriet's Uncle that is, and as well as the romance there was even mystery afoot, the case of some missing jewels. So not only were we treated to a love story with laughs and a little sadness, we also had intrigue and suspense.

The only thing that I didn't like about the story is that although we do get given a theory behind the jewel theft, nothing is proven definitively and the culprits aren't arrested! Will that storyline continue in the next book? If so, then it's not so bad, but if it doesn't, then I will be disappointed.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.

This book was okay. I got a bit bored. Struggled to finish it.

Jack Hesketh, Viscount Becconsall has been called a wastrel, rebel, layabout, just a few of the names he’s hidden his quick intellect and sharp wit behind over the years, he has the nickname Ulysses from his three closest friends. He’s recently gained the title. The four friends meet after several years & after a night of revelry Jack wages to ride a horse through the Park but the horse runs away with him & he’s aided by a young lady out riding.
After years of being overlooked, Lady Harriet Inskip cannot believe that Lord Becconsall is the only person to truly see her. But between his taunts and her fiery disposition, it's soon clear that the major has finally met his match. The attraction between the pair is instantaneous & when Harriet rides away Jack is determined to find her. A delightful read, Jack & Harriet have both been ignored by their parents Jack as the runt of the litter & Harriet because she’s a girl. They’ve both hidden their hurt & it was a relief to each of them to find their soul mate. The plot is well paced & I was eager for the mystery to be solved but find that it looks like the mystery will run throughout the series, so I eagerly await the other three stories. There was plenty of humour in the book, especially what the group wagered. A very enjoyable light read that left me smiling & wanting more.