Miss Newbury's List by Megan Walker (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

 

Title: Miss Newbury's List

Author: Megan Walker

Publication: 7 February 2023

Format: Kindle eARC via NetGalley & Shadow Mountain

Amazon Description: 

Before Rosalind weds, she wants to experience ten things. Meeting Charlie wasn’t on her list.

England, 1820

Rosalind Newbury is counting down the days until her wedding to the Duke of Marlow, a man she has only met twice, and she knows exactly how she wants to spend her time. As a child, Ros created a list of ten things to do before her wedding day. So far, she has done none of them.

She is determined to tackle each item, though she’ll have to accomplish them all in secret. After all, a soon-to-be-duchess is not usually allowed to bury treasure in the pasture, eat sweets all day, or learn how to swim. She enlists the help of her best friend, Liza, who brings along her cousin, Charlie, a prodigal son-turned-boxer who has come to the countryside to mend his reputation and learn how to be his father’s heir.

Together, the three of them work to complete the list, and as each item is crossed off, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Ros and Charlie. The more time they spend together, the more Ros falls in love with this imperfect man and his good heart.

With the wedding looming, Ros must decide to either admit her romantic feelings for Charlie and risk her family’s future, or keep her promise to marry the duke and start a new life as a noblewoman.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

In spite of surviving Mister Wrong Number, I have still more or less been on the "romance is bullshit" end of the spectrum. My poor NetGalley shelf is full of them, though, and I have been riddled with angst over the idea of constantly hitting the "I will not be giving feedback on this title" just because my heart was shattered and, you know, romance is bullshit. 

 

On Monday afternoon I opened the book that I felt would be safest simply because it's from Shadow Mountain's Proper Romance series : Megan Walker's Miss Newbury's List. 

 

I finished it Tuesday morning.

This was not a safe book. 

The characters were absolutely delightful -- except for the ones who weren't meant to be. The storyline of trying to complete Miss Newbury's pre-marriage-to-do list was everything I had hoped and more (I do so love a good bucket list). The language and imagery were on-point for a Regency (as far as I know, anyway, never having actually been to Regency England). The pacing never felt rushed and it never dragged. It was magnificent and, at times, I thought it was going to kill me. 

 

After all, with all of the rest came the romance.

"Romance is bullshit." Much of what I have encountered (online and off) has been far from "proper" ... and I have been quite tempted to adopt a little of kittens and just become a crazy old cat lady. Of course, I probably wouldn't make it to "old" because I'm allergic to cats and it would probably kill me ... but still. Pick your poisons, right? Death by cat dander .... or death by having your heart explode in your chest from love stories so good and right and, well, "proper" that it almost feels like it could really happen.

 

I think I need to go pick out a good serial killer book now .... or a very non-cozy mystery. Give me angst and blood and horror. You know, things I actually believe in.

 

Or maybe .... 

 

Just maybe .... 

 

Maybe I'll grab another "proper" romance and keep living vicariously between the pages.

 

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader