I loved seeing Clara and Quincy's story unfold. Here are the reasons this one will be on my keeper shelf:

her on top in the bath (this one follows the prior one almost immediately so I counted it as one flame)Pose as the fiancée of a duke over the Christmas season? The idea seems wild and yet, it might provide the answers to all of Tillie’s problems. Only, it presents another problem of its own -- how to avoid the charms of the rakish man who awakens unexpected desires. For Tillie Andrews envisions a life of her own -- one that does not include the boorish man her parents would see her wed, nor a stubborn rake who would see her abandon her dream of becoming one of London’s most successful, sought-after dressmakers. For Alexander Landon, Duke of Barre, wants one thing -- Tillie Andrews. When she continues to resist him, he sets in motion a plan to win her over, one that is allegedly in place to protect his heart, but will only prove to wake it up. Will Alexander’s charade convince Tillie he is everything she ever wanted, or will his deception prove to be their undoing? Can Alexander wake Tillie from her deep sleep to find their happily ever after? This Regency Romance contains some steamy scenes. This is a romance between Lady Clara Ashford and Quincy Nesbitt, the new Duke of Reigate. Both our characters have an emotionally difficult past and they struggle with letting people into their lives. Because of this, they complimented each other wonderfully and helped one another let down their walls. They respected each other's boundaries and I really loved how deeply they cared for one another. I found the banter between Clara and Quincy hilarious and was constantly smiling at their interactions.

There isn’t really a villain, but the hero’s mother is extremely cruel. I think probably because I am just coming off a book with an extremely cruel mother (The Earl Next Door by Charis Michaels), I wasn’t too into this plot device. It’s also because I had a horrible MIL that was so toxic we don’t talk to her at all any more. I lived it so I don’t prefer to read it except once in a great while. Tropes: Fake Relationship, Best Friend's Sister, Forced Proximity, Ruined, Older Heroine/Younger Hero (not a big plot point, but she is older than him by two years)

Reviews

Quincy has launched himself onto the list of my favorite heroes. He’s sensitive, caring, and kind – a total sweetheart you could see anyone losing their heart to. He has charm and good humor to spare, but beneath the surface are old wounds from the death of his beloved father and the cruelty of his horrid mother. Quincy has dreams of seeing the world; dreams that are dashed when he learns that all three of his older brothers have died and he is now a duke. Having run away from home at fourteen and shaping himself into a self-made man, Quincy goes to the one person he knows he can talk to: another unexpected duke – his best friend, Peter. But it’s not Peter who becomes Quincy’s shelter from the storm of emotions swirling around him, it’s Peter’s cousin Clara. My first book by Christina Britton and I really enjoyed it. A lovely historical that was a fake engagement, friends to lovers trope. This story had humor, witty banter, and emotionally difficult topics. It was a sweet slow burn of friends who eventually discover that they really do love each other. These emotions made the story dialogue more convincing. Now I will talk about the fun naughty parts. Oh my gosh Tatum, if I had a husband like him, honey he could take and have me anywhere. Millie, hang on for all the many days and nights of living in ecstasy. I give this book two snaps in a, Lady Sinclair, get your own play toy. I haven’t finished a book in over a year, so I’m really pleased that this book engaged me enough to get through it. There was a lot of liked about it. I liked the pacing. I appreciated that the relationship started off early and you didn’t have to wait for it. I thought there was good tension early on and there was lots of sex, which is always enjoyable. Both main characters change thorugh the novel and it's like seeing a friend of yours overcome their fears and embracing a happy future together.