I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When her actions to find a husband cause her to make the biggest mistake of her life, Betsy Fairfax knows that she might have just ruined her family for good. She needs a husband to save the family, but her mother's actions are too much, and she has scuppered all of her chances. Sharing a kiss with the steward of a neighbouring estate, Betsy is drawn to James. But he's only a servant, and her mother would never allow her to marry him, right?

This was an enjoyable book, but not very memorable, and not really a romance I was too invested in. Betsy was flighty for my taste, and though I knew why she acted irrationally, I couldn't really forget what she had done. James was an alright hero, but very stuck in his ways, and that stiffness was annoying at times. It was a solid regency romance, and enjoyable the time, but not a book I think I'd revisit.

I’ve really enjoyed stories by this author before, but I just didn’t click with this one. The heroine really annoyed me as I found her very petulant, and I didn’t really feel like the romance was, well, very romantic! Even the happily ever after ending admits that they’re both very irritating to each other and will fight all the time – I don’t know about you, but that’s not really what I’m looking for from a stable relationship! Just a bit of a mismatch in taste, I think.

This was a refreshing change of story as we mainly read it from the hero's viewpoint rather than the heroine's.
Add to that and our hero is: short, scruffy for most of the story time, not classicly handsome - indeed rather homely looking, and very inexperienced with women, and you have a hero in an unusual style.
He was charming in his blundering manner and speech, and far too naive to consider his father's words as gospel, but then they did have an unfortunate family example to consider.
Our heroine was also short and explained clearly how comfortable it was to try and kiss someone of a similar height.she was also one to make mistakes and misunderstandings at the drop of a hat. And Gem has it right about marriage.

Betsy has been bought up to marry well and with her mother putting more and more pressure on her to make a suitable marriage she is convinced to try and seduce her neighbour, but when she finds out he has recently married she is distraught with herself and her behaviour. It is whilst she is upset and angry with herself that she first meets James. Whilst she is instantly attracted to him she knows her mother would never approve of the match, but what if James isn't as he seems.
This was a sweet story and both main characters were easy to support and to hope that they would manage to work everything out and get their own happy ever after.

How to Catch a Viscount is the second book, although it says in the ad that it's the first, in the Patterdale Siblings series by Annie Burrows.

It's an enjoyable story where I had the bonus of not disliking the main female character, Betsy, from the start because I hadn't read what terrible thing she did in the first book of the series. When I did read what she had done it was with the knowledge of why she did it and how distraught she was about it.

Her mother is constantly telling her that she needs to marry a nobleman in order to save the family finances. When she finds herself possibly falling for James, an estate steward she is torn because she has no choice but to marry a man of means which James isn't, or is he?

I really enjoyed the budding romance forming between James and Betsy. There was some trepidation building up because they both had secrets that you just know will cause upset when they are told. Waiting for the bombs to drop certainly built the need to read this book as quickly as I could. I needed to see them have a happy ending even if at times it seemed impossible.

This is a really well-written story and I enjoyed it as I do all books that I read from this author.

This book transported me to another world… A beautifully written page-turner ... When you've finished reading you'll be desperate to pass it on…..

Miss Betsy Fairfax must marry to save her family from financial ruin. Only, her mother’s overzealous efforts to find kind-hearted Betsy a suitable match have made her Society’s most undesirable debutante! She’s ready to give up and become a paid companion when she shares a spine-tingling kiss with James, a charming steward.
An entertaining read with a gentle romance but whilst I liked James, who was helping his brother in law out & let Betty think he was a steward, I didn’t like Betty who was naïve & bad tempered. I felt chemistry was lacking between the pair & both of them were too innocent for my liking. So saying it was a well written book but just didn’t rock my boat
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

James is in line to become an earl, and has had it drummed into him from an early age that a spotless reputation and immaculate behaviour is all that matters - but he’s growing frustrated with his staid, uninteresting lifestyle. He takes himself off to help his brother-in-law’s crumbling estate, and there encounters Betsy, a proud young woman with a short temper. He lets Betsy believe he’s just the new steward and keeps hidden from her that he’s actually a viscount and heir to an earldom. He’s instantly drawn to Betsy, but what he doesn’t know is that Betsy’s family have financial issues and she’s under strict instructions to marry a titled gentleman - a situation which led her to do something that could damage her reputation beyond repair if it was ever revealed.

This was a nice read. The writing style is clean and easy to follow, and it had a nice traditional feel about it that made me think of older regency romances. I think the author did a good job at sticking to the tone of the book; there were no jarring modernisms and there was an attention to detail I appreciated. I thought the plot was interesting enough and the book explored some topics I hadn’t expected, such as the dangers of unprotected sex in this time period and the plight faced by women having their lives controlled by men.

As for the characters, I quite liked Betsy; I found her amusing and her temper was quite entertaining. I struggled to warm to James at all. He had a naivete that I found endearing at points, but it sometimes led to a stiffness that I found hard to enjoy reading. I liked the idea of the dynamic between them as a couple more than I did seeing it play out on page; there were some moments where I really felt the chemistry between them, but others where I felt it was a bit flat. I will say this was quite a wordy, introspective novel; there was a lot of focus on their inner thoughts about each other but not a lot of action between them. I just wasn’t as convinced by their emotional bond, and it ended rather bluntly for me as well.

Overall this was quite a solid book and I think if you like more traditional regency romances this would work for you, but it’s a very gentle book and there isn’t a lot of excitement or twists and turns. For what it is, though, it’s well-written and has some good ideas, and it was a decent read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: References to sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis), references to war, sexual language, no on-page sex.

Betsy and James are innocents trying to find happiness within a strict society. Their romance is conflicted, gentle and humorous. It is a lighthearted Regency romance with two naive characters whose experiences display Regency society eloquently, and they achieve the happy ending they desire after many obstacles to their romance.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Sadly this book was just not for me. I have enjoyed other titles by this author in the past but the characters were just very hard to like. The heroine was very snippy and the hero saying things like 'The only woman he'd met worth conversing with' aka a woman who he fancied. I get that it was part of how he was raised and his character development but it still wasn't fun to read about.

3.5 stars

I didn't take to Betsy. She was very young and her temper was awful. What helped with the story was the lovely hero, James. I think he was a bit deluded and diserved better


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

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I've read this author before and enjoyed them so was happy to be able to read this

Read in one sitting, I found this really enjoyable

Very likeable, if a little daft heroine in Betsy. Her family has a title but no money and she has done some silly things to try and find a suitable husband - mainly pushed by her mother. Lord Dundas is mistaken for a titleless land worker and through that misunderstanding a tentative but honest relationship starts. The Betsy is going to discover this subterfuge and be hurt is never in doubt, their joint reactions, as well of that of high society is interesting and gives a good perspective on the marriage mart.

As always, a Mills and Boon’s regency romance is a treat to read. A well written story with twists and turns and delightful characters. Annie Burrows books are also guaranteed excellent tales.