I love Ms Caldwell's books usually, but I just cannot get into the ladies from the Mismatch Society. Whilst the writing is good within itself, I find there are so many side characters. that they are throwing me out of the story and I'm unable to concentrate on the central romance between Emma and Charles. There are many unfinished sentences which I found annoying, because a lot of them are broken up with internal narration. You have to read back to see who spoke last and what they said. Not a fan of that style. It is great for a TV drama or movie though.

There's lots of witty banter between friends and relatives and this story is intended to be a lighthearted, entertaining and fun read, but there was something missing for me. It felt very modern in flavour - especially with all the man hating going on. I think the editor could have done more to pull this book together into a tighter format. Mind you, I'm reading an uncorrected ARC, so some things might be different on publication day. I've read quite a few excellent historical romances in the last couple of weeks that are way better than this one, so I have to compare it to them when I rate this one. So, 2.5 stars for an okay read. You may love this book, it just wasn't a favourite for me.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for giving me the opportunity to read the e-ARC in return for my opinion. I think that I will borrow this book in the future via kindle unlimited and listen to the audio. If so, I may well revise my opinion, as Christi has a fabulous narrator for her books. (Tim Campbell). I just listen to his voice and relax. Same for the previous book - I want to listen to that as well. 🙂

PS - Yes, I will be reading more from this author, I adore her Heart of a Duke series and have read a good chunk of her back list. 💗

Betrothed by their scheming parents as children, the protagonists have done their respective best to avoid sealing the matrimonial commitment. Charles, the Earl of Scarsdale, has built a reputation of being an irresponsible, hedonistic rake while the serious and cerebral Emma is his opposite, having cofounded an exclusive society for women to engage in, well, feministic pursuits, I guess. After 17 years of resenting the forced engagement to the daughter of his parents' good friends, Charles is shocked when Emma is the one showing enough mental fortitude to sever their unwanted betrothal. Shocked and intrigued. He goes from giving little thought to the child or woman she has become to being constantly preoccupied by his ex-fiancee. And therein lies the problem. One of many problems.

The transition to a man obsessed was so sudden and out of the blue and so was his determination to better himself in order to earn her respect. The start was slow and confusing at times with obscure conversations about people and events not very well elucidated. This is not helped by the occasionally strange, long winded sentences that still made little sense upon several re-readings. Some of the writing just did not feel like Caldwell's usual prose. It lacks polish at times, definitely lacks her clever bantering and humour. The whole premise of Charles creating a competing social club to her Mismatch Society for women was weak and illogical as a way to impress her. Why not just court her and show his genuine interest, which he never bothered to before? And what the hell was the purpose of her society? They achieved nothing apart from developing a reputation of exclusivity and defiance. Charles made for a poor hero what with his somewhat dim and hitherto unstimulated mind. Emma on the other hand was unlikeable with her air of self-importance and her misguided notion that she was making a difference. Furthermore, at 70% we had two sexual encounters and still no first kiss between them which didn't come until nearing the end. Call me old-fashioned but...

I had high expectations of this book, the idea that a woman would come forward before her parents and social contracts to say that she did not want to marry and also put before her that it was not only her responsibility to be good and perfect for her future husband and for being a perfect wedding, demanding that she wanted more and something better, it seemed like a brilliant idea
.
Therefore I loved Emma Gately, she is a very well armed character and that her fiancé was awakened by his character and opinions seemed to me to be good condiments for a good love story. But then all that strength is lost a little and many things happen at the same time
.
It was a good reading so thanks to Montlake and Netgalley for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion

4/5 ⭐️

Emma Gately and Charles, Lord Scarsdale, were betrothed as children. Their families think this is a great idea because they are such good friends. Of course, Emma and Charles start to resent each other and their arrangement. Until Emma decides that she is going to sever their engagement, and of course, that’s when Charles is suddenly interested in his no-longer-bride-to-be.

Emma moves on and focuses on her Mismatch Society, a space where women can speak freely. In order to prove that he is different than his wicked reputation, Charles creates a rival society, and they are at war. I love how he does this to prove to Emma he’s not frivolous but in doing so infuriates her.

Emma is a strong and independent woman- I loved how she walked away from their engagement; while it (of course) reflected badly on her, she knew she didn’t deserve to be with someone who couldn’t be bothered to try to get to know his betrothed. Charles is a likeable rouge, who may not be quite so bad as we first think. My favourite parts of this book are when they unexpectedly discover something about each other and realize the other person isn’t exactly what they thought. Their banter about their societies is entertaining and there is certainly chemistry 🔥.

This was such a fun read! It’s coming out June 29, and if you’re a fan of historical romance, I recommend checking it out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for a free copy of this ebook, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 magical little stars.

'He'd resented her. He'd blamed her. Realising too late how unfair it had been to place any of those sentiments at the young lady's feet.'

Betrothed as children by their close families, Charles and Emma have always been expected to marry. The lack of choice in the matter of his future spouse is one Charles has always chafed against and as such he has been a rather indifferent fiance to Emma. Fed up of this treatment and seeking greater freedom in her life Emma breaks off their betrothal. However, suddenly being without the woman he always expected to spend his life with awakens Charles to the reality of his poor treatment of her and he realises how much he wants Emma in his life...

"You Infuriate me."
"You captivate me, so it cancels out."

I adore Christi Caldwell's writing, it is so captivating and easy to read. She always evokes an emotional response in me, hooking me into the story and making me root for her couple. The sexual chemistry practically jumps off the page - and she took such an unconventional approach to, shall we say, the 'order of things' in this book which I both appreciated and raised my eyebrows at!

My absolute favourite part of this book was Emma and Charles' interaction with Seamus (a 10 year old boy related to Charles). They were so incredibly heartwarming and tender, I completely fell in love. The way the interaction exposed Emma and Charles to each other was just stunning.

'The little boy nodded vigorously, his glasses slipping down. And then with the tenderest of movements, Emma leaned over and ever so naturally slid those rims back into their proper place.'

Unfortunately, alongside beautifully crafted scenes like this that I expect from Christi Caldwell, other parts of the book were... a bit of a mess. I said it in my review of book one (the only CC book I've ever disliked) and I'll say it again here: The Mismatch Society, while a great idea, is an extremely convoluted addition to the plot and generally poorly executed. Instead of adding to the book, it takes away scenes that could be focused on character development and relationship development. Really it just adds confusion. I genuinely don't understand what we're supposed to be gaining from the scenes spent in this society and I honestly found them quite boring.

I also think there is too much going on in the plot of this series and it's making the books overly complicated and less enjoyable. This book could have been great if they just focused on their face value as we have:
- A childhood betrothal between family friends that is ended by the dissatisfied future wife
- A jilted husband-to-be who is realising what he has lost and will do anything to get her back
- Family drama and lies that need unraveling so these two can finally see each other for who they truly are and fall in love
If this book had purely based itself around these core plots I think it would have been so incredible. It would have really allowed Emma and Charles to have proper interactions and slowly open up to one another. The parts of the book that did this are what I loved most.
Instead we got that this plus:
- Pacing that was all over the place
- A very lukewarm, singular attempt from Charles to win back Emma
- Rivalry between the two based on this attempt
- Lots of drama and strategy meetings at the mismatch society
- Danger and intrigue right at the very end of the book
I just... I didn't see the point behind a lot of these. And there were so many plots vying for attention that we hardly got to see true interactions between Emma and Charles - when we did get them they were absolute gold, but then the culmination of this into love was so rushed and lackluster. I understand why Charles wanted Emma, but while I understand why Emma should want Charles (we get his POV after-all so have extra intel), I don't feel that Emma sees enough of Charles to truly fall for him.

I hate having to write these things because I truly adore Christi Cladwell's other works. I'm also sorry if my critique is little all over the place but I think that reflects the chaos of this book - its chaos is its ultimate problem. In my opinion this series not reflect what Christi Caldwell is capable off and I really do recommend trying a different series.

*I recieved an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"The Importance of Being Wanton" is the second book in the “Wantons of Waverton” series. This book is so much better than the first one in the series but had a few flaws that kept it from making this story amazing.

Charles, Earl of Scarsdale and Emma Gately were betrothed as children, and for the next seventeen years, he proceeds to forget that he even has a betrothed. Emma decides that enough is enough and breaks the engagement, shocking everyone, especially Charles. She starts the Mismatch Society for ladies to be independent but then Charles decides he will start a club of his own to convince her and everyone else that he too can be a responsible adult.

The story was captivating and I liked how Christi Caldwell brought about the redemption of Charles. Frankly, I hated him at the beginning and was hoping that she finds someone else but Charles truly redeemed himself. I liked reading his character development. I went from thinking he is an insensitive jerk to routing for him at the end. Charles and Emma together were really cute in the process of learning about one another.

Coming to the parts I disliked, the storytelling seemed very disjointed and dragged at some places. It felt like certain sections were merged haphazardly which disrupted the flow for me. So at times, I felt the couple had amazing chemistry and then to feeling like they are just good friends. The chemistry seemed to just go off and on depending on the scenario.
But the story was interesting and despite the flaws, I liked reading Charles and Emma's story.

Oh boy... he is definitely in trouble. Charles (the Earl of Scarsdale) was betrothed to Emma (daughter of close family friends) as a child. Mind you--he hides out, runs from her, and is not at all in agreement. So, he wanders off to live life, ignoring her for YEARS. One day, out of the blue, the now grown up and beautiful Emma asks to meet him. She knocks him off his feet by breaking up with him and walking away. His response? "uh.... what?" He is hooked, immediately. He finally stops and takes a look at her... as she walks away. He becomes determined to win her back. A day late and a dollar short--that's how she sees him. She and other anti-marriage ladies form a society for mutual support. Right away, it's obvious this is going to be good!!! What an fun, entertaining, amusing love story!

DNF 30%. This book has so much promise. I really liked the idea of a couple betrothed since childhood breaking things off and the male mc realizing he had made a mistake in ignoring the female mc all along. But the dialogue is both boring and difficult to understand, and the concept of this society that the characters belong to isn’t well defined or even seeming that important. I just am not pleased with the writing.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an Advance Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always love when this author releases something new and this book is no exception. I absolutely adored this book about two children who were betrothed as children, forced together by well-meaning parents. Throughout the course of their lives Charles is constantly embroiled in some scandal and resents Emma and the inevitability of their marriage. That is until she meets him on the banks of the Serpentine and severs their engagement.

Emma is sick of being ignored by her so-called betrothed, and anyway, she never wants to get married. As a member of the Mismatch Society, a group of women who come together and discuss intelligent subjects, she feels she has more to offer than being the wife of a rake.

But when Emma breaks the engagement, Charles realises that she was perfect for him all along and thinks of a few ways he can get her attention, that end up helping him find his own purpose.

This is a fun and enjoyable book - I look forward to reading more in the series.

We are introduced to Emma and Charles in book #1(SOMEONE WANTON HIS WAY COMES) of this series and although this is a standalone novel I liked knowing a bit more about these two by reading the first book (or rather listening to book#1 since I listened to the audiobook). Christi Caldwell has once again made me forget about sleeping by writing a good story that kept me turning pages.

Emma, at times, was annoying in her inability to acknowledge her lust for Charles. Instead she just melted every time she sought him out and then couldn't understand why. Charles was trying to be honorable with Emma but she kept showing up at the most scandalous times and places.

This was certainly a fun, sexy read.

4 stars

This is the second book in the wantons series and I liked it much better than the first. It took me a bit of time to get into it. Emma has been betrothed to Charles since childhood. Their parents arranged the match and Charles really resented their plotting but as a teenager reluctantly went ahead with it. At first Emma hero worshipped him but as she hears the rumours of his rakish life, his illegitimate child, and his reluctance to follow through on their betrothal she dumps him. It's then he realises what he's missing and wants to win her back. The quarrels over their disparate social clubs was abit staged and her behaviour in visiting a batchelors house, again needed me to suspend belief but the budding romance is well written and Seamus, the son delightful.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book 2 of the series, a few characters from Book 1 recurs plus more secondary characters.

Emma and Charles, are betrothed from childhood. A link mutually forged by their parents. The story revolves among interfering families, lauded club, controversial society and well-meaning friends.

I trust in Christi Caldwell's skill to spin a good yarn, but a big number of names distracts me from the narrative. However, there's one character I adore, young Seamus, I hope he gets his own story.

This is my honest opinion of the e-Galley copy from NetGalley.

I loved this book. Cheeky, sassy ladies holding their own against the Lords of the day, discovering passion and maybe love as they go. Emma breaks off her engagement of almost 2 decades to her parents best friend’s son - after all an engagement that started when you are still in pigtails to someone who is barely civil to you isn’t right is it? The breaking of the engagement, however does quite the opposite of severing the ties between Emma and Lord Scarsdale.
A lovely, romantic tale showing how important it is to know your mind, but also to change it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

The Importance of Being Wanton by Christi Caldwell follows Emma Gately and Charles Hayden, the Earl of Scarsdale, going from being betrothed since childhood to rivals and then finally to lovers. Emma is a founding member of an exclusively female society designed for women to be able to gather and talk about what interests them without any patriarchal influence. In contrast, after being broken up with Charles starts a club in retaliation that is open to both men and women as a way to discuss philosophy and other matters. This rivalry is what propels the story forward.

In my opinion there was too much miscommunication in this romance novel. It is a common trope within historical romances especially for miscommunication to be one of the primary reasons that the main couple is not together. However, I found in the case of The Importance of Being Wanton there was a bit too much. Though it was a fun read with a lot of witty banter I found myself being annoyed with the characters a lot of the time. For example, one of the primary miscommunications throughout the story is the reason behind Charles founding his own club. Though it helped the tension I found the repetitive nature of his reasonings being called into question a bit too much.

One of the best parts of this novel that I had a lot of fun with was the witty banter. It is definitely a character focused story and most of the storytelling is told through conversation. Both romantic leads are incredibly witty as they try and navigate their conflicting roles in their relationship. Christi Caldwell definitely has a skill for dialogue! Especially when Emma and Charles with bickering back and forth the scenes just came alive.

This isn't the steamiest read but the steamy scenes are exceptionally well done. I think this is in part to the fact that their relations our outside of marriage so if society were to know there would be ruin. There is something very fun about that aspect in historical romances and it was definitely done well in this novel.

It took me a lot of time to decide how to rate this book. I ended up on a three star not because of the quality because it is a really good book but because it just wasn't what I normally look for in a romance.

I just finished The Importance of Being Wanton, and I'm still not sure who was wanton or why it was important. Instead, I'm caught between being happy that Emma and Charles found their HEA after a long 17 years and being frustrated by how they got there.

Betrothed as children and not happy about it, the two spent the intervening years pretty much living separate lives. Charles spent the time being all roguish (though as the trope goes, he had good reason and wasn't really all *that* bad), while Emma became a would-be feminist and silently seethed. Shortly before their wedding, Emma breaks it off with Charles. Charles is equal parts stunned and disappointed. Newly infatuated with Emma, he decides to pursue her.

I'm not entirely sure why Charles thought starting a club to compete with her women's society would impress her. Everyone else saw it as the d*ck move that it was. And all it did for me was make the Mismatched Society seem foolish and misguided, exactly the opposite of what it should have been. I kept waiting for there to be a Grand Gesture on Charles' part where he stood up to the society's critics and pointed out the clear double standards, but that never happened.

As for Emma and Charles' relationship, there is a beauty in watching them slowly discover the good parts of each other's characters. However (and perhaps this is where the wanton part is important), rather than an equally slow unfurling of the physical side of their relationship (which I think Emma deserved), they go from squabbling to fondling in the blink of an eye, long before Emma ever gets a proper kiss.

Christi Caldwell is a very good writer. She builds in humor, which I love, and her writing style flows well, free from the awkward clunkiness found in other novels. That said, with her novels, I always feel as if a lot of the most important action happens off screen. A chapter will end with a cliffhanger, for example, but the subsequent chapter will begin with the issue already resolved. It's frustrating.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

This is an awesome story with a laugh around every corner.
Emma and Charles were betrothed as children. It was not a love match but one of obligation.
Despite that Charles finds himself as an adult love struck by the very girl he took for granted years before.
The scenario is laughable and Emma makes for an interesting heroine.
Christi Caldwell has done it once again with a story that makes you want to laugh and cry.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

While this book was enjoyable and the characters were good and honorable, I kind of miss the bad and questionable heros and heroines in past series.
The one thing that really stood out in this book was the great relationship between the parents and their children, especially that of Charles and his mother. I'm not sure if this is necessarily first and foremost in what one looks like in a romance but I loved it!

I absolutely love Christi Caldwell! I’ve read almost all of her books numerous times. She’s in my top top go to romance ! Emma and Charles chemistry and dialogue and story was absolutely fantastic ! Love it! Love Christi !!

Emma Gately and the Earl of Scarsdale were betrothed as children, so imagine Charles' shock when Emma ends their betrothal seventeen years later. So naturally, Charles decides he must have her.

I have to say there are a lot of minor characters in this series, and in this book particular, that left me confused as to who was who. I found myself having a difficult time connecting to these characters. I didn't find Charles very likeable and his actions just made me dislike him more. Christi Caldwell usually writes heroes I adore, so I was very perturbed by not caring much about these characters.

This is a low steam novel, with one very sweet and somewhat steamy scene. The trope is enemies to lovers and you do not need to read the other books in this series, as this book does find as a standalone.

**Review to be posted on my blog on 6/17/21**

Likes:
*I always enjoy an enemies to lovers story. In Emma and Charles’ case, they are betrothed as children and as such children grow up, they change. Emma decides she doesn’t want to be married to Charles and end their engagement. Of course their paths are always crossing since both their fathers are good friends, so it’s inevitable they run into each other. The enemies comes one sided because it’s Emma who ends the engagement on bases of rumors about Charles.

*After the end of their engagement is when Charles starts seeing Emma for who she is and falling for her. Charles does something thinking it would earn Emma’s respect but instead it’s the opposite. But Emma also learns the truth about Charles and so they are basically learn about each other without being engaged. It was nice watching them interact and of course see the attraction growing.

*There is a lot of woman empowerment in this book which was nice.

Random Notes:
*Heat level of this one is not too high, there is a very steamy scene but it was sweet. I think it needed more steamy scenes or just more of them seducing one another.

*I wasn’t connecting to this story as much as I was hoping too.

Final Thoughts:
For me, this one didn’t hold my attention like the author’s past books. I still think if you like historical romance with an enemies to lovers trope and strong ladies who strive to be independent, then you might enjoy this one.