What Am I Reading Wednesday (01 March 2023)

I thought we'd use today's What Am I Reading Wednesday post to round out the Second Sons series by Emily Rath!

Title: Alcott Hall

Author: Emily Rath

First Reading: Yes! We all know by now how much I love Emily's writing. She's become one of my auto-buy authors in a very short amount of time.

Initial Impression: I got to read this one as an ARC! While Beautiful Things and His Grace, the Duke were Rosalie's duet, Alcott Hall focuses on Madeline Blair. She started out as a side character in Beautiful Things and grew into one of Rosalie's closest friends. It's also Why Choose, which ties in with the rest of the series. As one of the only characters in BT and HGTD who accepted Rosalie for who she was, I really wanted Madeline to get out from under her overbearing family and find happiness!

Final Thoughts: One more time for the cheap seats in the back! Emily has that rare writer ability to build a world around the reader without them even realizing it. The world she's created is rich and character-driven, (My favorite kind!), and I appreciated the attention to detail when it came to setting a "why choose" romance in an era with strict social rules and limited options for ensuring all partners' safety. 

*****

Book Synopsis:

The Lady has an offer.
The Vicar has a Confession.

Lady Madeline Blair is on a mission. Her eccentric late aunt left her a small fortune with one condition: to claim it, Madeline must marry by New Year’s Eve…which is now only three weeks away! When she receives an invitation to spend Christmas at Alcott Hall, she sees this as the perfect chance to snag herself an unsuspecting beau. She will be generous with her inheritance, providing him with a comfortable living. All he has to do is agree never to claim his rights as her husband.

Five years ago, Charles Bray left Finchley and never looked back. It was too painful to dwell in the past. So, when duty calls him home, he returns, heart heavy, to a town full of ghosts. Seeking any distraction, he sparks an unlikely friendship with a quiet young lady who makes him a surprising offer too good to refuse.

And then there's John...

ALCOTT HALL is a standalone spicy Regency romance set three years after the events of the Second Sons duology. The heroine will have multiple love interests, and she may not choose just one in the end. All characters are in their 20s.

[CW: Regency era social and gender norms to include sexism and classism; detailed sex scenes.] 

[BUY LINK]

*****

About the Author:

My name is Emily Rath (pronounced just like wrath). I write swoony, cinematic, character-driven  fantasies and romances. I like to describe my writing as “adult characters and themes written with YA pacing and voice.” Soooo, basically I write New Adult….which I firmly believe is a thing. You can expect my books to have big casts of characters, lots of drama, lots of kissing, and unpredictable magic.

I currently live in Florida with my husband, son, and cat (who guest stars in my toks). We regularly comb the local beaches looking for shark teeth.  Follow me on Instagram and Tiktok @emilyrathbooks

(Book synopsis, author bio & photo source: https://emilyrathbooks.com/) 

(Emily's backup Instagram account: @authoremilyrath)

*****

[Top Image: A stack of books sits on a polished wooden table. Leaning against the stack is an e-reader showing the cover of Alcott Hall by Emily Rath. A young white woman in a forest green Regency Era evening gown and white, elbow length gloves stands in the center of the cover. On either side of her are two white men in Regency dress; waistcoats, cravats, and tailcoats. The man on the left is holding a flintlock pistol. All three characters are facing forward, but we can only see them from the mouth down.]